Akha and Phu Noi Minorities in Laos in the 1920s

This first English translation presents a wealth of data and a number of unique period photographs collected by a French military administrator of the area around Phongsaly, then the Fifth Military territory in northern Laos. It is fair to say that this is one of the rare views of the original condition of these tribal populations as the observations date from the early 1920s when very few Europeans had been in this area. The text systematically reviews all that there was to know about these people: origins, physical characteristics, dwellings, customs and sorcery, ceremonies and feasts, ownership and economics, social relations, legends, even the dream world and the significance of omen are discussed. The measurement, time and writing systems and a number of typical texts have also been included. Together with rare period photographs, not found elsewhere, this book also provides an ethnographic treasure trove for people interested in authentic textiles and the material cultures of these two groups.