High Frontiers: Dolpo and the Changing World of Himalayan Pastoralists (Historical Ecology)

An ethnographic and ecological history of Dolpo, a culturally Tibetan region in western Nepal that is home to some of the highest villages on earth; almost ninety percent of the region lies above 10,000 feet in elevation. Its inhabitants wrest survival from this inhospitable landscape by creatively exploiting agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. Dolpo is a culturally Tibetan enclave in one of Nepal's most remote regions. The Dolpo-pa, or people of Dolpo, share language, religious and cultural practices, history, and a way of life. Agro-pastoralists who live in some of the highest villages in the world, the Dolpo-pa wrest survival from this inhospitable landscape through a creative combination of farming, animal husbandry, and trade. High Frontiers is an ethnography and ecological history of Dolpo tracing the dramatic transformations in the region's socioeconomic patterns. Once these traders passed freely between Tibet and Nepal with their caravans of yak to exchange salt and grains; they relied on winter pastures in Tibet to maintain their herds. After 1959, China assumed full control over Tibet and the border was closed, restricting livestock migrations and sharply curtailing trade. At the same time, increasing supplies of Indian salt reduced the value of Tibetan salt, undermining Dolpo's economic niche. Dolpo's agro-pastoralists were forced to reinvent their lives by changing their migration patterns, adopting new economic partnerships, and adapting to external agents of change. The region has been transformed as a result of the creation of Nepal's largest national park, the making of Himalaya, a major motion picture filmed on location, the increasing presence of nongovernmental organizations, and a booming trade in medicinal products. High Frontiers examines these transformations at the local level and speculates on the future of pastoralism in this region and across the Himalayas.

Numerous studies indicate that team competencies, based on effective virtual and face-to-face communication, are a key factor for successful IT project work. The major goal of this book is to investigate the influence of person-centered interventions in technology-enhanced environments on the development of team knowledge, skills and attitudes. A further aim is to improve the understanding of teamwork and associated media use in the Computer Science and Information Systems studies. Finally, the book draws up general concepts referring to ways of supporting teamwork and promoting team competencies of students in the context of Computer Science and Information Systems curricula.

Dolpo's Agro-pastoral System -- Pastoralism, In View And Review -- A Sketch Of Dolpo's History -- A New World Order In Tibet -- Nepal's Relations With Its Border Populations And The Case Of Dolpo -- The Wheel Is Broken: A Pastoral Exodus In The Himalayas -- Visions Of Dolpo: Conservation And Development -- A Tsampa Western -- Perspectives On Change -- Pasture Toponomy -- Dolpo Plant Species. Kenneth M. Bauer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-251) And Index. Contents Abbreviations Acknowledgments A Note on Tibetan and Nepali Terms Introduction 1. Dolpo's Agro-Pastoral System 2. Pastoralism in View and Review 3. A Sketch of Dolpo's History 4 A New World Order in Tibet 5. Nepal's Relations with its Border Populations and the Case of Dolpo 6. The Wheel is Broken 7. Visions of Dolpo 8. A Tsampa Western 9. Perspectives on Change Notes Bibliography Glossary Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Index

an Ethnographic And Ecological History Of Dolpo, A Culturally Tibetan Region In Western Nepal That Is Home To Some Of The Highest Villages On Earth; Almost Ninety Percent Of The Region Lies Above 10,000 Feet In Elevation. Its Inhabitants Wrest Survival From This Inhospitable Landscape By Creatively Exploiting Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, And Trade.

This is an ethnographic and ecological history of Dolpo, a culturally Tibetan region in western Nepal. Bauer describes Dolpo since the 1950s and traces how pastoralists living in the trans-Himalaya have adapted to sweeping changes in their economic, political and cultural circumstances -- Katharine N. Rankin, University of Toronto, Journal of the Royal Anthropoligcal Institute