The Khmer lands of Vietnam : environment, cosmology, and sovereignty

The indigenous people of Southern Vietnam, known as the Khmer Krom, occupy territory over which Vietnam and Cambodia have competing claims. Regarded with ambivalence and suspicion by nationalists in both countries, these in-between people have their own claims on the place where they live and a unique perspective on history and sovereignty in their heavily contested homelands. To cope with wars, environmental re-engineering and nation-building, the Khmer Krom have selectively engaged with the outside world in addition to drawing upon local resources and self-help networks. This groundbreaking book reveals the sophisticated ecological repertoire deployed by the Khmer Krom to deal with a complex river delta, and charts their diverse adaptations to a changing environment. In addition, it provides an ethnographically grounded exposition of Khmer mythic thought that shows how the Khmer Krom position themselves within a landscape imbued with life-sustaining potential, magical sovereign power and cosmological significance. Offering a new environmental history of the Mekong River delta this book is the first to explore Southern Vietnam through the eyes of its indigenous Khmer residents. Winner of the inaugural European Association for Southeast Asiean Studies (EuroSEAS) Social Science Book Prize. Shortlisted for the ICAS Book Prize 2015 for Best Study in the Social Sciences This path-breaking study uncovers the sophistication of the ecological repertoire of the Khmer Krom, the indigenous people of southern Vietnam, and charts their diverse adaptations to the ecologically complex environment of the Mekong river delta. It also offers ethnographic insights and an indigenous, non-Vietnamese history of the region. Contents List Of Maps List Of Figures List Of Plates Preface Introduction 1. Coastal Dune Belt 2. Coastal River-Dune Complex 3. Freshwater Rivers 4. Saltwater Rivers 5. Flooded Mountains 6. Oceanside Mountains 7. The Northeast Uplands Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index