This books offers an empirical approach toward understanding community spirit forestland and customary laws in dialectical relationships with the religious beliefs and livehoods of indigenous ethnic monrities in upland vietnam.

Contents: Chapters: 1 - The spiritual ecosystem. Basic history. The spiritual ecosystem & norms. The Spirit of Y Phu; of Ha Lenh; of Vang Ha Ro; of Vi Nong & Vi Ol Leck Rice Field; of Teak Don & Pa Ro; of Go Hoang & Vang Ka La. 2 - Rituality & ceremony. The ceremonies of buffalo house; of water spirit; of rice planting & rice harvesting; of rice store; of the rat; of Ghe wine; of buffalo sacrifice. 3 - Village organization. Village & ecosystem. Households & families. Traditional house. Ghe wine in sacred room. Families in the spiritual ecosystem. 4 - Village law. Village governance. Deciding village location. Water governance. Use of farming land. Protection of Ky Da animal & Da Tree. Telling the truth. Sexual behavior. No stealing. Resisting with outside interventions. 5 - Intervention & responses. Naming the village. Imposed hybrid rice species. Top-down standardization of culture. Privatized land right titles. Individualized forest protection contracts. Financing housing support. Moving the village. Understanding village resistance & leadership. Conclusion. Open discussion. Biography of the author.