Changing Pathways ─ Forest Degradation And The Batek Of Pahang, Malaysia

Independent anthropologist Luck-Po tells the story of the Batek people, who protest that their tropical forest home in Malaysia is rapidly disappearing. While they have various degrees of acceptance that their fate is set, they intend to bring the attention of the world to the degradation of their and other forests, in an effort to curtail the encroachment of development into fragile environments and culturally-charged places. The Batek have a hunter-gatherer culture rich in traditions about the forest, and along with the changes in their physical environment they have found their culture to be eroded as well. This situation they see most keenly in the pathways that define their daily lives and in the attitudes of the young, who know hold different views than their elders about the gods and the trees. The author includes appendices including a translation of their appeal and notes on the changes in their habits and sustenance. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Lye Tuck-Po is Quillian Visiting International Professor at Randolph-Macon Woman's College.