The Wa people have a rich civilization of their own, and a deep history
in the mountains of Southeast Asia. Their mythology suggests their land
is the first place inhabited by humans, which they care for on behalf of
the world. This book introduces aspects of Wa culture, including their
approach to the world's troubles and the lessons others might learn from
it. It also presents a new interpretation of Wa headhunting, questioning
explanations that see it as a primitive custom, and instead placing it
within the fraught history of the last few centuries.