Globalization has profoundly affected both the ways of life and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples worldwide. The 12 original essays in this book are based on fieldwork conducted in India, China, Nepal and parts of the Himalaya-Hindukush region. In the first section the contributors explore the possibility of devising a more democratic and equitable alternative for indigenous peoples within the process of globalization. The essays in the second section discuss the changes in the social and economic systems of the indigenous peoples that have resulted from the transition to a market economy.