A couple of years ago this reviewer read and reviewed Christoph Von Furer-Haimendorf’s book on the Apa Tanis, A Himalayan Tribe—From Cattle to Cash. Another book by him on tribes of the same region following so soon excited one, but the tone of this book is quite different from the earlier one. This work deals with the tribes who surround the Apa Tanis, i.e., the Nishis and Monpas, and forms part of a comprehensive project of anthropological research among Indian tribal populations, as the author explains in the preface.
Delineating the history and the movements of people in the North-eastern region—now called Arunachal Pradesh—in the introductory chapter, the author touches briefly on the international importance of the region itself. He then gives his raison d’etre for the study of Nishis and Hill Miris: