The Luwa-Prai villagers are a peaceful people. The villagers rarely fight, money is not the foremost commodity in their hilltop, and they help one another without promise of reimbursement. However, due to outside influence, this peaceful coexistence is slowly cracking. 

Traditional Luwa house reflects their simple and peaceful way of life

Luwa grow their own rice as their main source of food.  They use the hills as their rice fields.

Tending to their crops on a steep hill.

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          In the past the villagers lived in isolation, all they had were one another. They lived up in the hilltops farming their own rice, livestock, and vegetables. With the exception of clothing, the Luwa-Prai did not rely on other societies for resources. Due to their lack of knowledge in weaving, they relied on nearby tribes to conduct trade: rice, or vegetables, in exchange for clothing. This was their barter system.

Luwa is the only tribe that harvests the rice by using their hands.  They take only what they need for each day.

A simple hand made BBQ grill

A simple meal consists of sticky rice, dried fish and grilled chicken.  Living in highland makes dried fish a luxury for them

         However, because the world around them started to turn into “developed” nations whose priorities lay in monetary wealth, this peaceful trade died down. With the death of the barter system between villages, a new political system emerged. The new structure boasts a hierarchy of chiefs: this never existed in Luwa history. Prior to this the Luwa-Prai, as well as other hilltop communities, coexisted without political leadership, only needing a spiritual one: this was shattered. The peaceful coexistence among villages is now a power struggle between the hilltop and the concrete jungle.