The Montagnards and the State in Northern Vietnam from 1802 to 1975: A Historical Overview

This article provides an overview of the recent interactions between the highlanders of northern Vietnam and the successive powers that controlled the state between 1802 and 1975: Imperial Vietnam until 1883, the French colonial state until 1954, and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam after that date. Ignored for a long time, courted during wartime, subject to strong acculturation policy since the independence of the North, these highland societies are facing a constant challenge to their cultural survival.