CreatorDorothy PelzerDescriptionThis is a temporary, unirrigated field called a rai. The Hmong create it by hastily cutting and burning to clear the land and fertilize it with ash. The so-called slash-and-burn (swidden) system of agriculture is necessitated by geographical and environmental condtions . The shelter or small house on it is where Hmong farmers live during the peak of the agricultural season, rarely returning to their villageDate Original1 June 1963CountryLaos