Drokpa: Grazing on the Border, The Yak Herders of North Sikkim

Phurba Tshering Bhutia
Dawa Tshering Lepcha
Anna Balikci Denjongpa
2017
1 hour and 11 minutes

The Lhon Drokpas consist of 12 families of Tibetan yak herders settled in the upper reaches of the Lachen Valley in North Sikkim where they have grazed their herds of yak and sheep along and across the Sikkim-Tibet border for generations. Settled between the altitudes of 4,000 and 5,300 metres, they endure some of the harshest climatic and living conditions known to mankind. The film explores their present and past way of life on the Cold Desert of North Sikkim, and discusses their dilemmas and how they view their children’s future.

Anthropologist: 
Anna Balikci Denjongpa
Producer / Production company: 
Namgyal Institute of Tibetology
Asia: 
Other keywords: 
Sikkim
mountains