I studied one of the most rapidly transitioning areas within Zomia, at the northeast Indian frontier of Arunachal Pradesh. The changes being seen in this region are unprecedented, particularly due to the historical absence of the state and its influence from these border areas. The rapid series of changes that are now being implemented is also a consequence of the geopolitical importance of this region since the conflict with China (Baruah 2003). This provided the opportunity to study the effect of state-backed development and the forces of globalization on a subsistence society which relied on swidden cultivation and collection of forest produce apart from hunting. I studied change among the Adi of Upper Siang by studying the effects on the two activities that defined their livelihoods as well as their identities. I realised that studying change is also dependent upon the approach from which it is studied and while it is possible to study only certain aspects of Adi life in isolation, such as agricultural productivity or the economics of their livelihoods, I adopted an interdisciplinary approach that would allow me to have a holistic idea of the various aspects of change being faced by the community.