Historically defined as "Negrito" because they resemble small Africans, these forest peoples may have the most ancient ancestry in Asia. Captured for slavery, exhibited at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, nearly exterminated by disease and a cataclysmic volcano eruption, they survive today in a few places: Malaysia, the Philippines and India's remote Andaman Islands. Some are still armed with spears and blowpipes, a few with cellphones and graduate degrees. Edith Mirante weaves a compelling, Chatwinesque narrative examining race and identity and the environmental, social and political challenges these indigenous people face in contemporary Asia. 56 colour photos, 4 maps, glossary, bibliography, index.