This work covers the spectrum of Paliyan culture, from subsistence to medicine and word play, and it details the beliefs and practices which allow Paliyans to achieve their extreme egalitarianism and non-violence. The brief case studies throughout the account not only bring the people to life, they give the reader a sense of the rich, complex texture of Paliyan existance. The study was uses recent perspectives and modes of analysis, situating the foragers in thier time and place and employing tools such as fuzzy-set analyisis.