Trade with Tibet and the factors associated with its maintenance (agriculture and livestock) were the prime occupation of Johaaris and Darmis tribesmen until 1962, when the Sino–Indian war brought an immediate end to this thriving lifeline. The loss of trade brought about drastic changes in the transhumant lifestyle—fewer households arriving at their summer homes, a smaller livestock population, disappearance of traditional handicrafts, and increased exploitation of wild medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), with traditional crops being replaced by more remunerative crops such as chives (Allium stracheyii) and caraway (Carum carvi) as the chief source of livelihood. The present study highlights the causal factors behind changes in the lifestyles of these traditional people in Uttarakhand, India, and the concomitant changes in crop biodiversity and MAPs in the region. It concludes with proposals for possible alternatives for a sustainable future for these people.