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- Convenors:
-
Hari Charan Behera
(Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata (Giridih branch))
Anil Kumar K (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts)
Anand Singh (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Send message to Convenors
- Chair:
-
Anand Singh
(University of KwaZulu-Natal)
- Format:
- Panel
Short Abstract:
Indigenous communities worldwide have close cultural encounters with nature through different forms of religious or ritual practices including sacred groves. Anthropologists have a vital role to understand these nuances as symbolic, culturally adaptive and biodiversity conservation practices.
Long Abstract:
Indigenous communities worldwide have close cultural encounters with nature, especially forest through different forms of religious or ritual practices that recognize certain trees or groves as sacred. The long-cherished tradition and custom associated with sacred groves have direct bearing on conservation of biodiversity and protection of forest, especially vulnerable and endangered species from their extinction and livelihood. Anthropologists have discussed about the cultural significance of certain trees by diverse ethnic and indigenous communities. However, thorough scientific discussions needed to understand both functional and utilitarian values that essentially regulate the social institutions, prescribe sanctions and impose restrictions from overexploitation and unconscious use of certain plant species, whose extinction could have devastating consequences. Anthropologists have a vital role to understand the nuances of sacred groves as symbolic, culturally adaptive and biodiversity conservation practices by indigenous communities.
In view, we invite papers on the following themes.
• Sacred groves and associated ritual practices by indigenous communities
• Sacred groves: functional and utilitarian values
• Anthropological studies on taboos and traditions of sacred groves
• Sacred groves and biodiversity conservation practices in global south
• Anthropological theories and methods concerning sacred groves and biodiversity conservation
• Sacred groves, biodiversity conservation and SDGs
Accepted papers:
Paper short abstract:
Sacred groves serve as an essential and culturally important approach to preserving global biodiversity. Esteemed by the cultural heritage and traditions of indigenous communities, these natural reserves play a crucial role in the protection of various plant and animal species.
Paper long abstract:
In a world increasingly dominated by urbanization and industrialization, the importance of biodiversity conservation has never been more critical. One of the most effective and culturally rich ways to protect our planet's biodiversity is through sacred groves. Indigenous communities, play a crucial role in preserving sacred groves through their cultural heritage and traditional practices in the regions they inhabit. These areas are often associated with local myths, religious practices, or ancestral beliefs and are treated with great respect. Sacred groves are often tied to local traditions, rituals, and historical narratives. They serve as a locus for community gatherings, ceremonies, and spiritual practices. Tribal areas are typically rich in biodiversity, harboring unique plant and animal species that may be rare or endangered elsewhere. Their preservation helps maintain ecological balance. Indigenous communities possess a wealth of knowledge about the ecosystems surrounding these sacred spaces. Their sustainable practices contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Indigenous communities have been the stewards of sacred groves for generations. Their deep-rooted connection to the land and its ecosystems fosters a unique understanding of biodiversity. This research focuses on the traditional biodiversity conservation practices of the tribes in the unified region of Andhra Pradesh. It explores the complex relationship these tribal communities have with their natural surroundings, emphasizing the ritualistic rules and restrictions that foster a connection between humans and the plant and animal life. The study demonstrates how these unique tribal methods play a significant role in maintaining biodiversity within their ecosystems.
Paper short abstract:
Indigenous communities’ biodiversity conservation practices have been ignored in the Global South. However, case studies among the Chenchus and the Konda Reddi communities in south India offer unique approaches to sustainable biodiversity conservation through sacred groves and indigenous knowledge.
Paper long abstract:
Since the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the Global South have been culturally and politically marginalised by the Global North and continued to impose colonial and post-colonial economic and environmental policies and ideas in the regions. Environmental policymaking includes biodiversity conservation in the global south, which is ad-hoc and highly dominated by international organisations and donors from the global north. Policy-makers continuously ignored the local and community-based (primarily Indigenous communities) biodiversity conservation practices and sustainable use of resources. Despite facing severe environmental problems such as climate change, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and development-induced displacements, Indigenous peoples have been protected and following biodiversity conservation practices as part of their religious beliefs (Sacred Groves), Indigenous knowledge systems and sustainability for centuries.
The case studies of two Indigenous communities such as the Chenchus of Nallamallai Hills and the Konda Reddi of Bison Hills from South India, provide various biodiversity conservation practices (protection, management and preservation) have been followed as part of their socio-economic and cultural patterns for centuries. The paper emphasises sacred groves and the applications of Indigenous ecological knowledge systems, which play a significant role in the sustainable use and management of resources. Anthropological methods such as participant observation, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions (FGDs), and case studies have been employed to map various conservation practices among the Chenchus and the Konda Reddi communities. The paper also critically analysed the environmental policies of the Global South to understand biodiversity conservation and participation of local and indigenous communities using secondary sources.
Paper short abstract:
The anthropological understanding of Sacred Grove helps as a concise and authoritative guide for biodiversity conservation. The study concludes that the sacred grove is an inextricable part of the social institutions and organizations of The Baiga and the Paudi Bhuiyan and other commonalities.
Paper long abstract:
Sacred Grove as a landscape has significant scope for biodiversity conservation through the traditional Knowledge of Local communities. The present paper endeavors to understand the interface between the Sacred Grove and social institutions that help the PVTGs (particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups ) sustain their social organization. The cosmologies and worldviews of the Baiga and the Paudi Bhuiyan are interlinked to their beliefs, rituals, clan and kinship system, and institution of religion and marriage.
Based on the exploratory study and qualitative tools and techniques of FGD, case study and interview methods, and folk taxonomy, the study found many commonalities between these two PVTGs of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh relating to their Sacred Grove, whose livelihood is sustained on shifting cultivation, Kaman for Paudi Bhuiyan and Bewar/ donger kheti or Daaba by the Baiga respectively.
The study found the cosmology and worldviews that reflect their totemic belief, clan, and kinship system are associated with their own sustenance, which is also an inextricable part of the rituals and beliefs in Sacred Grove. Among the Baiga, the sacred Grove is called Thakur Dev ki Patra, or Maharani; among Pudi Bhuiya, the same is known as Sanipat Mela are associated with their totemic belief in rivers, animals or villages are considered sacred and also a part of their Sacred Grove. The study concludes that an anthropological understanding of Sacred Grove provides concise and authoritative guidance for understanding biodiversity conservation.
Key Words : PVTGs , cosmology , worldviews , totemic belief , Biodiversity
Paper short abstract:
The paper focuses on the nature-the forests and hills, the spirits and conservatory practices of adivasi communities with special reference to the Santal community in Jharkhand. The paper outlines about two models- the basic needs cultural model (BNCM) and the derived needs social model (DNSM).
Paper long abstract:
The relationship between nature and spirits is universal. However, this relationship is profound especially in global biodiversity hotspots. The paper focuses on the nature-the forests and hills, the spirits and conservatory practices of adivasi communities with a special reference to the Santal community in Jharkhand state of India. Jharkhand, etymological meaning, forest land, is inhabited by 32 tribes; all these tribes have their unique culture and belief system. Besides differences, there are also commonalities among tribes as close cultural proximity to forest, hill and other natural objects. The special attachment of the communities in Jharkhand with nature is reflected in dominant form of cultural, social, political and economic practices throughout the state. The uniqueness of tribal culture and their nature-based ritual practices have bound them together through ethnicity and cultural identity.
The paper outlines about two models- the basic needs cultural model (BNCM) and the derived needs social model (DNSM). BNCM is primarily concerned with security, safety, relationships and leisure activities, and DNSM is about ethnicity, identity, polity and economy. Symbols, spirits and cosmology are binding forces between them that rest on institutions-ethics, norms and values.
These sustainable actions are built around the strong cultural foundation to counter global challenges like climate change, food security and peace that directly come under the SDGs-SDG-2, SDG-13 and SDG-16.
Paper short abstract:
The rapid decline and disappearance of sacred groves compels us to be sensitive to their role in sustainable landscape management and recognise their historic role in promoting social fencing and biodiversity conservation among indigenous people.
Paper long abstract:
Sacred groves represent an important traditional and indigenous tradition of conserving specific land areas that have cultural, religious, and historical significance for communities and specifically indigenous groups (Scheduled Tribes) in India. There is considerable documentation emerging on the role that sacred forests and sacred groves can play in conserving the community forests, furthering social bonds, and the promotion conservation of nature (landscape, habitat, wildlife residing in the sacred grove, water sources and so on). My review of relevant literature and ethnographic research in the Indian Himalayas indicates how construction of temples and religious conversion of tribal communities has adversely impacted the fate of the existing sacred groves, which in several locales have also been associated with preserving critical community water resources. The rapid decline and disappearance of sacred groves compels us to be sensitive to their role in sustainable landscape management and recognize their contribution in biodiversity conservation measures.
Paper short abstract:
For India's Adivasi communities, conserving local biodiversity is deeply rooted in cultural traditions rather than a scientific practice. Through their customs, beliefs, rituals, knowledge, and worldviews, they serve as stewards of their environment.
Paper long abstract:
Adivasi cultures in India possess a built-in adaptive system that aligns them with the physical environment, ensuring their survival and continuity even under challenging conditions. Through their interaction with the environment, each Adivasi community develops a knowledge base, which is reflected in traditions, customs, belief systems, rituals, cognitive perceptions, and worldviews—together forming an ideological framework for the Adivasi-Nature relationship. Consequently, Adivasi culture not only directs the sustainable use of local natural resources but also prevents overexploitation. This is largely due to the subsistence-oriented nature of their economies, which, with limited technology, avoid exploitative practices in resource utilization. In adapting to their local environment, Adivasi communities engage directly with the forest, land, water, and wildlife that make up their habitat. The interaction between these human groups and their environment is regulated and perpetuated through cultural practices, thereby forming the cultural ecology of forest communities. This paper aims to contribute to the ethnography of biodiversity conservation among India's Adivasis, highlighting several case studies.
Paper short abstract:
This paper evaluates sacred groves, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development goals in India, including their current state, challenges, and governmental interventions to increase their contribution.
Paper long abstract:
Sacred groves, safeguarded by religious and cultural practices, are essential for the protection of biodiversity and the stability of ecosystems in India. India's sacred groves, vital to the country's cultural heritage, are crucial for biodiversity preservation and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given the global emphasis on sustainable development, sacred groves are acknowledged as natural solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). This paper analyses the interplay between Sacred groves, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development objectives in India, assessing their present status, associated challenges, and requisite policy measures to enhance their role in sustainable development. The paper demonstrate that sacred woods are widespread across India, especially in regions with significant biodiversity. They act as refuges for endangered species, protect keystone species, and maintain ecological integrity. Sacred groves face issues including urbanization, deforestation, erosion of cultural values, climate change, inadequate legislative support, and resource overexploitation. The paper advocates for the legal recognition and protection of sacred groves, community empowerment, awareness campaigns, integration with climate and development initiatives, comprehensive mapping, and economic incentives.
Paper short abstract:
This paper presents the importance of the imagination of the sacred grove in indigenous and Adivasi India. It discusses the cultural trope of sacred groves as sophisticated local ecological knowledge, symbolic empowerment and as an indigenous model for global sustainability models.
Paper long abstract:
The notion of a sacred grove is associated with the shelter of indigenous deities or ancestors. The sacred grove often represents the forest in the village, showing a symbolic link between wilderness and social space. In the local context many Adivasi groups see themselves as the centre of a cosmogony and of the world. The re-configuration and the re-emergence of local cosmogonies reflects an indigenous awakening and empowerment through symbolic and ritual revaluation. In North East India the ancestor worship and the reconfiguration of shamanic practices prevail. This paper discusses contemporary re-emergences of autochthonous indigenous traditions venerating nature – traditions which were either forcibly criminalised, voluntarily abandoned and forgotten or which were socially marginalised. The re-emergence of the (re)-sacralisation of nature in indigenous India around the sacred grove is visible in the Sarna dharma/Sarnaism movement in Jharkhand, or through the revaluation of ancient animistic shamanic practices in Donyi-Polo movement among the Adi and the Rangshom Hum movement among the Wancho of Arunchal Pradesh. In North East India the ancestor worship and the reconfiguration of shamanic practices prevail.
All contemporary practices of indigenous eco-cosmologies are examples of re-vitalised local shamanic/ animistic traditions which re-actualise and re-value the symbolism of the soil, of the sacred grove and of the forest expressed in narratives and the re-invention of religious practices.
Paper short abstract:
The paper analyzes landscapes composed by cultivated plots, oil palm trees and sacred grooves in the Mayombe forest (DRC). We present the forest as a moral space, co-produced by humans and more-than-human beings and suggest that those landscapes are structured by and structure gender relationships.
Paper long abstract:
The paper discusses biodiversity conservation practices in Central African forest contexts. It focuses on a specific case study of the relationship between gardens, oil palm trees and sacred grooves in Mayombe, a transnational forest that it is part of the Congo Basin, the second largest tropical forest complex of the planet. On the one hand, landscapes of Yoómbe people villages are described to analyze how they are structured and structure gender relations which constitute the flows between palm trees, people and houses. On the other hand, we discuss the forest as a moral space, co-produced by humans and more than humans’ beings. In some sacred grooves, extractive activities and soil cultivation are forbidden. Such spaces are related to narratives of the time of ancestors and taboos that prescribe differences between living people from related lineages. In this sense, I show how Yoómbe narratives and rituals are fundamental to the conservation of a biodiverse landscape in territories touched by scalable oil palm reproduction projects, which led to ecological simplifications during the colonial period in Africa.
Paper short abstract:
Deforestation and biodiversity loss require prompt action. Sacred groves, like Mangar Bani, serve as ecological reserves for cultures. This study explores the cultural significance and modern survival of Mangar Bani through traditional knowledge.
Paper long abstract:
Increased deforestation and the necessity for biodiversity conservation provide substantial concerns in a swiftly evolving environment. Indigenous and rural communities have traditionally safeguarded biodiversity by designating forests as sacred by affixing local deities. Sacred Groves are vital components of several cultures, functioning as sanctuaries for various species and source regions for large-scale forest regeneration. Besides preserving biodiversity, Sacred Groves can facilitate the advancement of local sustainable economies. The escalating anthropogenic pressure and developmental activities pose a significant threat to the identity of these Groves. Situated in the Aravalli Hills near Delhi, Mangar Bani Sacred Grove is an ecological and spiritual monument. This study seeks to examine the biodiversity dynamics of Mangar Bani, concentrating on its ecological services, while assessing the influence of cultural practices on its conservation. Through socio-cultural perspectives, the study aims to highlight the importance of sacred groves in modern conservation strategies and how these sacred groves alter the cultural identity of the people associated with it. The proposed research will use a combination of ecological surveys, geospatial analysis, and ethnographic methods to assess species diversity, ecosystem health, and community engagement. The results are anticipated to highlight the necessity of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into contemporary environmental management.
Paper short abstract:
Sacred Groves, Bio-diversity conservation, maintenance of tangible and intangible heritage of cultural resource management and the development of Tribal Eco-tourism among the Tribes of Odisha in India and how the government policy protects through SDGs is highlighted in this research.
Paper long abstract:
Sacred Groves are inter-connected to the Tribal culture and religion. Protection of the Sacred Groves through customary law also a living cultural tradition practices among the Tribes throughout India. Protection of Natural resource as well as maintenance of tangible and intangible heritage of cultural resources is the identity of a tribal community. In India the state of Odisha has 64 Scheduled Tribal communities, have their specific cultural identity where protection and management of Sacred Groves is an essential part of their life. Odisha has many notable numbers of unexplored Sacred Groves among the Tribes which are still not yet documented. This research aims that how the Tribes protects their nature as well as maintaining Bio-Diversity Conservation and also developed the Eco-Tourism. The Scheduled Tribes as well as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in Odisha maintain their age-old Sacred Groves through the generations. The Tribal community have developed Eco tourism in recent times where Government of Odisha has also extended their help for Tribal development. Here this research highlights how indigenous ecological knowledge of the Tribal people of Odisha have manage their biodiversity, maintain their age-old Sacred Groves through cultural heritage and also develop their model of Eco-tourism, which is attract to the Tourist from State, Nation and Worldwide. Here this research also highlights the policy issue to the government to protect the nature as well as the cultural resources of the Tribal people of Odisha. This research also aims how the State of Odisha has fulfilled UN’s Sustainable Development Goals-30.
Paper short abstract:
Worshipping Umang Lai (Forest Gods) in the Meitei community in Manipur depicts the socio-cultural life of Indigenous communities. This study will present the socio-cultural significance of sacredness and the cultural relevance that reflects the cultural heritage, worldviews, etc.
Paper long abstract:
The Meities of Manipur have maintained a separate abode, especially for Umang Lai (Forest God) where flora and fauna are considered sacred and have been conserved for generations indicating an intimate relationship between man, nature, and spirits. Sacred groves provide a sense of belonging and connection to the past historical and mythological origin of the communities, and also act as a repository of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants, herbs, and local customs. Lai Haraoba (pleasing of Gods) is celebrated yearly to please the deities for protection, well-being, better crop production, etc. The festival includes rituals, dance, music, and oral literature depicting the rich cultural heritage and relationship with nature and spirituality. The study will present how Umang Lai represents community identity and a sense of belongingness, the practices of spiritual healing, and embodied meanings of rituals, besides having challenges for the sustenance of sacred groves in the community.