Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses the ontological conflicts between indigenous Dukha reindeer herder/hunters in northern Mongolia and state authorities due to a conservation project. While the Dukha view Jer Eezi (land owner) as the responsible power of the taiga, the government attributes this power to itself.

Paper long abstract:

Conflicts rising between indigenous people and state authorities due to conservation projects are increasing in many parts of the world, as traditional indigenous territories mostly coincide with areas that hold 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Although both indigenous people and conservationists think of themselves as the “protectors” of those territories, conflicts about how to protect those territories seem inevitable. This paper discusses how the root of the conflict usually derives from their different understanding of nature, animals and the cosmos, in other words rooted in ontological conflicts. Based on empirical data from a case study in Mongolia, the paper aims to discuss these different understanding of animals and nature among the indigenous Dukha community who believe that Jer eezi (land owner) is the force balancing these relations and the involvement of outside intervention can offend the spirits. On the other hand, for the government authorities, this way of thinking is just superstitious and they believe that by compensating the community with a stipend, so that they can buy meat instead of hunting, the problem can be solved. By focusing on complex dynamics between people, nonhumans and the spirit world, the paper aims to show how the cycle of life and social relations among the communities may be disturbed by the establishment of protected areas when their views are not taken seriously by the authorities.