Indigenous forest use practices and sustainability : a case study of the Adivasis of the Nilgiri Biosphere region, South India

Abstract

The adivasis, or tribal peoples of India, have many practices that promote the sustainability of their forest environments. Such practices are supported by animistic beliefs in which trees and other natural phenomena are inhabited by spirits. This thesis is a case study which explores indigenous knowledge and sustainable livelihoods among tribals encountered in the Nilgiri Biosphere region, (located at the tri-state conjunction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu), as well as examining how their lifestyles may have changed due to modernisation. Data was obtained through visits with NGOs and interviews with the tribals with whom they worked, attained over a four-month period of travelling within the region. All of the tribals interviewed discussed hardships experienced due to a denial of their traditional rights in the forest. This phenomenon is also supported in the literature. The preservation of cultural diversity, and the valuing of ecological world views, is essential in order to combat capitalist homogenisation and promote sustainable development. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)