Senganglu Thaimei (University of Delhi)
Land, rivers, and the forests: recentering indigenous knowledge through the wise sayings of the Rongmei Nagas The Rongmei proverbs display the community’s knowledge of specificity in regards to the plants, animals, and topography embedded as metaphors. Drawn from familiar environment, they naturalise abstract conceptions of their cultural philosophy, and serve a mnemonic purpose for the rapidly changing ecology and the lifeways closely associated with it. Studying indigenous knowledge about vegetation, animal behaviours, and prognostics in the natural world, my paper argues for recentering indigenous knowledge in the debates around fragile ecology and climate change. Keywords: proverbs, indigenous knowledge, climate change.
Part of 02-13 Proverb(s), Thursday, October 13, 10:30 am–12:30 pm