Indigenous people and their wisdom for environmental protection

Abstract

This paper highlights the traditional and indigenous practices among Bakarwal’s and Gujjar’s tribal communities of Kashmir and their wisdom for environmental protection. These communities are well adapted to survive the harsh conditions of far-flung area in Kashmir without impairing it. They possess the asset of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) which could be useful in changing the dynamics of environmental problems that the world is facing today. Their TEK if taken into consideration will be useful for environmentalists to address the environmental degradation. The main aim of this survey was to interact with the tribals and to understand how they lived in harmony with nature, without any conflict and degradation. Two different sites (Site A: “Banjar pati” area of Hyhama having Gujjar community and Site B “Hak Pathri” area of Manigah inhabited by the “Bakarwal” community) were chosen for community interaction. Sample Size (N = 50): 25 individuals from each site were interviewed. This paper focuses on the knowledge of indigenous people, their eco-friendly methods of survival in the most fragile environments along with their TEK.