A Case Study on Karbis' Cultural Heritage

This chapter examines how climate change and environmental risks impact the cultural heritage of the Karbi Indigenous community in Assam (northeast India). Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with 28 community members conducted between June and August 2024, our study explores the symbiotic relationship between the Karbi eco-wisdom, centred on the concept of Arnam (divine essence), and the Indigenous response to climate vulnerabilities. Our findings, grounded in Indigenous methodologies and decolonizing research approaches, identify four key themes: the sacred dimension of Karbi ecological knowledge, Indigenous resilience strategies, insufficient governmental engagement, and environmental injustices exacerbated by neo-colonial capitalism. The research demonstrates how historical and ongoing injustices contribute to the Karbis’ climate vulnerability, while highlighting their role as “custodians of the land” and their adaptive strategies for cultural survival. Our study contributes to the growing scholarship on Indigenous responses to climate change by bringing forward Indigenous voices from the Global South, while arguing that protecting Karbi heritage is a quintessential strategy for effective climate action in the region. The findings also emphasize the stringent need for proper legal recognition of Karbi land rights and greater Indigenous representation in environmental decision-making legal processes.