Good Afternoon my Sisters & Brothers,
Thank you to the organizers for this
honour. Today I will speak about how climate change affects indigenous peoples
of North-East India. It is not only about weather. It threatens culture, sacred
land, knowledge, and dignity. I share this with deep respect for the
communities who protect this heritage.
In North-East India, nature and
culture are one. Mountains, rivers and sacred groves are part of daily life and
faith. Farming, music and festivals follow nature. So climate change does not
just change weather. It shakes the cultural roots of communities living in
harmony with nature for centuries.
North-East India is home to over 200+
indigenous communities. Each has its own traditions and deep ecological
knowledge. Their farming, bamboo work, sacred forests, songs and rituals are
built over generations. The world now values this as Traditional Ecological
Knowledge for sustainable living.
Climate change brings floods,
landslides, erosion and loss of homes. But the deepest loss is invisible.
Sacred forests vanish. Old crops fail. Languages and rituals weaken. When
memory breaks, identity weakens. To protect culture is to protect strength and
resilience.
Climate change threatens rights to land,
culture, livelihood and voice. When ancestral land is lost, traditions cannot
survive. Climate plans work better when indigenous peoples are respected as
knowledge holders and equal partners in protecting nature.
India has strong laws to protect
nature. Our Constitution protects life, forests, wildlife and tribal
governance. Globally, UNESCO, UNDRIP (United
Nations Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples) and Paris Agreement also value indigenous knowledge. We do
not need more laws. We need honest and strong implementation.
I speak as a heritage researcher, not
a legal expert. Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of living with
nature. UNESCO says living heritage survives only when communities practice it.
So climate action must respect indigenous peoples as rights holders and
knowledge partners.
Climate justice and cultural justice are
linked. When sacred places are lost, songs, languages and rituals also fade.
Saving heritage makes communities stronger. It keeps alive the wisdom that
teaches us how to live with nature.
Our field work shows the strength of
local communities. Traditional music, crafts and old settlements survive
because people love their heritage. Local people are not just beneficiaries.
They are our most important partners in conservation.
This picture shows our core belief.
Community is the first conservator. Look at this cycle. Temple protects
Community. Community protects Forest. Forest protects River. River sustains
Festival. Festival keeps Traditional Music alive. Music sustains Livelihood.
And Livelihood returns to Temple. This is not theory. This is how our villages
lived for centuries. Conservation succeeds only when communities lead.
Climate policies must put indigenous
communities at the centre. Sacred sites must be protected. Culture must be part
of climate planning. We need documentation, youth training, joint research and
community-led solutions. Good policy grows from trust and dialogue.
No single field can solve climate
change. We need science, law, engineering, architecture, heritage and local
knowledge together. When we work together, we can build strong communities and
protect both nature and culture for the future.
My research shows how traditional
music stores ecological knowledge. Songs record seasons, farming, rituals and
community memory. The music of Ancient Kamarupa shows that sound, architecture,
ritual and healing were one system. Saving this music also helps climate
resilience.
Our future needs documentation,
digital archives, community museums, youth education and climate-smart
planning. Most of all, it needs trust between government, scientists, heritage
experts and indigenous communities working together.
Climate change changes more than
climate. It changes memory, identity and wisdom. If we lose forests, we lose
nature. If we lose indigenous knowledge, we lose centuries of wisdom on how to
live in harmony with nature.
I close with a prayer from Atharva Veda:
“Mata bhumih putroham prithivyah —
The Earth is my Mother, and I am Her Son.”
Let us honour indigenous communities
as guardians of living heritage and partners for a just and sustainable future.
Thank you.
Joi Aai Axom | Jai Hind
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