17 pages., via online journal., In the face of widespread degradation of natural resources (including
deforestation), and socio-economic disparities, underserved populations
from rural and indigenous spaces of the global south face challenges to
conserve environmental resources. Many of these spaces, such as
sacred-groves, are important to indigenous people and are deeply
intertwined with their identity, worldviews and existence. This research,
embracing principles of critical/cultural environmental communication,
examines how indigenous people of eastern India mobilized collectively
to protect their sacred environmental resources, thus improving
community members’ well-being. Paying attention to engaged
environmental action; critical listening and dialoguing; and local-centric
participation, this research argues that contextually meaningful and
community-led environmental initiatives help motivate and raise
consciousness among future generations as well as among wider
indigenous (and marginalized) populations.
