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Wild Forests: Making Sense with People

By Laitila Anastasia et al. (eds.)

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OVERVIEW

This publication presents articles on the different meanings of forest in India from writers whose work and vision promote a sustainable indigenous forest life. With over 90 million indigenous tribal people, India has the world´s largest indigenous population, most of whom have, until recently, been living in a relatively sustainable way in the wild forests or closely connected to them.

The way indigenous forest dwellers of India see and experience life and its changes in the wilds where they live, deserves a place in a wider global dialogue. We need to better understand how different meanings of wild forest can help human life to minimally displace Earth´s own, indigenous growth of trees, plants and all life.

This publication discusses the forest mostly from the perspective of people who see it as their inalienable home. The reader is brought into the world of India´s indigenous tribal people, mostly called ´Adivasi´, ´people who live without a beginning´ in the areas they inhabit. The Adivasi have lived from time immemorial in harmony in wild forests, using them as a source of life. Local life of the Adivasi has thus been well adapted to sustain these areas. This homeland is however now being taken away from their sustainable use - to be treated and governed as what is nowadays officially termed ´forests´.