Nagaland: Four institutions commit to preserve indigenous seeds and farming

Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 26

Four educational institutions on Tuesday committed to a shared ‘inclusive education and curriculum’ aimed at safeguarding Indigenous farming knowledge, seed diversity and food sovereignty in the Naga region, as climate change and commercial agriculture increasingly threaten traditional practices.

The “Naga Well-Being Pedagogy Vision,” finalised during a two-day international workshop titled “Ecologies of Care: Food and Well-Being in Naga Society” on August 24 and 25, asserted that the well-being of the people is inseparable from the well-being of the land. The vision centers on integrating Indigenous farming practices into formal curricula, preserving endangered seeds and fostering direct collaboration with village-level farmers.

“Indigenous food practices are founded on deep connections with land, stewardship, and biodiversity,” the vision statement reads. “We acknowledge Indigenous knowledge of the land and food production is under threat, and that includes farming, and are committed to safeguarding seeds, land, forests, water, biodiversity, and Indigenous knowledge.”

The signatories are Tetso College, Unity College, Asufii Christian Institute (Autonomous) and Center for South Asian Studies at University of California, Santa Cruz. Representatives included college principals and faculty, who were joined by students and community participants during the August 24–25 workshop hosted at Tetso College, Chümoukedima.

Under the vision, the partner institutions pledge eight concrete initiatives: recognise Indigenous farming practices as part of the Value Added Course (VAC)/certificate programme; identify and preserve endangered seeds; acknowledge the impact of climate change on farming communities; collaborate with communities on the ground and nurture the relationship between seeds, forests, and culture; honour and highlight the connections of food with history, land, and politics; care for the seed libraries, expand the collection, and build a knowledge hub around the library; encourage the integration of food-related research and practices on the ground; and establish food gardens, and orient students with Indigenous seeds and farming practices.

“Through this collaboration, we pledge to bring forth a vibrant dialogue and pedagogic exercise in each institute to preserve, educate, and practice sustaining farming education,” the statement said.

The signatories were Dr Hewasa L Khing, Principal of Tetso College; Dr Lichumo Enie, Principal of Unity College; Dr Daili Neli Principal of Asufii Christian College (Autonomous), Mao; and Prof. Dolly Kikon, Professor of Anthropology and Director of Center for South Asian Studies at UC Santa Cruz.