Forest, Trees and People.
Navigating through More-Than-Human histories in North-East-India
| Joint Workshop by Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Jahawarlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Sikkim University Gangtok, Universität Zürich and North-Eastern-Hill-University in Shillong. |
The workshop will take place on Friday, 23 May 2025.
Hosted by Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge
Dialogues on environmental justice, sustainable futures and alternative development pathways are on the rise globally, including in Northeast India. Recently, scholars have sought to link these ideas to local cultural histories and Indigenous knowledge systems that include spiritual connections between humans and other-than-humans. As Joy Pachuau and Willem van Schendel have shown, the boundaries of human communities were often blurred in the area they describe as the Himalayan Triangle. People in northeast India have formed communities that may include animals, plants and supernatural beings.
This collaborative workshop will explore the concepts of entangled lives and more-than-human stories, and present sketches from different regions.
Program
10.30 am (Germany)/2 pm (India):
Keynote Lecture: Joy Pachuau (JNU, Delhi): More-than-human Agents in History
Response: Kocku von Stuckrad (Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge): More-than-human Agents and Decoloniality
Discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Claudia Lillge (FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg)
1.00 pm (Germany)/4.30 pm (India):
Rekha Shangpliang (NEHU, Shillong): Forest and Tribal Life.
Roots of environmental change among the Khasi of Meghalaya.
Charisma Lepcha (Sikkim University, Gangtok): Bumblebees, hungry flowers and restoration of the Rong world.
Jenny Bentley (UZH Zurich): Practices of Care, Nurture, and Safe-Space-Making in More-than-Human Entanglements among the Mútunci Róngkup Rumkup
Discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Whitney Bauman (FIU Florida, Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge)
3.30 pm (Germany)/7 pm (India):
Vulli Dhanaraju (NEHU): Positioning Karbi’s Ontology from more-than-human history perspective
Simon Wiesgickl (FAU Erlangen): Norbugang. A Sikkimese Assemblage
Discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. K.R.Rama Mohan (Sikkim University, Gangtok)
Venue and Organisation:
Zoom Link: https://fau.zoom-x.de/j/65683057312?pwd=cbeBK19CtQBG5leXV5RUCgxP3LFMLY.1
More Information:
simon.j.wiesgickl@fau.de
Webpage: