Embracing Indigenous Wisdom: Reflections from the Inclusive Conservation Initiative Asia Regional Learning Exchange in Thini, Nepal
The Asia Regional Learning Exchange (ARLE) brought together Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) partners of Asia, and other Indigenous Peoples representatives beyond ICI partners in Asia. This learning exchange (LE) was facilitated by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and the Indigenous Peoples’ Foundation for Education and Environment (IPF) of Thailand as part of the ICI, a project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) jointly managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Conservation International (CI).
The event took place from October 4–11, 2024 in Nepal. During the exchange, the first learning sessions took place in Pokhara, followed by the second part at Thini village, located in the Mustang district, which is the ancestral land of Tin Gaule Thakali Indigneous People of Nepal. This learning exchange provided a unique opportunity for the 113 participants to share and learn with fellow participants, out of which 18 were elders, 61 were women, 52 were men and 5 were youth. The experience was a reminder to reconnect with Indigenous roots, deepen our relationship with nature, and reaffirm our worldviews. It inspired Indigenous Peoples to continue unique lifeways, intricately woven with regional realities and the natural world. The journey commenced with the belief that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” as we traveled from our homelands to Kathmandu, then Pokhara, and finally Mustang.
Day 1: Arriving in Kathmandu with Enthusiasm
Participants from various countries arrived in Kathmandu with great enthusiasm and commitment, and were formally welcomed with heartfelt Indigenous greetings, setting the tone for a meaningful and enriching learning journey. The key actors were representatives of Indigenous Peoples Organizations including Ethnic Community Health Association (ECHA), Wisdom of Ethnic Foundation (WISE), Pgakenyaw Association for Sustainable Development (PASD), Indigenous Peoples Foundation for Education and Environment (IPF), Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT), Global Environment Facility Indigenous Peoples Advisory Group (GEF IPAG), Arctic Indigenous Youth Network (AIYN), Youth Alliance for Environment (YAE), Conservation International(CI), among others. After a long journey to Kathmandu from their homeland, participants enjoyed a well-deserved evening of rest at the hotel in Kathmandu, preparing for an early flight next morning to Pokhara.
Day 2: Embarking to Share, Learn and Strengthen Relationships
With great enthusiasm for the learning exchange, participants took flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The exhaustion of travel did not affect our enthusiasm; we had informal gatherings, chitchat, exchanges and familiarized ourselves with each other after we settled down for accommodation.
Day 3: Creating a Sacred Atmosphere
Our day in Pokhara started on a positive note, setting a good vibe for the days ahead. An Indigenous priest, Lama (Nepali: Monk/Priest), conducted a ceremony, requesting Diwas Rai, the General Secretary of NEFIN, to light the Chhume (Tibetan: butter lamp). He chanted blessings for peace and prosperity for all, creating a sacred atmosphere to begin the gathering. This was followed by a captivating cultural performance by the Nepal Magar Sangh, featuring “Kauda” – a dance and song that tells ancient stories, prays to deities, and honors natural powers. Then, as an Indigenous Peoples’ practice, we offered Khataa (Tib: Sacred scarves) a symbol of good luck, as participants were welcomed into this meaningful gathering.
Building momentum through a facilitated series of engaging activities, Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri from IPF set the tone for the Learning Exchange, emphasizing three primary objectives: to learn from Indigenous practices, to build capacity, and to strengthen networks among Indigenous Peoples. Moreover, Jackie Siles, Senior Gender Programme Manager from IUCN, presented an overview of the ICI emphasizing that ICI is a transformative effort for Indigenous-led conservation.
The session in Pokhara set the scene of learning and exchange. Sharing of an overview of Thini and the learning helped participants to anticipate Indigenous Peoples worldviews, customary governance, institutions, resource management practices. A presentation was given on SAINO, an initiative led by Indigenous Peoples, which is being implemented in ten villages, including Thini. They focus on enhancing their ability to engage in relevant policy areas and build capacity for biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. These discussions also provided logistical insights for the community visit. Then we visited the Mountain Museum, a powerful visual experience that enriched understanding of mountain Indigenous Peoples’ lifeways, traditions, and unique adaptations in the Himalayan climate like Thini of Mustang.
Day 4: Arriving in Thini Village of Mustang
ARLE participants experienced the country’s diverse landscapes and terrain, crossing the world’s deepest gorge in the Kaligandaki River and enjoying aerial views of majestic mountains and vibrant glimpses of Nepal’s Indigenous culture.
Day 5: Exploring Indigenous Worldviews, Customary Governance and Conservation through Indigenous Lens
On this day of the Learning Exchange, participants were accompanied by knowledge holders and practitioners of Indigenous Peoples’ wisdom, knowledge, and science, immersing themselves in the core of Indigenous values and worldviews. The offering of Khata and traditional songs symbolized the acceptance of the Indigenous Peoples of Thini. Over 110 attendees, including knowledge holders, customary leaders, local government representatives, youth, and women, joined the exchange. The lighting of the Chhume (butter lamp) and a blessing song performed by the women’s group invoked well-being for all.
After introductions, Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri from IPF once again outlined the Learning Exchange objectives, emphasizing the focus on Indigenous Peoples’ worldviews, customary governance, resource management, and cultural practices. Leaders from the villages of Thini, Chimang, and Syang described the Mukhiya system, a customary governance structure overseeing essential roles in irrigation, conflict resolution, community celebrations and other community affairs. Women’s groups also shared their roles and contributions in cultural undertakings such as their involvement in the Tyungla festival– Tyungla festival is celebrated to honor human-nature relationships. Likewise, Jackie from IUCN shared that IUCN has been supporting Indigenous Peoples for a long time. Recently, IUCN membership has included Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs), thereby she indicated that IPOs have an important voice at IUCN.
In the afternoon, we toured sacred sites, agricultural fields, an apple farm, and cultural landmarks in Thini, guided by the village chief and youth leaders. Highlights included the village’s Dzong (Tib, Thak: fort), stupa, monastery, iconic structures symbolizing protection and well-being of the village, and the sacred Dhumba Lake. Exploring the stories, meanings, and values tied to each icon, structure, and image revealed that Indigenous values and systems are fundamental. As integral components of Indigenous culture and values, these artifacts hold immense importance but are often undervalued or overlooked by outsiders in many ways. Through these site visits, there was no doubt that each of us gained a profound appreciation for the depth and significance of every element of Indigenous culture and heritage. During our return from the site visits, it was a cold and windy but beautiful evening. We were sure to say, “We will meet again” to the relatives of Thini, Shyang and Chimang, as there is no tradition of saying “goodbye” in Nepali Indigenous culture. For one final time, the community offered us Khata to wish us well in our lives and communities and then we transferred to Jomsom around 6PM, right before it was too dark.
Day 6: Reflection, Recollection, Realization and Building Reconnection
Mount Nilgiri, Mt. Annapurna, and Mt. Dhaulagiri were as bright as in the earlier days of our journey. We had keepsakes to bring home; memories to cherish; lessons to replicate and inspiration to continue our work. Filed with those packages of take-aways from Thini, we then took another flight to cut our way home short. A twin otter aircraft with a total of 17 seats hit the runway of Jomsom. We said “We will meet again” once again to Mustang. The flight flew below the highs and through two huge mountain ranges of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. Due to the strong winds channeled through the corridor between two massive mountains, flights on this route tend to be bumpy. Operations are limited to the morning hours when the wind spee is milder along the valley. Despite the challenging turbulence, the morning flight offered breathtaking views of high mountains, beautiful vegetation, and settlements, resembling a masterpiece painted by a perfect artist.
We arrived in our accommodation in Pokhara and had a bit of time to refresh ourselves. Everyone had enough points to reflect and share after coming back from Thini. There were panel presentations for reflection and consolidation of lessons. We also had sessions on how organizations beyond ICI partners and ICI partners including IPF and NEFIN can strengthen partnerships and collaborate with each other to advance Indigenous Peoples’ rights on national, regional, and global environmental agendas. The discussion was centered around specific Indigenous issues in Asia and their relevance for the ICI executing organizations. Participants engaged in reflective discussions and preparation for thematic reports. In break-out groups, they explored key guiding questions related to their visit impressions, challenges and strengths of Indigenous Peoples, and the important role of women in any initiative.
Reflecting on the lessons learned from Thini and connecting them to our own communities back home was interesting. We discovered similarities between our communities, which inspired us to think about a collective way forward.
Day 7: Summarizing Collective Learning
Having learned from each other, we felt that there are many commonalities in terms of strength and challenges of our Indigenous Peoples. Strong cultural attachment of Indigenous Peoples with nature, high resilience living in harmony with natural elements by regarding nature in a holistic manner — treating nature not in isolation but to honor as an integral part of human relationships, was a clear take-home message for us. At the same time, we saw some of the key challenges such as climate change causing threats, losses and damages of land, lifeways and culture. Likewise, non-recognition of customary governance and institution by government, gender inequality in some respect, cultural erosion due to multiple factors, are challenging in the communities of Indigenous Peoples. Despite these challenges, we also recognized the strengths of Indigenous Peoples. For example, continuation of customary institution despite of non-recognition of government, sustainable resource management by customary law, self-governance, and deep-rooted connections to the ancestral lands, are encouraging factors we learned from Thini.
We could compare gender role in the Thini with other communities. We found Tin Gaule Thakali women holding good decision-making position in their households. However, this is not the case in leadership opportunities in public spaces outside their home. Men hold decision making positions in public fora; However, in the community there are strong women leaders that are open the opportunity to the new women youth generation and are raising their voices to strengthen their participation in public spaces … As next step, we see the need of fully secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights by getting legal recognition of customary law in national and global policies. Overall, we are happy to see that our fellow participants were able to build more understanding about Indigenous Peoples worldviews, customary governance, resource management, and their rights. In their final presentations, the groups emphasized the importance of amplifying Indigenous Peoples’ voices and ensuring their rights in environmental discussions, concluding with a call for continued collaboration and advocacy.
We left Pokhara with takeaway messages including recommendations and commitment to share the lessons learnt back to our Indigenous communities and continue working together. We arrived in Kathmandu quite late evening.
Day 8: Wrapping up with Indigenous heritage site visit
While wrapping of our learning exchange event, we visited some of the Indigenous heritage site in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. These included Boudha Stupa, one of the largest spherical Stupa in the world, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Patan Durbar Square, a popular site with ancient temples and shrines recognized for their exquisite carvings. The Newar Indigenous Peoples reside around Patan Durbar with their rich culture, tradition and lifestyle. Aside from learning by observation and discussion, souvenir shopping from different places for friends and families was important too. Those souvenirs will keep reminding IPLCs of collective responsibility of safeguarding and uplifting traditional knowledge. WE WILL MEET AGAIN!
