Incorporating Adivasi Ecological Knowledge into Rural Curricula

The deterioration of India’s forests has been linked directly with the erosion of Adivasi (aboriginal inhabitants of peninsular India) cultures and their vulnerability to outside elements. Education for Adivasis, who normally speak their own language distinct from India’s dominant regional dialects, has been identified as a solution. But this, too, is beset with difficulties; education has to be combined with learning a learning language inculcated with values and norms that differ markedly form Adivasi culture. On the other hand, if the “system” is successful in educating tribal children, generations of valuable Adivasi traditional ecological knowledge (ATEK) can be lost in the process. We hypothesize that incorporating a learner’s perspective by infusing ATEK into rural curricula will improve the relevance of education and reduce drop-out rate among Adivasi youths. Equally important, it may be one method of building self-esteem and preserving valued ATEK. This position paper describes the linkages that could be forged between India’s formal education and those nonformal processes that Adivasi communities have created over centuries regarding natural resources. The researchers would collaborate with teachers, students and the community elders to identify and document ATEK and experiment in curriculum design to create a living testament of valid ATEK that will complement existing educational curricula.