INDIGENOUS EFFORTS: The Unique Culture & Resistance of The Meghalaya Khasi Community

The Khasi community in Meghalaya is a distinctive and diverse collection of people with a strong sense of identity and a rich cultural past. The Khasi people are one of the few societies in the world to maintain matrilineal social structure, in which descent and inheritance are traced through the mother's line. The protection of their cultural history and their resistance to assimilation into the dominant Hindu or Christian cultures have both been made possible by the matrilineal system.

The "Nongkrem" musical style is one of the most significant facets of Khasi culture. It is a dance that is presented during the corresponding annual harvest festival and is seen as a representation of Khasi identity and unity. The dance has precise footwork and is accompanied by chanting and a distinct drum beat.

The employment of the native "Khasi" alphabet to preserve their history, stories, and folklore is a key component of Khasi culture. Even though English is being used more and more, some groups still use the script, despite the fact that there are fewer and fewer individuals who can read and write it.

Additionally, the Khasi people have proven to be very resistant to outsiders' attempts to integrate them into other civilizations. For instance, the British colonial rule attempted to force their own cultural norms on the Khasi people and convert them to Christianity. Even in the face of such attempts at cultural hegemony, the Khasis have managed to preserve their cultural identity and customs.

The Khasi people have been in the forefront of environmental activism in recent years, fighting to defend their lands and resources from massive development initiatives like mining and dam building. A strong sense of kinship with the land, which is revered and is an essential component of Khasi cultural history, has served as fuel for this resistance.

In summary, the Meghalayan Khasi community is a distinctive and varied group of people with a rich cultural legacy and a strong feeling of identity. The Khasi people have shown their dedication to conserving their cultural heritage and customs through their matrilineal social structure, traditional musical genre, usage of indigenous writing, and opposition to cultural assimilation.

Sources:

https://eastkhasihills.gov.in/culture/

INDIGENOUS EFFORTS: The Quechua People of Peru

The Quechua people are an indigenous community found in the Andean region of South America, a region where they have lived for thousands of years. They have been known to have a deep connection to the land, and have relied on agriculture, livestock rearing, and herding as their primary forms of subsistence.

The 1970s brought with it the Peruvian Government’s decision to open up its borders to multinational oil companies that sought to carry out fracking operations in various areas of the Amazon rainforest, a region that is host to, and vital for, more indigenous communities than just the Quechua. These communities, of which the Quechua is one, have been devastatingly impacted by the environmental and health concerns given rise to by poorly regulated extractive practices. This, in addition to the negative impacts of climate change on crop yields owing to issues like rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, and changes in weather patterns.

A highly notable Quechuan climate change activist, Tarcila Rivera Zea, is currently a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and founded the Chirapaq organization, a center for indigenous people from the Andean and Amazonian regions. One of the main aspects of the Chirapaq organization, is one that aligns closely with the history of the Quechua people: food security.

They aim to develop and maintain resilient and robust food systems that aims to consolidate the Quechuan capacity to sow, produce, share, conserve and consume food using their own agricultural practices. Practices that, necessarily, do not endanger the health of the Quechuan people or the natural environment: choosing to work with the land, rather than off it.

Sources:

http://chirapaq.org.pe/en/food-sovereignty/what-are-food-security-and-food-sovereignty

http://chirapaq.org.pe/en/consejo-directivo/tarcila-rivera-zea

FACTSHEET: Renewable Energy