Jenu Kurubas (literally “honey gatherers”) are an indigenous tribe living in the forests of southern India, primarily in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Over the past several decades, the Jenu Kurubas have been facing a range of challenges related to their land, livelihood, and cultural identity- at the hands of colonial conservation laws, large conservation NGOs and eco-tourism industries.
One of the key issues that the Jenu Kurubas have been fighting for is their right to access and control over their ancestral lands and forests, rights enshrined to them in the Forest Rights Act of 2006. Over the years, the forests and lands that the Jenu Kurubas traditionally inhabited and depended on for their livelihoods have been taken over forcefully by the state, private companies, and other actors, leading to displacement, loss of livelihoods, and other social impacts. This has also led to environmental impacts as forest lands became increasingly available for commercial repurposing- leading to shrinking forests. The Jenu Kurubas have been fighting for their rights to reclaim and manage their ancestral lands and forests, and for recognition of their traditional knowledge and practices related to forest conservation and sustainable use.
The Jenu Kurubas have also been advocating for their cultural and political rights, including recognition of their tribal identity, language, and customs, and representation in decision-making processes that affect their lives and livelihoods. They have been fighting against discrimination, marginalization, and exploitation, and for greater inclusion and participation in the governance of their lands. They are not alone in their fight, indigenous communities across the Global South, including Africa, South America, Asia- are being systematically undermined and having their rights violated in the name of conservation.
As a youth movement for climate justice, we volunteers of FridaysForFuture Karnataka did not want to continue to perpetuate appropriation, violence and injustice in the name of conservation. Instead, we stand in solidarity with the demands of the Jenu Kuruba, and advocate tenure compared to areas they did not for the radical community ownership of forest commons by forest communities. In fact, studies show that this is the best thing we can do for our forests: deforestation rates in Brazil is 66% lower in areas were indigenous communities had secure land (Baragwanath and Bayi, 2020). Inequality and climate change are the biggest challenges of our time, and more democracy is the answer to both. The Jenu Kuruba along with other Adivasi groups affected by colonial conservation have formed a Community Network Against Protected Areas (CNAPA). CNAPA held a two day inter-community dialogue on 22-23 March to debunk colonial conservation and foreground radical community ownership of forest commons.
The Elephant Whisperers, an Indian film on human-animal relationships won an Oscar for Best Documentary Film. While we celebrate that a story that centers indigenous people is being celebrated worldwide, unfortunately the rights and struggles of the same tribes do not get the same kind of attention and support. It’s time to move beyond just celebrating Adivasi stories on screen but also stand in solidarity with the Adivasi movement for our remaining forest commons. Here are some ways you can start:
- Join the CNAPA dialogues in the future
- Learn and share widely about colonial conservation and how it has impacted tribes like the Jenu Kuruba (Read report co-written by FFF on Counter Currents titled “We can live with the Tiger but not the Forest Department”)
- Sign petitions in our bio by Survival International (”Don’t evict the kings of the forest”) and There is No Earth B
(savenagarahole.thereisnoearthb.com)
