Rethinking indigenous hunting in Northeastern India: some lessons for academics and practitioners

Abstract

Wildlife hunting in north-east India, till recently, has been studied as an ecological problem, although this is changing with scholars now examining its social and human dimensions. Sociological approaches reveal hunting as a complex, multifaceted, and culturally embedded practice. This chapter will discuss multidisciplinary perspectives of hunting, including gender dynamics and indigenous worldviews highlighting the reasons for local hunting in north-east India that go beyond just trade and consumption. With examples from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, it will discuss issues of governance and attempts by made state and NGOs to curb hunting through conservation projects. There are crucial challenges for conservation, which drastically differ from mainland India, the chapter will discuss, along with insights into addressing them in theory and policy.