Celebrating Tribal Art and Ecological Wisdom

India’s conservation ethosand cultural heritagehave aways been entwined with the traditionalknowledge and wisdom of its tribal communities. Long before the term ‘Sustainable Development’ became the buzzword for policymakers, these communities have been practicing the same since ages. By maintaining a harmonious relationshipwith their natural surroundings, they have contributed to successful conservation efforts through their age-old beliefs and customs that view forests and wildlife as kin, rather than as a commodityor threat.

Hence, it is imperative that their rights be adequately protected and their social, cultural and economic identities be recognised by law. The Constitution of India guarantees protection to their rights under Part III while Articles 244 and 342 safeguard their identity and ensure adequate governance of the areas inhabited by them. Additionally, legislations such as the Forest Rights Act of 2006restores their historical access to forests and resources. The Government of India is also committed to improving the lives of these communities through welfare schemes like the Van Dhan Yojana, providing scholarships to students from the tribal communities and the setting up of TRIFED which offers necessary support to the artisans from these communities and has significantly contributed in the enhancement of their livelihoods. Further as reported by the 2011 Census, over 1,73,000 villages in India are located in and around forested areas, while according to the Indian State of Forest Report 2023, approximately 17% of the global human population and 275 million rural people in India are dependent on India’s forests for livelihood security.Thus, highlighting that protecting tribal rights and recognising their symbiotic relationship with forestsis crucial to ensuring social justice and achieving the objective of inclusive and sustainable conservation in India.

The ecological valuesof tribal communities are often reflected in their art, rituals and folklore, in the form of a ‘silent conversation’ with nature. The use of forest-derived materials in creating the artworks reflects the sustainable way of life of these communities, a lesson to imbibe in our consumerist, urban lives.It is this silent conversation between humans and nature that forms the base for an art exhibition, aptly titled ‘Silent Conversation: From Margins to the Centre’. Organised by the Sankala Foundation and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), with support from the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), the art exhibition aims to spread awareness about the urgent need to preserve the environment and explore alternative livelihood opportunities for these communities, thereby reducing their dependence on the forest resources and minimising human-wildlife conflicts.

In a country where tribal communities such as the Mishmis of Arunachal Pradesh, Soligas of Karnataka, and Baigas of Madhya Pradesh consider the tiger as their brother and which is abound with instances such as those of Bishnois’ devotion and sacrifice for the forests, this exhibition, which brings tribal art to the fore in dialogue with themes of conservation, is therefore timely and necessary. Tribal art is a powerful medium for communicating the ecological wisdom of the communities in an emotional and imaginative way. Art styles such as Gond, Warli and Bhil, use intricate motifs that depict plants, animals and humans in deep, mutual harmony. Hence, initiatives celebrating tribal art and ecological wisdomact as links between traditional thought and modern approach to conservation, according the rightful place of India’s tribal communitiesin its conservation success stories, something that is often overlooked in cultural and ecological narratives.

Set to be inaugurated by the Hon’ble Vice President on October 09, 2025 in New Delhi, the fourth edition of the Silent Conversation exhibition promises to offer an expertly curated display of such tribal art forms to a varied audience ranging from government officials, diplomats, business persons, entrepreneurs, art enthusiasts and critics, conservationists as well as students eager to learn about India’s heritage. This year as well, the proceeds from each sale will be directly credited to the respective artisan’s account. From Margins to the Centre will be open for public viewing from October 09 to October 12, 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. 

Forested areas around the world, inhabited by tribal communities,harbour some of the highest levels of biodiversity with healthy ecosystems.At a time when global debates around climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological restoration are intensifying, the world is on the lookout for nature-based solutions (NbS), thereby recognising the value of traditional knowledge systems.However, for this knowledge base to be successfully utilised, tribal voices must move from the margins to the centre of conservation discourse.For sustained conservation efforts and livelihood security, it is time that conversationsmove beyond token initiatives and recognise the role of tribal communities as equal partners in environmental preservation as well as create avenues for integration of their artistic expressions into the country’s cultural landscape. The rights guaranteed by the Constitution must be strictly enforced to ensure meaningful participation of these communities in the country’s journey towards sustainable development.

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