EP52: Indigenous Plant Practices in India

In this episode of the Eatweeds podcast, Robin Harford is joined by filmmaker Nirman Choudhury to explore the deep connection between India’s indigenous communities and their traditional ecological knowledge of plants.Nirman shares insights from his project "Shifting Narratives," which highlights how tribal and Dalit communities use visual storytelling to document their relationship with their environment. The conversation delves into how these communities sustainably harvest forest produce, use plants for food and medicine, and maintain spiritual practices tied to the land. Through stories of resilience, they discuss the importance of preserving indigenous plant knowledge and the vital role it plays in environmental stewardship.SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEShifting Narrativesnirmanchowdhury.inMadia Gond Tribe uses the camera for the first timeThe Dongria Kondh say plot of James Cameron's blockbuster reflects their plight as they struggle to stop company from opening bauxite mine on sacred mountainSarna ReligionIntroduction to India's TribesAdivasiActivists from Tribal IndiaPhotojournalist Sudharak OlweMinor Forest produceMadia Gond tribes leave ancestral land, to make way for tiger conservationImportant stories from Rural and Tribal IndiaHow one man fought a patent war over turmericABOUT NIRMAN CHOUDHURYNirman Choudhury is a film-maker and Visual Artist working in the intersection of storytelling and films for change, with a strong focus on human rights issues such as caste discrimination, hunger and inter sectional indigenous/tribal issues. Using lens based practices to engage with communities and foster growth and social change. He also runs a commercial video production studio based in Mumbai.