The Apatani Way of Life: Shaping a Culture Through Bamboo, Cane and Land Use

This book explores the heritage of the Apatani community of Arunachal Pradesh, India, showcasing their indigenous knowledge of field and forest and sustainable way of life. It highlights the community's use of bamboo and cane resources, their eco-sensitive lifestyle, and the preservation of their culture through generations. The author observes how the community builds bamboo houses, cultivates fish in rice fields, and uses a single river for centuries. The book offers insights into sustainable living and is of interest to researchers, students, and general readers in anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and environmentalism.

Format: Hardback
Length: 86 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book pays homage to the unique Apatani community of Arunachal Pradesh, nestled in the north-eastern Himalayan state of India. It delves into the rich indigenous knowledge of field and forest, as well as a distinctive and sustainable way of life that has evolved amidst the modern context. The narrative unfolds the story of how a material culture was intricately shaped around bamboo and cane resources, nurtured by a strong community spirit and spirituality that transcended the human realm and upheld an unwavering commitment to conservation throughout time. The book highlights the eco-sensitive lifestyle of this extraordinary community, offering an in-depth analysis of their tradition of exemplary resource utilization.

Through this meticulously researched and vividly descriptive account, the author observes the remarkable feat of constructing bamboo houses in just three days, the cultivation of fish within a rice field, and the utilization of a single river for millennia to sustain an entire community. She underscores the triumph of human ingenuity in transforming a swamp into a cultural landscape and emphasizes how harmonious coexistence with nature can withstand the test of time.

Part autobiographical and deeply personal, this book serves as a primer on sustainable living as a practice. It will captivate researchers and students specializing in tribal and Himalayan vernacular architecture, traditional bamboo-cane craft, urban ecology, geography, cultural studies, and sustainability. Additionally, it will appeal to a broad readership, while providing valuable insights for anthropologists, sociologists, botanists, ecologists, and environmentalists.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 242 x 159 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032247137