ABSTRACT
Space and indigenous knowledge are complementary phenomena essential to environmental protection along with human development. Conceptualizing space and indigenous knowledge together through the articulations and considerations of a section of the Himalayan community is the premise of this chapter. The relevance of space — physical, social, cultural or mental — cannot be omitted from the sphere of indigenous knowledge. Although very little of this knowledge is systematically recorded, it offers rich insights into how communities negotiate space with respect to their natural resources. ‘If indigenous knowledge has not been documented and compiled, doing so should be a research priority of the highest order. Indigenous knowledge is being lost at an unprecedented rate, and its preservation, preferably in data base form, must take place as quickly as possible’ (National Research Council 1992: 45). Elders in the village are also very worried about this. Rama Devi (female, 67 years old) states: ‘It is only the selection of the right kind of wood that enables me to use it for longer period in the winter … today’s girls are not knowing the correct wood to be used as a fuelwood or otherwise’ (interview, Gangi Village, Tehri Garhwal, June 2008). A similar opinion is echoed by a native Shyam (male, 63 years old, Ayurvedic physician; interview, Ghansali, Tehri Garhwal, June 2008): ‘We are going through a phase of transition, where on one hand natives are losing their traditional knowledge and practices, and on the other they are failing to adopt the modern scientific techniques due to lack of training’.
