on indigenous spirituality

I had the opportunity to travel to Medan, Indonesia last month for a conference on Indigenous Spirituality. Over 20 participants from around Asia gathered together to discuss spirituality, the environment, and conflict/peace issues from the perspective of indigenous communities. While there is much that I could write about my time there, let me share with you one story of the Chepang people of Nepal.

While there are about 60 indigenous people groups in Nepal, the Chepang are one of the most deprived and discriminated against. Traditionally, they lived nomadic lives deep in the jungle in central Nepal, sustained by the fruit of the land. As they say, "The jungle is our supermarket." They believe in supernatural powers that inhabit the forest and rivers, and worship at the base of old sacred trees as a symbol of God's power. They don't cut these old trees because that is their worship place. They live harmoniously with the earth--she sustains them and they respect her.

The Chepang believe that land is not an entity to be bought or sold, and because of this belief the government can easily give ownership of the land to outside groups without legal battles. In fact, 85% of Chepangs don't even have citizenship, so they have no way to defend themselves. The outsiders come in and cut the forest down for exporting profits. The natural rights of the Chepang are gradually stripped away as deforestation increases, as the rivers becomes too polluted to fish, and as construction constricts their nomadic lifestyle. The government has declared slash-and-burn agriculture illegal and the Chepang are blamed for destroying the forest, while this is how they have survived for years and it is the outside companies that are actually destroying the land. Essentially they have become displaced in their own homeland in the name of development.

This is the kind of story that we in the West rarely hear about. When you buy something that says, "Made in Nepal" or "Made in Vietnam," the stories behind that item are shut up. The tears of the people run dry and their weeping is silent. I wonder when the drive of consumerism will listen and feel? I wonder when development will be more than economics? There is certainly a deep richness in the lives and cultures of indigenous peoples.