In this Listening Session, the Idu Mishmi share insights into their religion and explore the ways it has enabled them to flourish alongside their fellow species.
The ancestral homeland of the Idu Mishmi community of Northeast India is the rugged and densely forested Dibang Valley, which lies in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas.
The Idu, like most other indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh, are traditional animists. Animists believe that while humans, animals and spirits may look different, they share a common culture.
In this listening session, the Idu’s share details about their sophisticated religious system, led by the shamans, which has resulted in there being more tigers and other endangered species present on their territories compared to the neighbouring tiger reserves and protected areas.
They also share the factors currently threatening the continuation of their culture and consequently, the harmony and balance of their lands.
In September 2019 Flourishing Diversity held six Listening Sessions in a diverse range of poignant London venues as part of the Flourishing Diversity series. These Listening Sessions paired Indigenous representatives with high-level Western individuals from the fields of art, politics, business, conservation and fashion; Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Gabriel, Baroness Young of Hornsey, Sophie Hunter and Lily Cole to name a few.
These influencers donated the power of their voice by taking an intentional listening role, representing the urgent need for the world to start listening to Indigenous representatives and their sophisticated approaches to living in community structures that coexist with and support harmony and abundance with the rest of Life. You can learn more about Listening Sessions here.
“We have to love and respect our mountains, rivers and forests. We must never forget that they are not ours to plunder. Only when we give them love and respect, will we get love and respect in return.”
–Naba Sipa Melo, Idu Mishmi Shaman
