Nature, Culture, and Commons: Tribal Pathways to Regenerative Travel in India

Abstract

This article explores a pioneering community-led initiative in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, where Indigenous communities, including the Santhal, Ho, and Munda, are transforming their ancestral forest commons, sacred groves known as Jaheras, into eco-cultural micro-enterprises. These groves, among India’s oldest community-conserved landscapes, are ecologically rich, spiritually significant, and governed by Indigenous knowledge systems.

To protect these biocultural sanctuaries from deforestation, infrastructure encroachment, and cultural erosion, tribal communities have developed a replicable social enterprise model called “Nature, Culture, and Commons.” This model reimagines sacred groves as Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for biodiversity regeneration, climate resilience, and dignified rural livelihoods. By integrating participatory mapping, youth eco-guiding, women-led homestays and kitchens, and storytelling rooted in ritual and craft, the model facilitates immersive, low-impact travel. Visitors engage not as tourists, but as learners, nurturing intergenerational knowledge transfer and cultural continuity.

Anchored in tribal governance and aligned with global frameworks such as the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and IPLC (Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities) rights, this model offers a scalable path to decolonial development. Jaheras, as place-based enterprises, demonstrate how Indigenous communities can convert cultural heritage into regenerative economies, reviving biodiversity, sustaining identity, and building community wealth.