Journal | Lagoonscapes
Journal issue | 4 | 1 | 2024
Research Article | Sikkim’s Moving Landscapes
Sikkim’s Moving Landscapes
Towards Non-Human Agency Scenarios for the Future
Abstract
Sikkim is a small state in India, bordered by China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan, known throughout the Himalayas as a biodiversity hotspot and a beyul. The history of Sikkim is the story of a vibrant and sacred territory made by multi-species relationships, of a landscape influenced by both human and non-human agencies. Within the sacred topography of Sikkim, conflicts between humans and the environment are not uncommon, and humans often do not emerge as the victors. The consequences of neglecting the relationship with the non-human communities manifest not only in the spiritual but also in the physical and everyday landscape. ‘Moving landscapes’ can serve as a model to encourage people to reflect on the consequences of their actions and to consider what steps need to be taken to protect the fragile balance of the landscape before it reaches a breaking point. The examples and data presented are from the last field trip to Yuksam (West Sikkim) in May 2022.
Submitted: March 26, 2024 | Accepted: June 22, 2024 | Published July 24, 2024 | Language: en
Keywords Animated landsape • Beyul • Moving landscapes • Sikkim • Environment • Sacred ecology
Copyright © 2024 Alessandro Mannarini. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2024/01/005
