Sacred Place and Indigenous Knowledge: Documenting the Tagin Tribe’s Biodiversity Practices in Upper Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh

Corresponding Author: Tamar Badi, Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh. Email: tamarbadi7@gmail.com

KEYWORDS Tagin tribe, biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, Upper Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh

ABSTRACT
Introduction: This study documents the biodiversity and ecological knowledge of the Tagin tribe of Upper Subansiri District, Arunachal Pradesh, through an ethnographic approach. 
Methods: Drawing on 40 in-depth interviews with traditional knowledge holders and hunters across four villages - Giba Headquarters, Leya, Dasi, and Dulom - the research highlights how biodiversity is embedded within cultural practices, cosmology, and sacred landscapes.
Results: The Tagins categorise and utilise plants, animals, and landscapes not merely as resources but as part of a relational worldview governed by taboos, ritual prohibitions, and spiritual beliefs surrounding Yapom (forest spirits). The findings reveal the identification of 25 plant species, including restricted and endangered varieties, 23 wild fruits, 17 wild animals, 30 bird species, and eight varieties of fish. Seasonal indicators, medicinal plants, and sacred sites underscore the community’s sustainable interactions with their environment.
Conclusion: The study contributes to broader discussions on indigenous knowledge systems, biodiversity, and the role of sacred places in sustaining biodiversity.

Tamar Badi¹

¹Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh. Email: tamarbadi7@gmail.com

DOI-DS: 10.2025-45659183
DOI Link :: https://doi-ds.org/doilink/10.2025-45659183/Frontier_Anthropology/2025/14/A1/AS

Frontier Anthropology, 2025, 14: 5-12
©Anthropological Society of Manipur

Brief Article

Manuscript Timeline
Submitted: February 28, 2025
Accepted: September 14, 2025
Published: November 22, 2025