"How can we refuse the gift of spirits?" Ontological conflicts between indigenous hunting practices and conservation projects in northern Mongolia

Conflicts between indigenous people and state authorities over conservation projects are increasing in many parts of the world, as traditional indigenous territories mostly coincide with areas that hold 80% of the world's biodiversity. Although both indigenous people and conservationists think of themselves as the "protectors" of those territories, disagreements about how to protect those lands seem inevitable. When the issue concerns hunting bans, it becomes even more polarized. From a scientific perspective, hunting is seen simply as an activity of killing animals and causing more extinction, while indigenous people may view it in various other ways: as a rite of regeneration of animals or as communicating with spirits. Thus, the main reason for the conflict is their different understanding of nature and animals and how to interact with them; in other words, it is rooted in ontological disputes. To investigate this further, this article analyses the Dukha community in northern Mongolia. The Dukha are reindeer herders/hunters whose territory was declared a national park, banning hunting. This article demonstrates how the life cycle and social relations of Indigenous communities can be disturbed by the establishment of protected areas.