SPIRITS OF THE FOREST: UYU-BASED KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS AND SHIFTING ECOLOGIES IN NYISHI COSMOLOGY

This paper investigates the co-evolution of human-forest relations and the agency of spirits (uyu) among the Nyishi tribe inhabiting Arunachal Pradesh, India. We argue that the Nyishi belief system, particularly the concept of uyu, offers a unique lens through which to understand forest management practices and contemporary ecological challenges. Uyu are categorized into benevolent and malevolent classes, with the Dohjung uyu playing a central role in narratives concerning human interactions with the forest. Jhum cultivation and hunting are conceptualized as a form of exchange with the uyu, and ethical considerations are embedded within the Nyishi belief system. The ongoing transformation of the region, marked by out-migration, economic shifts, and Christianization, presents both opportunities and challenges for the future of human-uyu relations and forest sustainability in the Nyishi highlands.