Reclaiming ‘Place’ in the Age of Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Indigenous Knowledge and Resistance

The place is foundational to community, identity and a sense of connection with nature. The contemporary erasure of place, exacerbated by globalization and technology, engenders alienation and detachment from land, emphasizing the necessity of a life-place—a deep attachment to the land and its human inhabitants. The paper examines Valli (2022) by Sheela Tomy and Mother Forest: The Unfinished Story of C. K. Janu. (2004) by C.K. Janu as significant eco-narratives that explore these dynamics within the ecological context of Wayanad, Kerala. The narratives, set in Wayand, Kerala, foreground the forest not merely as a backdrop but as an active presence shaping indigenous identity, memory, and resistance.This study explores how these texts articulate an affective and cultural attachment to the land, drawing from the concepts of biophilia and topophilia, the analysis is further framed through analysing the role of indigenous ecological knowledge in countering displacement and environmental degradation. Tomy’s Valli, through its epistolary form, weaves a narrative of environmental loss, colonial histories, and the resilience of Adivasi communities. Mother Forest provides a lived account of ecological dispossession and activism. Janu’s autobiographical voice underscores the urgency of land rights movements, illustrating how environmental justice is interconnected to social and political struggles. By engaging with deep ecology and bioregional thought, this paper argues that these narratives serve as eco-critical interventions, urging a reimagining of human-nature relationships. In an era of climate crisis and aggressive resource extraction, these works offer a powerful critique of ecological alienation while reclaiming ‘place’ as a site of resistance and renewal.