Land Epistemic Ethic: Exploring the Complex Intersection of Human Bodies, Land, and Identity in Middle Belt Nigeria Cosmologies

The Indigenous cosmologies of Nigeria’s Middle Belt emphasize the relationship between human bodies and the land, transcending Western epistemological binaries and revealing profound socio-religious insights into environmental responsibility. Practices such as the burial of newborns’ umbilical cords, often dismissed as animistic or fetishistic, embody a sacred connection to the land that emphasizes belonging rather than ownership. Using an autoethnographic approach, this study critically examines these cosmologies and identifies how the sacredness of land can serve as a repository of communal memory and potential. By reframing land not as a possession but as a relational entity, this research challenges dominant narratives of land use and stewardship. It offers alternative frameworks for understanding humanity’s ecological responsibilities, proposing that Indigenous practices from Middle Belt Nigeria can inspire global approaches to environmental ethics and sustainability. In doing so, this work advances the discourse on responsibility, positioning Indigenous epistemologies as vital contributions to addressing the ecological crises of our time.