Nagaland revives ‘Living Morung’ model to counter extractive agriculture through indigenous agroecology and community-led conservation
Original framing: “Programme on ‘Living Morung’ held at Old Showuba Village” — bing news
The original framing omits the historical context of how colonial and post-colonial land policies disrupted indigenous agroecological systems, replacing them with extractive models. It also ignores the role of indigenous women, who are often the primary custodians of seed diversity and farming knowledge, in this revival. Additionally, the piece fails to connect the ‘Living Morung’ model to broader global movements like agroecology or the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognize such systems as climate solutions.
High structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
The narrative is produced by the Nagaland Art & Culture department, a state institution, which frames indigenous knowledge as a tool for cultural heritage rather than a viable alternative to extractive development. This framing serves the interests of bureaucratic preservation while obscuring the political economy of land use, where agribusiness and government policies often marginalize traditional practices. The event’s visibility in state media reinforces a top-down narrative that co-opts indigenous knowledge for state legitimacy, rather than empowering communities to reclaim agency.
The ‘Living Morung’ is a sacred grove-cum-community learning center in Naga tradition, where elders transmit agroecological knowledge, seed conservation, and ecological ethics across generations. Unlike Western scientific reductionism, this model treats farming as a spiritual and social practice, integrating biodiversity with cultural identity. Its revival challenges the commodification of seeds and land, asserting indigenous epistemologies as foundational to ecological balance. However, its institutionalization risks being stripped of its radical roots if co-opted by state or corporate interests.
The revival of the ‘Living Morung’ in Nagaland is a microcosm of a global struggle between indigenous epistemologies and extractive development models.