Soukarni Barai
UX Researcher | Service Strategist | Designer
MADHU
The ‘Secure Himalaya’ project, is a landscape approach to the sustainable management of alpine pastures and forests in the high range Himalayan ecosystems to secure conservation of globally significant wildlife, including endangered snow leopard and their habitats. To achieve it’s goals, any comprehensive landscape conservation attempt will need to bring together different stakeholders to first seek appreciation and then understanding and
co-operation. Creative communications will be crucial to the success of such an endeavor.
This project will help formulate a communications strategy for the ‘Secure Himalaya’ project in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
KEYWORDS
CULTURE - ETHNOGRAPHY - RESEARCH
CLIENTS
Secure Himalaya Project
Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change
United Nations Development Programme
January - April 2019
All the information shared in this project is a property of Srishti Institute of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore.
CLIENT BRIEF
This project aimed to affect real change by creating a comprehensive campaign and creative communications strategy, using a mix of different mediums and media channels. The communication campaign can include a diverse set of methods and strategies including publicity and branding of project and place, making of films and animation videos, social media campaigns, radio programs, interactive websites, maps, training material, publications for awareness and advocacy, leveraging of traditional alternative/local stories and folk media.
CONSERVATION OF KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS AND THEIR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT.
SECURING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY LIVELIHOODS AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
KNOWLEDGE, ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS ESTABLISHED.
ENHANCING ENFORCEMENT, MONITORING AND COOPERATION TO REDUCE WILDLIFE CRIME AND THREATS.
In order to understand the landscape better we spent time studying the Trans-Himalayan region. We used 4 lenses to study the information that was available to us
- QUANTITATIVE
- SPATIAL
- TEMPORAL
- QUALITATIVE
This breakdown was done by making a map and charting various aspects of the ecosystem alongside each other. Global aspects were connected to Local Facts.
STUDYING THE
TRANS HIMALAYA
STAKEHOLDER STUDY
ACTOR NETWORK THEORY
ANT incorporates what is known as a principle of generalized symmetry; that is, what is human and non-human (e.g. artifacts, organization structures) should be integrated into the same conceptual framework and assigned equal amounts of agency. In this way, one gains a detailed description of the concrete mechanisms at work that hold the net.
TRAVEL TO SITE
For the following phase we traveled from Bangalore to Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. This location is listed as a secondary site for the Secure Himalaya Project. During our first few days there we met with the officials who are managing this project in order to gather their expectations from us and what we were expected to deliver to them.
ON GROUND CONSULTANTS:
- Ms. Savita, PCCF, Himachal Pradesh Forest Department
- Mr. Manoj Thakur, State Project Officer
- Mr. Nagesh Gujariya, Nodal Officer
- Mr. Anish Sharma, Publicity Head, HPFS In Kinnaur
- Dr. Angel Chauhan, District Forest Officer, Kinnaur
- Dr.Lall from the Himalayan Research Group
The laid out 5 Key agendas in this meeting.
KEY AGENDAS
ADVERTISING
EDUCATION
TOURISM
PUBLICITY
BRANDING
During our two week stay in Kinnaur we visited 5 different locations to collect data. A detailed list of the study, learnings and experiences are written alongside.
In general I was able to collect a lot of cultural and religious accounts from the people. I also gathered a lot of audio recordings of local folk songs of Kinnaur.
This was why I decided to go ahead and use them as my focal point of interest for my project.
Their folk songs encompass a variety of discussions on society, hierarchies, role of women in the society and landscape information.
I collected 13 original folk song recordings from all the sites visited.
One all the agendas and project requirements were established, the team conducted a thorough on ground research by traveling to multiple locations.
GROUND ZERO
SHIMLA
Our visit to Shimla comprised of official meetings and visiting museums and official buildings.
We consulted with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department officials and appointed officers from the UNDP.
The locations visited were-
- The Shimla State Museum
- Indian Institute of Advanced Study
- India Coffee House
- Gaiety Theatre
- All India Radio Office
SHIMLA
RECKONG PEO
RECKONG PEO / KOTHI
In Reckong Peo we visited the District Forest Headquarters of Kinnaur.
We interacted with many locals in the town market. We visited the Kothi temple which is the central location of the village. Here we interacted with multiple women by the local water fountain named Naagas.
SANGLA VALLEY
SANGA VALLEY
Our visit to Sangla valley helped us discover the famous apple orchards of Kinnaur.
We were also able to learn about fishing farms and learnt that the two primary fishes that are grown of which trout sells the most.
.
KALPA
KALPA
Kalpa lies just north of Kothi village. It is a very popular tourist destination due to it’s location and view of the famous Kinnar-Kailash peak.
Here we met Mr.Shyam Saran Negi. He is India’s first voter.
Since the water pipes were frozen due to the winter, the village was mostly deserted. They had traveled downhill due to the winters after shutting shop.
RIBBA
RIBBA
Syncreticism is seen at it’s best here. There was one monastery we visited where we had the chance to attend a prayer ceremony and have noon chai on the occasion of Lohsar.
Some local women who were helping ut with the monastery chores (seva) intercted with us and sang songs for us.
Mr. Tenzin, a Tibetan ayurvedic doctor also showed us around and shared stories about medicinal plants.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
The project narrowed down to focus on folk songs, which form a major part of the oral culture in these tribal regions.
Their songs are endemic to each district with their own distinct dialects, stories and styles. This holds a significant place in their history and livelihood as a mode of communication and passage of ancestral knowledge. Their music is now overlapping with contemporary themes too.
It can act as a medium to educate national and global audiences about these people and help them become more sensitive to the landscape and its issues. It hopes to generate awareness and enable audiences to gain a more intimate understanding of Himachal Pradesh’s cultural landscape, its intrinsically woven ecosystem and the real livelihoods of the people.
The aim is to acknowledge, broadcast and learn about the communities who live in these regions by bringing their distinct identity to the fore.It will attempt to focus on conservation of these folk songs, now a dying performance art form by documenting and studying it.
AIM:
TO KEEP ORAL HISTORY ORAL OR NOT?
Oral History preservation is a very delicate subject to deal with. As a designer and researcher, it was difficult for me to understand how to maintain the authenticity of the data I had collected.
With some first hand footage of songs recorded from the sites I didn’t have enough to sample and conclude the importance and popularity of the songs. Their folk songs were known but I hadn’t come across any musicians or true artists to be able to document these songs fully played with instruments. If I would try to re-create these songs it would go against my want to maintain their authenticity.
I decided that if I have to take the project forward I would tap into my personal understanding of the multiple narratives and create
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Study the discussions of the songs to understand their motivations, aspirations and purpose for oral tradition.
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How the narratives represent their identity and history.
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It also acts as learning for the future generations.
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What are the universal themes that we share as a global audience with them.
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More personal study and approach of understanding and dissemination.
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An in depth exploration of structure, words, patterns and themes that emerge from each song.
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