567
In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
www.ijaa .co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Pee Re iewed
Bi-Mon hly
Vol. 6 No. 40
Sep embe - Oc obe - 2025
Role o T ibal Folk Cul u e in Indian Knowledge Sys ems (IKS)
Sonaji V. Gayakwad
Depa men o Chemis y,
M s. Kesha bai Sonaji ao Kshi saga Alias Kaku A s, Science & Comme ce College, Beed
(MS)
Co esponding Au ho – Sonaji V. Gayakwad
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.17664047
Abs ac :
India’s Indigenous and ibal communi ies sus ain di e se olk cul u al p ac ices—o al
li e a u es, pe o ma i e a s, ecological i uals, c a echnologies, and cus oma y ins i u ions— ha
embody sophis ica ed knowledge sys ems. This a icle syn hesizes schola ship ac oss an h opology,
e hnobo any, olklo e s udies, and sus ainabili y science o examine how ibal olk cul u e con ibu es
o he Indian Knowledge Sys em (IKS). We p opose an in eg a i e amewo k—FIVE-REALMS
(Food–Fa ming, Iden i y–In angible he i age, Ve nacula echnologies, Ecological s ewa dship, and
Local go e nance)— o map cul u al p ac ices o domains o knowledge and social-ecological
ou comes. Th ough mini case igne es (Gond, Bhil, San al, Khasi, Nyishi, Toda, Wa li, and
Nicoba ese), we illus a e how songs encode seasonal calenda s, sac ed g o es conse e biodi e si y,
olk heale s manage pha macopeias, and c a adi ions main ain design in elligence. The pape
discusses me hodological app oaches (pa icipa o y e hnog aphy, ee-lis ing, cul u al consensus
analysis, GIS mapping), e hical sa egua ds (F ee, P io and In o med Consen ; communi y
in ellec ual p ope y igh s), and policy implica ions o educa ion, conse a ion, and li elihoods. We
a gue ha mains eaming ibal olk cul u e wi hin IKS s eng hens biocul u al di e si y, knowledge
so e eign y, and con ex -sensi i e inno a ion.
Keywo ds: Indian Knowledge Sys ems, T ibal Communi ies, Folk Cul u e, Indigenous Knowledge,
Biocul u al Di e si y, Sac ed G o es, E hnobo any, In angible He i age, Sus ainabili y,
Pa icipa o y Resea ch
In oduc ion:
Indian Knowledge Sys ems (IKS)
e e o cumula i e bodies o knowledge,
p ac ice, and wo ld iew ha ha e e ol ed in
he subcon inen h ough long- e m
in e ac ions among people, place, and
cosmology. T ibal communi ies—
cons i u ionally e med Scheduled T ibes—
cons i u e li ing eposi o ies o IKS h ough
o al adi ions, pe o ma i e a s, i ual
ecologies, e nacula echnologies, and
cus oma y law. While hei cul u al
exp essions a e o en amed as “ olklo e,”
hey encode es ed knowledge abou soils,
seeds, i e, wa e , heal h, wea he , and social
go e nance.
Recen in e es in IKS ac oss highe
educa ion cu icula, he i age policy, and
sus ainabili y agendas c ea es an oppo uni y
o mo e beyond ex ac i e documen a ion
owa d co-p oduced, igh s- espec ing
knowledge pa ne ships. This a icle
syn hesizes c oss-disciplina y e idence and
o e s a concep ual and me hodological
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
Sonaji V. Gayakwad
568
oadmap o unde s and he ole o ibal olk
cul u e in IKS.
Objec i es:
1. Theo ize how olk cul u al o ms
unc ion as knowledge eposi o ies
wi hin IKS.
2. Syn hesize e idence ac oss egions and
ibes demons a ing knowledge
unc ions (ecological, medicinal,
ag a ian, as onomical, ju idical, and
echnological).
3. P opose an in eg a i e amewo k
(FIVE-REALMS) o analyze pa hways
om cul u e o social-ecological
ou comes.
4. Ou line e hical, me hodological, and
policy ecommenda ions o esea ch
and p ac ice.
Folk Cul u e as Knowledge In as uc u e:
Classical olklo e s udies highligh ed
o m and unc ion (my h, legend, olksong,
i ual). Con empo a y app oaches emphasize
knowledge in as uc u e— he ways gen es
s o e, alida e, ansmi , and upda e
knowledge. O al pe o mances a e con ex -
sensi i e algo i hms o decision-making: c op
choice, hun ing aboos, wea he o ecas s,
con lic esolu ion, and healing.
IKS and Biocul u al Di e si y:
Biocul u al di e si y schola ship
documen s co-e olu ion be ween
linguis ic/ i ual di e si y and biodi e si y.
Sac ed g o es, o emic species, and cus oma y
seasonal bans o en egula e esou ce use,
s abilizing commons and nu u ing
s ewa dship e hics. E hnobo any links i ual
classi ica ion wi h pha macological disco e y,
while adi ional a chi ec u e and c a s
ex e nalize design p inciples
( he mo egula ion, esilience, ci cula i y).
Indigenous Timekeeping and As onomical
Knowledge:
Songs, es i al cycles, and olk ales
embed e hno-as onomy—s a isings ha
cue sowing/ha es , luna phases guiding
ishing/ o aging, and i ual calenda s
coo dina ing collec i e ac ion. This empo al
knowledge in eg a es ecological indica o s
(bi d calls, insec eme gences) wi h
cosmological signs.
Cus oma y Ins i u ions and Legal
Plu alism:
Council assemblies,
mo ung/de a/gamkhana o illage ins i u ions
deli e es o a i e jus ice, egula e access o
o es s and wa e , and main ain kinship ules
p o ec ing gene ic di e si y. Recognizing legal
plu alism is key o in eg a ing IKS in o
con empo a y go e nance.
Concep ual F amewo k: FIVE-REALMS:
We p opose FIVE-REALMS o
analyzing how ibal olk cul u e
ope a ionalizes knowledge in IKS:
1. Food–Fa ming Knowledge: seed
selec ion songs, shi ing cul i a ion
(jhum) calenda s, e aced ag icul u e
chan s, g ain s o age i es, ag o- o es y
lo e.
2. Iden i y–In angible He i age: my hs
o o igin, clan o ems, ini ia ion i es,
ex ile mo i s—encode axonomy,
e hics, and his o ical memo y.
3. Ve nacula Technologies: bamboo
a chi ec u e, cane-wea ing, boa - and
ne -making, i on smel ing, na u al
dyeing, e men a ion and p ese a ion
echniques.
4. Ecological S ewa dship: sac ed g o es,
aboo seasons, o emic p o ec ion, i e
egimes o mosaic habi a s, wa e
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
Sonaji V. Gayakwad
569
ha es ing including s epwells and
bamboo d ip sys ems.
5. Local Go e nance: cus oma y
councils, oa h i uals, b ideweal h/land
enu e songs, and con lic media ion
p o ocols.
Pa hways o Ou comes:
Encoding: na a i es, p o e bs, and songs
encapsula e ules o humb (heu is ics).
T ansmission: es i als, app en iceships, and
wo k songs ain no ices.
Valida ion: i ual ials, communal
wi nessing, and elde s’ sanc ioning sus ain
eliabili y. Adap a ion: imp o isa ion in
pe o mance enables inc emen al inno a ion.
Me hodology:
This pape p esen s a mixed-me hods
syn hesis wi h a design adap able o p ima y
ieldwo k.
Resea ch Design:
App oach: Pa icipa o y e hnog aphy +
quali a i e me a-syn hesis o published
s udies; whe e easible, communi y-led
documen a ion.
Sampling: Mul i-si ed, pu posi e
selec ion ac oss eco- egions (Cen al
Indian pla eau, Wes e n Gha s, Eas e n
Himalaya, No h-Eas , Andaman &
Nicoba ) and cul u al-linguis ic g oups
(e.g., Gond, Bhil, San hal, Wa li, Khasi-
Jain ia, Nyishi, Apa ani, Toda, Lepcha-
Bhu ia, Nicoba ese). Gende -inclusi e
sampling o knowledge holde s (women
seed keepe s, heale s, a isans, you h
pe o me s).
Da a Collec ion Tools:
E hnog aphic obse a ion o i uals,
es i als, wo k p ocesses (sowing,
wea ing, b ewing, healing).
Semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h
elde s, i ual specialis s, heale s,
a isans, council leade s.
F ee-lis ing & pile so ing o domains
(use ul species, omens, c a s eps) and
Cul u al Consensus Analysis o
quan i y sha ed knowledge.
Pa icipa o y mapping (GIS + ske ch
maps) o sac ed g o es, wa e sys ems,
mig a ion ou es.
Audio- isual documen a ion o
songs/dances wi h communi y consen ;
me ada a o con ex .
A chi al e iew o gaze ee s, dis ic
olklo e eco ds, and museum
collec ions.
E hics and Sa egua ds:
FPIC (F ee, P io and In o med
Consen ), communi y co-au ho ship,
da a so e eign y.
Bene i sha ing aligned wi h he
Biological Di e si y Ac and Nagoya
P o ocol.
P o ec ion o T adi ional Knowledge
ia communi y p o ocols, TK egis e s,
and de ensi e publica ion (e.g.,
T adi ional Knowledge Digi al Lib a y
whe e app op ia e).
Sensi i e con en (sac ed/sec e ) o be
excluded o edac ed pe communi y
guidance.
Findings and Thema ic Syn hesis ( om
seconda y sou ces and igne es):
These syn hesized indings
illus a e pa e ns widely documen ed in
he li e a u e; si e-speci ic alida ion is
necessa y o p ima y s udies.
Ag oecology and Calend ics:
San al and Ho sowing songs encode
luna -phase ules and s a cues o
plan ing mille s; e ses unc ion as
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
Sonaji V. Gayakwad
570
mnemonics o soil p epa a ion and
in e c opping.
Apa ani and Khasi communi ies use
ag icul u al es i als (e.g., Myoko,
Nongk em) o coo dina e labo ,
i iga ion o a ions, and i ual aboos
sa egua ding wa e quali y.
Biodi e si y S ewa dship:
Sac ed g o es among Ga o, Khasi-
Jain ia, Koda a, and Bhu ia-Lepcha
main ain mic o e ugia o endemic
lo a/ auna; aboos on ex ac ion ac as
in o mal conse a ion laws.
To emic species among Gond/Bhil
clans ex end mo al pe sonhood o
animals/plan s (e.g., mahua, sago palm),
shaping ha es ing e hics and seasonal
bans.
Heal h and E hnopha macology:
Baiga and Kani heale lineages
main ain pha macopeias o an i-
in lamma o y, an ipy e ic, and wound-
healing plan s; chan s egula e dosage
and i ual sa e y.
Fe men ed oods (e.g., kinema, axone,
apong, handia) and wild-g eens cuisines
p o ide p obio ics and mic onu ien s,
imp o ing esilience du ing lean
seasons.
Ve nacula Enginee ing and Design:
Bamboo d ip i iga ion in Meghalaya,
Apa ani we ice– ish sys ems, Toda
ba el- aul dai ies, and Bho ia d y-
s one houses exempli y clima e-
adap i e design op imizing he mal
com o , wa e use e iciency, and
ci cula ma e ial lows.
Law, Ri ual, and Social Cohesion:
Cus oma y councils (e.g., Do ba
Shnong, Kebang, Palli Sabhas) use oa h
i uals and compensa ion o deli e
es o a i e jus ice, p e en ing i - o - a
escala ion and educing ansac ion
cos s.
Discussion:
F om “Folklo e” o “Ope a ional
Knowledge”:
Re aming olk cul u e as ope a ional
knowledge o eg ounds i s p edic i e and
no ma i e unc ions—an icipa ing seasonal
isk, alloca ing labo , and managing commons.
This challenges s e eo ypes o s a ic adi ion
and ecognizes inno a ion by imp o isa ion
in pe o mance and c a .
Measu ing Wha Ma e s:
Con en ional me ics unde alue
i ual/cul u al labo . We ecommend
biocul u al indica o s: (a) con inui y o
app en iceship chains; (b) g o e in eg i y
indices; (c) die a y di e si y sco es; (d)
incidence o cus oma y dispu e esolu ion; (e)
you h pa icipa ion in es i als as a p oxy o
in e gene a ional ansmission.
Educa ion and Cu iculum (IKS
In eg a ion):
B idge modules ha map physics o
bamboo s uc u es, chemis y o na u al
dyes/ e men a ion, biology o
e hnobo any, and ma hema ics o
calenda compu a ions.
Mo he - ongue and a s-based
pedagogy using local songs, mo i s, and
s o ies as en y poin s o STEM.
Field s udios in pa ne ship wi h
communi y knowledge holde s
(hono a ia and IP ecogni ion).
Righ s, Equi y, and Knowledge
So e eign y:
IKS in eg a ion mus a oid
ex ac i ism—c edi and compensa ion o
c ea o s; communi y con ol o e sensi i e
knowledge; gende -inclusi e ecogni ion o
women’s expe ise in seeds, wea ing, and
healing.
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
Sonaji V. Gayakwad
571
Policy Implica ions:
1. IKS Labs and Li ing He i age
Hubs: Fund communi y- un labs
documen ing songs, c a p o ocols,
and ecological calenda s wi h local
language a chi es.
2. Biocul u al Righ s in Planning:
Manda e consul a ion wi h cus oma y
councils o land-use change;
ecognize sac ed g o es as
communi y-conse ed a eas.
3. Heal h Sys ems In e ace: Suppo
alida ed he bal o mula ions wi h
bene i -sha ing; ain communi y
heal h wo ke s as cul u al media o s.
4. Educa ion Re o ms: Embed local
a s and en i onmen al knowledge in
school/college cu icula; p o ide
c edi -bea ing app en iceships wi h
a isans and heale s.
5. Ma ke and IP Suppo :
Geog aphical Indica ions (GI) and
ai - ade channels o c a s/ oods
wi h communi y owne ship and
e hical s o y elling.
Conclusion:
T ibal olk cul u e is no pe iphe al
o namen a ion bu a co e engine o he Indian
Knowledge Sys em—encoding ecological
in elligence, heal h p ac ices, design
p inciples, and go e nance no ms ha sus ain
li elihoods and landscapes. Recognizing and
esou cing hese li ing knowledge sys ems
h ough equi able pa ne ships can ad ance
conse a ion, wellbeing, and cul u ally
g ounded inno a ion. The FIVE-REALMS
amewo k o e s a sca old o esea ch and
p ac ice o map, measu e, and mains eam
hese con ibu ions while sa egua ding
knowledge so e eign y.
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