Abstract
Adivasi communities in India are at the forefront of environmental and political struggles, resisting displacement and cultural erasure. This paper explores the role of art as a form of activism in Adivasi resistance movements, examining how traditional ecological knowledge and artistic practices intersect to challenge dominant neoliberal and neocolonial paradigms. Through case studies of Godna tattooing, Phad painting, and Shadow puppetry, the paper highlights how Adivasi artistic traditions function as sites of resilience and defiance against forced displacement and cultural commodification. The research also interrogates the dynamics of authorship and agency—who controls the narratives around Adivasi art, and who benefits from its commodification? This paper ultimately calls for ethical frameworks that prioritize indigenous self-representation and autonomy in cultural production, advocating for models that allow indigenous artists to define their own participation in the global art economy and environmental movement using their own voice.
Presenters
Nitya SankheStudent, MA Global Arts and Cultures, Rhode Island School of Design, Rhode Island, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Adivasi,Resistance,Storytelling,Activism,IndigenousKnowledge,Authorship,Neoliberalism
