Relations of Blood: Hunting Taboos and Wildlife
Conservation in the Idu Mishmi of Northeast India
Relations of Blood: Hunting Taboos and Wildlife
Conservation in the Idu Mishmi of Northeast India
1/7/20, 6:30 am
Hunting of wildlife is a significant source of food and cash income, particu-
larly for the rural poor across the tropics (Coad et al. 2019; Milner-Gulland et al.2003). It is also one of the leading causes
of worldwide declines in tropical wildlife (Bennett et al. 2002), even observed in cases where hunting is subsistence only (Chacon 2012; Peres 2000). Yet, for many traditional and Indigenous peoples, hunting and associated rituals are integral to establishing and maintaining social roles, group identities, and reciprocal relations
with nature (Hill 2011; Lewis 2008).
Hunting is one of the leading causes of declines in tropical wildlife. Yet, for many traditional
and Indigenous Peoples, hunting and associated rituals are integral to establishing and maintaining
social identities and reciprocal relations with nature. Taboos that restrict hunting and forest use are
widely prevalent in traditional societies and have been likened to informal culture-based conservation
mechanisms. However, where taboos have been formally co-opted by conservation programs, the
results have been largely ineffective. A recent study showed that taboos in the Idu Mishmi community
of Northeast India significantly reduced wild meat consumption and contributed to biodiversity
protection, including an endangered tiger population.