Kohima: Four educational institutions committed to a new plan to protect Indigenous seeds and farming traditions in the Naga region. The groups finalized the Naga Well-Being Pedagogy Vision on August 26 after a two-day workshop held at Tetso College in Chümoukedima.
Signatories include Tetso College, Unity College, Asufii Christian Institute, and the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They fear climate change and commercial farming will erase traditional knowledge. "Indigenous food practices are founded on deep connections with land, stewardship, and biodiversity," the official vision statement reads.
The partners established eight specific goals. They will add Indigenous farming to certificate programs and locate endangered seeds. Schools will build food gardens and manage seed libraries to keep local biodiversity alive. Faculty plan to link food research directly to community history and land politics.
Dr. Hewasa L Khing, Dr. Lichumo Enie, Dr. Daili Neli, and Prof. Dolly Kikon signed the agreement. They want to create a hub for students to study the link between forests, seeds, and culture. The initiative aims to force a shift in how schools teach food sovereignty. Educators believe the health of the land determines the health of the people.
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