Presenting the Naga Well-Being Pedagogy Vision Document | Prof. Dolly Kikon | Ecologies of Care
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The presentation concludes with a profound reflection on the Naga Well-Being Pedagogy Vision Document, framing its signing not merely as an administrative closing but as a spiritual and communal welcoming ceremony. Drawing upon the tradition of the "Edge of the Wood" welcome ritual shared by Professor John Childles, Prof. Dolly Kikon invites all participants to shed the dust of their travels, wipe away tears of grief, and clear their voices before engaging in this important work. This metaphorical cleansing underscores the belief that entering the forest—or in this context, the institution and the practice of care—transforms individuals, necessitating a ritual of purification to ensure clarity of mind and restored capacity for meaningful dialogue and action.
The core philosophy of the document asserts that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the land, emphasizing that spiritual, social, emotional, and educational dimensions must be integrated rather than separated. The vision places indigenous food practices at the center of this pedagogy, recognizing them as rooted in deep stewardship of biodiversity and a sacred connection to the earth. By acknowledging that traditional knowledge and indigenous farmers are vital to shaping the future of agriculture, the document commits to safeguarding seeds, forests, water, and cultural heritage against threats like climate change and disintegration. It calls for an inclusive education that honors the history, politics, and land connections inherent in food systems, ensuring that the well-being of the Naga people extends to loving and feeding their neighbors as guests on their land.
To operationalize these principles, the vision outlines eight specific initiatives designed to transform academic and community practices. These include recognizing indigenous farming within value-added courses and certificate programs, identifying and preserving endangered seeds, and expanding seed libraries into knowledge hubs. The plan also mandates collaboration with ground communities to nurture relationships between seeds, forests, and culture, while encouraging research that integrates food-related practices directly into the landscape. Furthermore, the vision seeks to establish food gardens where students can learn indigenous farming methods, thereby creating a living curriculum that bridges theoretical knowledge with practical, sustainable action.
The document was born from a two-day international workshop titled "Ecologies of Care, Food and Well-being in Naga Society," held on August 24th and 25th, 2026, and represents a collective pledge by faculty, staff, students, and organizing teams. It is signed by key figures including Dr. Hovesa from Tetsso College, Dr. Nili from Ashifur Christian College Autonomous Mao, Prof. Dolly Kikon herself, and representatives from Unity College, marking a unified commitment to defend Naga food sovereignty. Ultimately, this vision serves as a transformative framework that redefines the role of educational institutions as villages where mentorship, debate, and shared ideas foster a sustainable future for both the Naga community and all who walk with them.
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A very good afternoon to you all. This
is
the
almost last um I think um what do you
call uh event in the program and so I
would like to invite you all to give
another round of applause to this
amazing
students
uh you know who took time to dance to
sing and to showcase rich culture and I
thought that it is only fair because
this entire vision document is for them,
right? And it's for all of you students
who are sitting here. So, it's only fair
that they come and they grace the stage
as we enter a very important
moment and reflect on why we are
reflecting on
signing a vision document. This vision
document is going to not only stay on
but it's going to become a practice and
it's going to involve all the students
here the faculty the staff and the
organizing team
before um
I
before I read out the Naga well-being
pedagogy uh vision that I have here with
me and before I call upon the
principles uh to sign I would just like
to give you the order of what we are
going to do at the moment
I think it's very important that we also
understand because we work on land on
seeds the sacredness
right the the importance and the
relevance of our spiritual practice and
why we are getting into it land the
forest and practice are not just fun
things they are not only part of our
identity they are our lifeline and so
this document students dear students and
dear colleagues is a pledge a spiritual
one a social one a cultural one and also
an educational one that we are entering
into. Often what we do is that we
separate the spiritual, the social, the
emotional and we absolutely have a
disintegrated a disassembled a
disassociated way of learning and that's
not the path. We have to work on
integration. The idea that we pray for
our food and with the vision document we
will learn to pray for our farmers. we
will contemplate on what Dr. Mary told
us who are going to grow our food and if
we have to listen to the young ones how
do we learn to listen to one another. So
I think these are prayers that we need
to reflect on. I thought about a lot
about what kind of blessings that
we would invoke for one another. And I
remember my mentor who is a Native
American professor of sociology at the
University of California in Santa Cruz.
He is an elder among his community and
he has become a mentor figure for me as
I joined the university. And recently we
had an event where I started a
universitywide initiative and he gave me
a prayer. He gave me a prayer and he
invoked a blessing from his community
and in that spirit of indigenous
collaboration and in that spirit of
fellowship I want to give this prayer to
you all that professor John gave to me.
I'll just give you a context in terms of
what this blessing is about and why that
is important. And this blessing is for
everyone who's going to sign on this
document for all you students here
sitting there and dear colleagues.
It is known as the edge of the wood
welcome ceremony. We are standing here
today at the closing to sign this. But
this is not a closing. This is a
welcoming. It is a door that we are all
opening together.
Among the community that professor John
believe that John is part of they
believe that
they must welcome the travelers and the
warriors and the hunters who go into the
forest.
The forest is looked upon as a long
difficult path that all humans once we
enter have to traverse.
So among the communities that John is
part of, they believe that there must be
when one enters the forest and one
returns, there must be a welcome
ceremony. For when you enter the forest
and when you return, you return a
changed person because all things,
plants, leaves, seeds, spirits, the
water, the air touches you. And in that
touch and in that connection you are
changed as you enter the village. So for
us today as institutions we can also see
our institutions as villages as
republics where we are trying to
transform one another where we learn
where we debate where we mentor where we
guide where we share ideas.
And in that spirit, the edge of the wood
welcome ceremony that my mentor John
Childles gave me at UCSC, I give to you
all today, this afternoon.
It is adopted from the English language
version spoken by Chief Jack Swamp and
he's the founder of the Treaty of Peace
Society. And this was this blessing was
given in November 1994 to John Childles.
And here it is. My dear colleagues, my
dearest students, I invite you all to
open your hearts
and to accept this blessing.
We welcome you all who have arrived
today
where we are supposed to be to be with
us today.
Now, as is the custom of olden times, we
say these words to you. Perhaps you have
traveled through many dangerous areas
and places. These things that you went
through maybe could have hurt you. And
we are thankful that you can be here
with us today.
In your travels, maybe you accumulated
much dirt on dusty pathways.
So now we use a feather from the top of
your head and we wipe away the dust. And
sometimes when you went through some
bushes that contained thorns and brers
then what we do is wipe them away from
your clothes so that you may be
comfortable sitting with us.
And sometimes it happens to people when
they arrive from different directions.
Perhaps recently you have experienced a
great loss in your family and among your
friends.
But because of the importance of
our heaving clarity of mind, we now say
these words to you. If you have tears in
your eyes today because of recent loss
today, we take the soft feather and we
use this to wipe away your tears so that
your future will become clearer.
Perhaps some dust of loss and pain have
accumulated in your thoughts.
The what we do we will do is take the
soft feather and wipe away the dust of
loss and pain.
And now your throat may be closed up
from grief or anger or fear. So we touch
the feather to your throat and give you
pure medicine water to drink to wipe
away the obstruction so that your voice
will be restored
and so that your words will be good. And
when you start to speak to people and do
your important work in the world
and with this prayer that I received
from an elder in my university, I give
this prayer to you all. And with those
words, I invite you all to once again
give your heart and mind as I read the
Naga well-being pedagogy vision 2026.
A new opening for us as teachers, as
well-wishers, and as students and
participants.
May we hold this vision not only for
Nagas but for all neighbors for people
who are our neighbors for people who
walk with us and may we love them more
the guests in our land. May we honor
them more with this vision. May we feed
them what is in our plate and may we
share the goodness that this land offers
us.
The Naga well-being pedagogy vision aims
to focus on the future of Naga food
sovereignty and sustainable agriculture.
We believe that traditional knowledge
and indigenous farmers play a
significant role in shaping the future
of farming. Well-being of the people is
inseparable from the well-being of the
land. This pedagogy vision reiterates
that indigenous food practices are
founded on deep connections with land
stewardship and biodiversity.
This pedagogy vision originated from the
two-day international workshop titled
ecologies of care, food and well-being
in Naga society on 24th and 25th August
2026.
In the presence of the principles,
students and participants, we commit to
an inclusive education and curriculum.
We acknowledge indigenous knowledge of
the land and food production is under
threat and that includes farming and we
are committed to safeguarding seeds,
land, forest, water, biodiversity and
indigenous knowledge. We will defend
Naga food sovereignty by adopting the
following initiatives. One, to recognize
indigenous farming practices as part of
the value added course and offer
certificate programs. Two, to identify
and preserve endangered seeds. Three, to
acknowledge the impact of climate change
on farming communities. Four, to
collaborate with communities on the
ground and nurture the relationship
between seeds, forest, and culture.
Five, to honor and highlight the
connections of food with history, land,
and politics.
Six, to care for the seed libraries,
expand the collection, and build a
knowledge hub around the library. Seven,
to encourage the integration of food
related research and practices on the
ground. And finally, eight to establish
food gardens and orient students with
indigenous seeds and farming practices.
The Naga welding pedagogy vision today
is signed by the collaborating
institutes and I call upon the
principles who are here at this event to
please come on stage. the principal of
Tetsso College Dr. Hovesa
and Ashifur Christian College Autonomous
Mao Dr. Nili.
We have also a uh we also have um Unity
College principal who will be getting a
document of this and we regret to inform
that he will he will be looking at this
document at a later stage. And the other
signary is uh myself as uh professor of
anthropology and director of the center
for south Asian uh studies university of
California Santa Cruz.
louder. Ah, you can do better.
Ah, you can do better.
Students come.
>> Thank you. Thank you so much.