AN EXPLORATION OF NARIKKURAVAR TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN COIMBATORE

Abstract

This study examines the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of the Narikuravar community in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, by combining primary ethnographic data with secondary documentary analysis. Fieldwork conducted from December 2024 to July 2025 included 26 semi-structured oral interviews and 12 participant observation sessions across seven Narikuravar settlements: Karamadai, Thudiyalur, Thimmampalayam Pudur, Periyanaickenpalayam, Kinathukadavu, Jothipuram, and Press Colony. Approximately 65% of the respondents were over 40 years of age, reflecting the community’s generational knowledge holders, while 42% identified as traditional practitioners of ethnomedicine. Findings from field and archival sources reveal that Narikuravar TEK encompasses extensive ethnomedicinal plant use (over 60 recorded species), animal behavioural forecasting, and ritual ecological practices rooted in a sacred relationship with nature. However, 72% of informants reported that younger generations no longer practice or transmit TEK, largely due to urban displacement, educational exclusion, and the legal prohibition of hunting. By integrating qualitative field narratives with documented research, this study identifies both continuity and erosion within the TEK framework. The analysis concludes that Narikuravar ecological knowledge, though endangered, remains a vital cultural and environmental asset that can inform community-based conservation, sustainable livelihood programs, and localized climate resilience models. The paper calls for community-led documentation, participatory policy inclusion, and statistical mapping of TEK practices to ensure the long-term preservation and revitalization of this endangered knowledge system.

KEYWORDS:

Narikuravar, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Ethnomedicine, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Cultural Sustainability.