At an ancient sacred grove in Mawphlang, orchids bloomed on towering evergreen trees. Our guide picked a fallen rudraksha seed that is used as a prayer bead and medicine. Nestled in East Khasi Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya, meaning the abode of the clouds, this sacred grove is a stunning example of how indigenous communities are guardians of their forests and territories. People are forbidden to disturb the grove or gather any forest resources to respectlabasa, the forest deity. We walk in quiet contemplation and awe through emerald hues of ferns and vines.

The walk in the sacred grove was part of Indigenous Terra Madre(ITM) that brought together 140 indigenous food communities from 58 countries in November. A collaboration of the Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty, Slow Food International and North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society(NESFAS), ITM celebrated the rich food cultures of Indigenous Peoples and showcased their resilient food systems and sustainable practices.

“Indigenous Peoples have a lesson for all of us as we search for a way forward to overcome the crises we face today,” said Phrang Roy, founder of NESFAS and an advocate of indigenous food systems from the Khasi tribe in Meghalaya. “Today there is growing awareness that indigenous knowledge that had been ignored and marginalized as a primitive knowledge system is something we need to look to to build a sustainable, fairer system where food security, nutrition and well being of people is held together.”