Resilience in Ladakh: Agriculture, Culture, and Resistance

In this course we seek to understand the current situation of Ladakh and Ladakhi people, beginning with the ecological farming systems that have sustained their communities in the desert Himalayas for thousands of years. —-

Ladakh is a dry glacial-fed land of vast mountains, steep valleys, passes, and high-altitude plains. Ladakhis are mostly a mix of Tibetan Buddhists and Muslims who speak a common Ladakhi language. A part of India since 1947, Ladakh is a part of the ancient Central Asian silk route and borders Tibet and Pakistan.

Beginning with the case study of the small village of Tar in western Ladakh, students will have the opportunity to explore the intricate practices of agriculture and culture that have allowed Ladakhi people to live in a genuinely sustainable relationship with their place for thousands of years.

Now as new technologies rapidly become available, all of the generations are deciding what practices and lifeways to keep, what to change, and what to abandon. At the same time, with increased access, wealthy interests and extractive industries are starting to exploit Ladakh for profit. Presently Ladakhis are making a political stand, seeking protections for their lands, waters, communities, and culture.

Using first-hand stories, images, texts, video, and current media, this class will seek a human ecological understanding of traditional Ladakhi lifeways and the current choices Ladakhis face, as well as the efforts of this indigenous community for sovereignty and self-determination.

This class is intended for, but not limited to, students interested in studying and working in Ladakh in the future. Students with a firm intention to travel will have the option to focus more intensively on language study. Those with an interest in ecological agricultural systems, questions of sustainable development, and indigenous resistance movements may also benefit from this class.

Students will be evaluated on written assignments, participation in seminar discussions, weekly quizzes for students on a language-intensive track, and a final presentation of an independent research project.