The Political Ecology of Geopiety: Nature Conservation in Tibetan Communities of Northwest Yunnan

Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (DTAP) marks the southeastern limit of the Tibetan culture region and the abode of Kawakarpo, a principal holy mountain in Tibetan Buddhism. This and other sacred landforms reinforce indigenous territorial identity but are increasingly circumscribed by state and global nature conservation schemes. Transnational NGOs attract global donors and tourists by heralding sacred geography as “stewardship of nature,” but is this representation commensurable with Tibetan geopiety? Village-based research reveals more complex traditions, as well as local re-interpretation (exegesis) of sacred landscapes that can potentially enhance community land tenure, maintain indigenous sacred space, and meet modern conservation goals.