Arunachal Pradesh is the least densely populated state in India. It is home to vast forests and many endemic animals and plants. China claims Arunachal Pradesh, but all other countries recognize this state as part of India. I am with an Indian wildlife filmmaker and two environmentalists on this one-week adventure. We are here to meet the Idu Mishmi people, and develop wildlife research in this area. As usual, I am interested in the birds, and their diseases. However, the most interesting research is how indigenous lands can be better protected by their people and traditions, rather than the government.  Right now, the Indian government is planning to build 17 dams for hydroelectric power. India sees the fast-flowing rivers and untouched lands as a source of energy. The problem is that all these dams will destroy pristine ecosystems and displace the indigenous people.

I fly with my companions to Dibrugarh in Assam, and then immediately drive to Roing in Arunachal Pradesh. The contrast between the two states is already stark. Assam is relatively crowded; not Delhi crowded, but still India. It takes 3 hours, and we cross the recently constructed bridge across the wide Brahmaputra river. The traffic thins out as soon as we get into Arunachal Pradesh. The people here speak the Idu Mishmi language, and maintain their traditions. They have different genetics, and if this were Europe, this land would certainly be a different country.

Roing is just below the foothills of the Himalayas. We spend one night at our local friend’s compound. We hear about how the beautiful lodge he had built in his indigenous lands was burned down on Christmas day. It took 3 years to build the structures that were meant for promoting research and protection of their forests. They were all burned down by an arsonist when the rangers were at a Christmas party. Conservationists invariably develop enemies. If we had been a few weeks earlier, we would have stayed at this place on the edge of the Dibang River, where the major dam will soon be built.

We leave the next morning for a 10-hour drive to Anini. The road is spectacular. It is one lane through awe-inspiring landscapes. It is only 220 km, but this is clearly not the German autobahn. We see how one car had fallen off the cliff. We stop every hour or so, and rotate positions in the car. Sometimes I sit in front, sometimes in the back. Along the way we see mithuns, the buffalo-like animal that is so important to their culture. They roam freely, but are owned by villagers, and given as gifts at weddings and other celebrations. The driver’s skills are amazing, and when we meet one of the few vehicles coming in the other direction, we have to somehow find a place where we can pass.  We stop at a couple small road stops along the cliffs for food; dal and rice for me.  I mainly eat dal and rice this week. 

We reach Anini when it is dark. The stars are burning bright in the black sky.  We unpack to stay in the guest house, again arranged by our friend in Roing. Here we sit around the traditional fire in the middle of the room, and speak for hours with other Idu Mishmi activists. They are fighting to prevent the dams. They are fighting to protect their lands. They are fighting to save the tigers. They are fighting to preserve their language and culture.

More driving the next day, to see where the region where one of the dams will be built. We also hike into the forest, and cross the river on a treacherous hanging bridge. Then in the evening, we move to the house of the local Shaman. We were expecting an old mystical character, but he is dressed in regular clothes. We meet him in his home, and again speak around the fire in the middle of the room. He tells us about the 76 verses that he recites in his ancient language at ceremonies, funerals and other gatherings. He speaks of the spirits of the nature: spirits of the animals, plants, wind, fire… It is a culture that is reminiscent of the native Americans’.  We also meet one local woman who is recording all these traditions and creating the first Idu Mishmi dictionary.  This shaman is training some students, she included, to be the next generation of shamans. But we all see the inherent problems. Hindi is dominating, and people are losing their mother tongue.  You can listen to a very interesting BBC podcast about the exact people we met.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4pjp

The night is very cold, and I sleep under my sleeping bag and two heavy blankets. We wake up and drive to the Dree Valley, in the Dibang Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the most spectacular places I have visited. It looks like Yosemite, with no people. There are waterfalls, and the precipitous mountains; some snow-capped. We hike to the Mawao waterall, and enjoy the views, all the time knowing that this place is threatened. It is just a few kilometers to the China border, and an Indian army base is under construction and the road has recently been paved. The views made all the driving worth it. The next day is the 10-hour return to Roing.

Then we go on a backpacking trip in the Elopa community conservation area (CCA). We drive across river beds in a very old 4WD vehicle, and then trek uphill for 3.5 hours. This is not an easy hike, but it is where our friend was born, and where he went to school as a child. Now this land is entirely protected by the clan, and there are no more villages.  People have left this forest and moved to Roing. This land is private and the government has no claims to it. Therefore, it can be preserved. We are hoping to see animals, but we don’t even see many birds. It is a quiet forest. We have a wonderful meal on wild banana leaves and sleep in our tents. In the night, it seems that the forest spirits surround us. 

The next morning, we look for serows, an endemic antelope-like animal. It is too windy, and they are not in their expected sunbathing spot. We hike out, and then drive to see the burned down compound. Finally, we visit the Dibang river, and see the dam-builders settlement under an orange hue sunset sky. This will all be hydroelectric power stations soon, and the dam will create a huge reservoir upstream.  It is a poignant moment, and we are all contemplative on our wild ride back, through a burning grass fires, and then rain. 

This one-week adventure again reminds me that we are so privileged in our rich countries. I remember the story of Hetch Hetchy in California, and how a beautiful Sierra valley was flooded. It is understandable but regrettable. I want to return here, and hopefully work with students to document the ecology of this understudied region. I am hoping to somehow contribute to the conservation of this magical place, that is still full of spirits.