Guardians of the Sacred Forest: Indigenous Experiences of Conservation in the Face of Modernization

Abstract

Indigenous environmental knowledge has increasingly been recognized as essential to global sustainability efforts, yet the subjective experiences behind such practices remain understudied. While many studies focus on traditional ecological knowledge, few examine how indigenous communities emotionally and spiritually engage with forest conservation under the pressure of modernization. This study seeks to answer the central research question: How do indigenous communities interpret the existential and cultural meaning of forest conservation in the face of modernization?  What remains unclear is how these communities interpret the existential and cultural meaning of preserving their natural environment amid ecological and socio-political disruption. This study adopts an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of indigenous forest custodians in a tropical region of Southeast Asia. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine participants selected through purposive sampling, the study reveals that the forest is experienced not as a resource, but as a living relative, deeply entwined with spiritual identity, intergenerational responsibility, and cultural resilience. Thematic analysis uncovered key experiential themes, including sacred kinship with the forest, ritual resistance to external threats, and the emotional burden of cultural displacement. These findings demonstrate that indigenous conservation ethics are driven by relational and spiritual worldviews, not only ecological knowledge. This insight enhances our understanding of how conservation policies might more effectively integrate indigenous perspectives by acknowledging their lived realities and cultural values.