For generations the Van Gujjar, a community Indigenous to the North West of India, have lived in unadulterated harmony with mountains and forests in which they live. Living a semi-nomadic lifestyle based around the migratory patterns of their herds, the native Gojri buffalo. They previously roamed freely over the span of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Up until the 1970s and 80s, that is, when a new surge in conservation efforts began the gradual encroachment on the Van Gujjar's freedoms and rights to their land and traditions. 

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In March 2023, I had the privilege of spending some time with the Van Gujjar. During this time I travelled the span of 60km, visiting multiple Gujjar villages in the area and learning about their lived experience. I saw first hand, and documented, the unparalleled knowledge held within the community of the lands and ecosystems within which they live, and maintain intimate, symbiotic relationships with. I witnessed in practice what it means when we say that Indigenous communities are the true stewards and protectors of the natural world and how crucial it is for all concerned about environmental and climate justice to stand in solidarity with these communities.