Erasing Roots: Colonialism's Impact on Indigenous Worlds and Knowledge

When we reflect on the impact of colonialism, our minds often gravitate towards the familiar narratives of exploitation, looting, brutal violence, oppressive taxation, and economic extraction. However, there are deeper and more nuanced dimensions that frequently go unexamined. One such dimension is the profound impact colonialism had on nature, indigenous faiths, and the education system, particularly in colonized societies like India.

Colonialism did not merely seize physical wealth; it disrupted the intimate relationship that indigenous communities maintained with their natural environment. Sacred connections to land and ecological stewardship, embedded in indigenous beliefs and practices, were systematically undermined or dismissed.

The introduction of humanism, originally viewed as a liberating intellectual movement, became, through the lens of European coloniality, deeply entwined with the growth of materialism and consumerism. As colonial powers spread their influence, their version of humanism began promoting individual gain, conquest over nature, and a detachment from spiritual and communal relationships with the natural world. This ideological shift enabled systems where progress was measured mainly in material terms, contributing to the environmental and cultural disconnections that persist today.

A poignant contrast to this colonial mindset can be found in the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert. The Bishnoi tradition, founded by Guru Jambhoji in the 15th century, is built on a foundation of environmental stewardship and compassion. Governed daily by 29 guiding principles, the Bishnois embraced their relationship with nature as a sacred duty. The protection of trees, animals, and the broader ecosystem was woven into the very fabric of their faith and daily life.

For the Bishnois, safeguarding the environment was not just an obligation; it was a heartfelt expression of reverence for creation itself. Their unwavering commitment meant refusing to cut living trees, abstaining from harming animals, and making profound sacrifices to protect wildlife and the ecosystem. This devotion is perhaps best exemplified by their collective resistance in 1730, when Bishnoi villagers, led by Amrita Devi, gave their lives to shield khejri trees from being felled by royal decree, planting the seeds for future environmental activism in India.

One more such example is of native Americans. Native American traditions embody a profound relationship with the Earth rooted in reciprocal appropriation, a mutual give-and-take between humans and the natural world. Rather than seeing nature as a resource to be exploited, Native Americans view humans as active participants in the landscape and its inhabitants, integrating these relationships into the core of human experience and understanding.

The traditions are deeply rooted in the belief that the Earth embodies a spiritual dimension, of which humans are an integral part. This worldview holds that the land, animals, plants, rivers, and all elements of nature possess a spirit and consciousness. The balance of nature is considered sacred, and maintaining this harmony is essential for the health and well-being of all beings. Accordingly, it was believed that disrupting or upsetting this natural balance would invite consequences or punishment from the Earth itself.

These traditions were passed down orally through storytelling, serving as a vital means to preserve and transmit knowledge. These stories were carefully shared within the community to ensure the knowledge remained accessible only to those who understood their meaning and sacredness. Storytelling not only conveyed cultural values and history but also maintained the sanctity of the wisdom, reinforcing community bonds and respect for their traditions. However, due to fundamental differences in worldview and the absence of written records, Christian colonizers placed high importance on the written word. They often dismissed oral traditions as merely mythical or apocryphal, undermining their authenticity and marginalizing indigenous knowledge systems.

The replacement of Indigenous education systems with the Christian European model was a deliberate colonial strategy. Colonial education was not introduced as an alternative but aimed specifically to dismantle and erase existing Indigenous ways of knowledge production. The colonizers, driven by a sense of cultural and racial superiority, believed it was their duty to “civilize” and educate Indigenous populations, viewing themselves as liberators who would free Indigenous souls from ignorance and superstition. This approach systematically devalued and suppressed Indigenous traditions, languages, and identities under the guise of progress and salvation.

The colonial government made no effort to conceal the true purpose of colonial education: it was a tool of social engineering designed to maintain and reinforce racist structures of dominance. Education in the colonies was deliberately crafted to shape native populations according to colonial interests, molding them to accept subordinate roles within a rigid hierarchy. While colonial education was presented as a means for Indigenous students to improve their social status and gain acceptance by Europeans, in reality, strict class ceilings were firmly maintained to keep native students perpetually ranked below their European counterparts.

In essence, colonial education was a form of ideological domination, shaping identity and social relations to reproduce colonial power and segregation. This insidious social engineering extended beyond formal classrooms to influence generations, leaving legacies of cultural alienation and systemic inequality that persist in many postcolonial societies today.