Pastoral Knowledge, Spirituality and Adaptation to Climate Change among the Pastoralists of Hulun Buir (China)

Abstract (English)

Over the last few years, the pastoralists of Hulun Buir, a vast pastoral area situated in Inner Mongolia, China, have experienced important environmental changes which resulted in climate instability and severe droughts. In turn, these changes have had a significant impact on people’s pastoral and religious activities, notably rituals dedicated to oboo cairns. During oboo worship, the reciprocal exchange between pastoralists and their natural environment is supposed to symbolically ensure the fertility of the herds, green pastures and abundant rain. However, the growth of the mining industry, the degradation of pasturelands, pollution and droughts have brought about a new discourse and caused local populations to adapt their oboo rituals. What do oboo rituals ultimately tell us about pastoral practices and environmental issues in contemporary Inner Mongolia? Based on data collected among the pastoralists of Hulun Buir between 2011 and 2024, this presentation will explore how and why oboo local rituals lie at the intersection of pastoral knowledge, spirituality and adaptation to climate change.