An Appraisal of the Aari People’s Indigenous Connections to and Conceptions of their Land (Fäč’ekə) through their Indigenous Religious Beliefs, Myths and Rituals

This chapter draws on a research project aiming to discover how Aari people view and identify with their land (fäč’ekə). The findings reveal that they believe that the gods Sabi and Bäri descended from the sky and created their land/fäč’ekə, and from an element of it the first ancestor of every clan. There are sacred groves, giant trees, rocks, forests, animals, springs and mountains from which the first ancestors were created and in which Sabi, Bäri, ʾaka ancestral spirits, and s’oyəsi spirits reside and are worshipped. Godəmi, hereditary ritual specialists, and babitoyədə, family elders, have special connections to these and are their guardians. Wild animals in such places are considered kin and are ordered by godəmis to protect them and to punish trespassers. Some animals and old trees are given agency, respected and conserved. Aari people believe their spirits will return to this same land/fäč’ekə upon death and join the ancestors. The grace of gods and ancestors will stay with them and grant them blessed and prosperous lives if they keep the sacred places and trees. As this chapter will show, Aari people have an effective Indigenous environmental management system that is grounded on their traditional knowledges and values and that views the Land/fäč’ekə as a more-than-human animated world in which humans, plants, animals, spirits, gods, etc., reside in harmony, deeply interconnected.