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Abstract

The rapid decline in biodiversity and its environmental impact have become critical global concerns, prompting governments and organizations to implement policies based on recommendations from institutions like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). However, in the pursuit of modernization and globalization, indigenous conservation practices that have long conserved the environment are often overlooked. This study examines the cultural beliefs of the Uli people in Anambra State, Nigeria, and their role in environmental preservation. Using qualitative methods such as interviews, autoethnography, and content analysis of a short YouTube video, it explores cultural communication codes, including language, social networks, and songs, that have sustained these practices for generations. Grounded in the eco-philosophical theory of nature–culture relations, the decolonial narrative, and cultural communication theory, the findings reveal that the Uli community maintains well-defined conservation practices, such as preserving forest groves, protecting species like the sacred python and monitor lizard, and conserving 14 tree species. The study underscores the need for policies that recognize and integrate cultural heritage into environmental sustainability efforts.

Keywords

cultural communication decoloniality environmental humanities Igbo Uli Africa

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Forgotten Guardians: Decolonizing Environmental Humanities Through Uli Nature–Cultural Practices

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