As synthetic prayer flags and scarves pollute the Himalayas, a team works to spread sustainable materials drawn from Indigenous knowledge.
As synthetic prayer flags and scarves pollute the Himalayan region, a team of scholars and activists work to spread sustainable materials drawn from Indigenous knowledge.of 2022, one of us, Kalzang Dorjee Bhutia, brought gifts to his relatives with babies in northeast India. In their Sikkimese Bhutia community, new mothers receive chicken, cash, and other items known as Bya-kay—literally, “bringing a chicken.”, outside the residences of new babies.
We recognize that the trekking industry brings plastics—but think the story in international media is too often only about tourists who visit in lieu of the experiences of local communities. The actual aspirations that accompany the hoisting of prayer flags are richer and more complex. They create relationships between the humans who offer them and the more-than-humans who live in the mountains and are, indeed, the mountains: powerful protectors who preside over deities, spirits, and forces that govern everyday events.
About 50 years ago, synthetic fabrics such as polyester became more widely available in India and Nepal. These plastic prayer flags lasted longer and could be mass-produced more quickly. The innovations had drawbacks: Due to their durability and affordability, the fabrics spread litter everywhere. Synthetic offering scarves posed the same issue.
Utpala is a woman-owned and -operated company. Working flexible hours that allow for child care, groups of women run the warehouse in Patan, a city near Kathmandu, Nepal. Utpala’s biodegradable prayer flags gained international recognition in 2021 after they were raised at the Boudhanath stupa, a major pilgrimage and tourist landmark in Kathmandu.
In 2022, our team, including Ang Dolma and Kalzang, along with Pasang and Amy, scholars of Buddhism and climate change, met for a dynamic set of discussions. Our goal was to strategize about how to support and promote sustainable offering scarves and prayer flags. We traveled to a village in rural west Sikkim to learn more in a workshop held at Kalzang’s home.
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