| Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas Regional geopolitical processes have turned the Himalayan region of Ladakh, in northwest India, into a strategic border area with an increasing military presence that has decentered the traditional agropastoralist economy. This in turn has led to social fragmentation, the growing isolation of elders, and ethical dilemmas for those who strive to maintain traditional subsistence activities. Simultaneously, climate change is causing glaciers--a vital source of life in the region--to recede, which elders perceive as the consequence of a broken bond with the natural environment and the deities that inhabit the landscape. Karine Gagné is assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Guelph. |