Human Torso and Serpent Coils: Indigenous Onto-Epistemologies, Pictographs, and Environmental Issues in North-Western Yunnan Province (P.R.C.).

This article examines the intersections of indigenous onto-epistemologies, heritage, and sustainability governance in north-western Yunnan, with a focus on the dongba culture of the Naxi people. It situates the analysis within China’s broader environmental context, where severe pollution has prompted Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization agenda, even as local development policies prioritize heritage tourism consumption. By tracing the entanglements among tangible heritage, intangible knowledge, and policy frameworks, the article foregrounds the cultural, ethical, and ecological dimensions of environmental stewardship. Through this lens, the Naxi case is positioned within wider debates in anthropology and sustainability studies on contemporary socio-ecological challenges, particularly the integration of indigenous knowledge into science- and technology-driven environmental management.