Tables of content

Serial No

Pages
No

1.0

Abstract

2.0

Introduction

3.0

Myths

3.1

A part of belief but not true.

3.2

Religion

3.3

Social regulation

11

4.0

The characteristics of myths

11

5.0

The work of myths is basically four types

12

6.0

Environmental regulations

13

7.0

Emphasis on indigenous knowledge to make laws

13

8.0

Conclusion

18

Bibliography

19

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1.0 Abstract:
Environmental regulation or law is pervaded by myths i.e. Assumptions that are inaccurate,
misleading, or false. These myths arise in various contexts, ranging from wetlands mitigation
schemes and pollution credit trading programs to legal regimes premised on the concept of
sustainability. This Article explores several myths of environmental regulation, their origins,
and their roles. While political reasons explain in part the creation and prevalence of these
myths, more is at work behind these myths than mere politics or failures to implement the
law. The myths of environmental law facilitate the management of ecologically complex
systems by providing a reductionist account of them. Beyond that, these myths serve
important expressive functions in communicating social attitudes and values, legitimating
social institutions and practices, and maintaining social solidarity. Awareness of myths role
in environmental law can enable society to address legal shortcomings that are thereby
revealed and to reject or replace those myths that undermine environmental laws goals.

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2.0 Introduction:
Men who don`t believe myths easily destroy myths .they don`t only destroy myths but also
environment or nature. How much are indigenous people related to environment or nature
understanding from chief Seallte`s letter to the President in Washington(1852).Myths have been
playing a higher and very effective role for environmental preservation long ago before laws
started its course. Myths also keep role for the creation of environmental regulations. It is arguable
that myths and cultures have a deeper root in society and they are often used to evaluate other
relevant discourses. More contextually, laws for their validity and efficacy require a cultural
legitimacy, but conversely, culture does not claim its legitimacy from law .this theoretically gives
culture upper hand than law. The stories, the myths are relevantly close to people at the grass root
level, to whom pleas of laws are almost alien and less than persuasive.
The existence of indigenous cultures preserves the forest. These people have been living in forests
from time immemorial, and the forests are still intact implies they know and practice living the
forest by maintaining a harmony with the nature .their beliefs also support them .for an adiva in
some cases, to cut a living tree for timber is relatively difficult, as many of them believe that souls
of their ancestors live therein.

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3.0 Myths:
The word myth derives from the Greek mythos, which originally means ``word ``and ``speech``
through stories to fiction, the unquestioned validity of mythos can be contrasted with logos, the
word whose validity or truth can be argued and demonstrated. Because myths narrate fantastic
events with no attempt at proof, it is sometimes assumed that they are simply stories with no factual
basis. It means an ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining in a literary way the early
history of a group of people or about natural events and facts or an idea or history that is believed
by many people but that is not true.
Myths also include

A part of work

A Part of belief which is not truth.

Stories

Social regulation

Religion

Not all myths are linked with a ritual, not all myths are about gods, not all concern a time out side
of the historical time but in modern some is reality or symbolic narratives.
``Everything is us that is not transferred by national knowledge belongs to myth, which is the
spontaneous defense of human mind faced with an unintelligible or hostile world.to child cut off
from its mother`s reassuring presence the universe takes on a menacing shape, moonbeams and
the rattling wind conjure up evil begins .to picture them give a name to them and call them angels
or fairies, is a way making them favorable from the stand and of gaining influence over by them
drawing them else. Even at this elementary stage as it is spontaneously born in the infant mind,
the myth is not fundamentally religion, the spirits of woods light and water are not divinities, only
presence capable of influence in spheres over which we have no held .the relationship that we
supposed them to with ourselves allows us to influence them by persuasion, prayer and magical
constraint and that is how we extent and protract our influences over the world. `` ( Larousee World
Mythology, by Pierre Grimal. page -9)

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3.1 A part of belief which is not true:

Most of the people we interviewed in this study valued traditional knowledge in relation to early
warning and coping mechanisms for natural disasters. Only a few self-confident young people who
were accustomed to the use of transport vehicles said that they rely mainly on radio weather
forecasts rather than on local methods of anticipating weather events. Indigenous knowledge
systems have enabled the various communities in the area to live in harmony with their
environments for generations, and that their traditional knowledge systems are important tools in
environmental conservation and natural disaster management. Based on this traditional knowledge
and peoples long-standing experiences concerning cloud formation, lightning wind direction,
occurrence of rains in a particular period of the lunar calendar, the Indigenous rain forecasters
predict the reasonably exact nature of rainfall for the entire season, including good and undesired
effects (e.g., flooding, droughts). There are well known Sutras given in the ancient books to predict
the monsoon and inform people about prospects of agriculture in a given year. Even in villages it
is very common for farmers to consult Brahmans about the monsoon in a year. Monsoon
predictions are also made according to the nature, colour, and direction of flow of clouds and
lightning in the clouds. In the prediction that a particular year is likely to be a drought year, the
nature of clouds is described as follows: There would neither be prosperity nor rain in the land
should the clouds be rough and small, tossed about by the wind have the shape of camels, corms,
dead bodies, monkeys or other inauspicious creatures, and be silent. (Indigenous knowledge for
Disaster Risk Reduction in South Asia).
The tribal peoples of Rajasthan face many natural hazards, but the major ones are drought and
floods; these invariably cause famine, food insecurity and poverty. However, the people have
developed a variety of measures to contend with these situations, such as growing drought-resistant
and early-maturing indigenous crop varieties, gathering a diversity of wild fruits and vegetables,
wetlands cultivation, livestock diversifying and splitting, that have enabled them to survive
climatic hazards independently, with little or no support from the outside world. The people are
well aware of the disasters they face and in most cases had the knowledge and administrative
structures, or social institutions to cope with them. Some of the predictions in climate using
indigenous knowledge are mentioned as:

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Indigenous knowledge of the tribals forecasting climate:

1. Ficus species: Flowering and generation of new leaves indicates near rainfall onset.
2. Butterfly: Appearance of many butterflies indicate early rainfall onset and also
gives a prospect of good season.
3. Ants: Appearance of ants indicate imminent rainfall onset and signifies a prospect
for good season
4. Termites: Appearance of many termites indicates near rainfall onset.
5. Frogs: When frogs start to make a lot noise, it indicates near rainfall on
In the local area within farmers, they believe the following khaner bachans which are not scientific
truth but they contain belief. They predict for good crops and good time for growing crops.
,

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, ,

3.2 Religion:
Indigenous people believe many gods or goddess. They think that everything of nature is god or
goddess. For this belief they do cut trees and other things which are helped for conservation of
environment. We see myths where Greek myths was clearly connected with religious they believe
god or goddess for instance, Hephaestus which was the god of fire and Gaia which was the mother
earth.in the Hindu myths where they worship many trees and other nature.

Greek myths and environment:

The first Greek god was actually a goddess. She is Gaia, or Mother Earth, who created herself out
of primordial chaos. From her fertile womb all life sprang, and unto Mother Earth all living things
must return after their allotted span of life is over. Gaia, as Mother Nature, personifies the entire
ecosystem of Planet Earth. Mother Nature is always working to achieve and maintain harmony,
wholeness and balance within the environment. Mother Nature heals, nurtures and supports all life
on this planet, and ultimately all life and health depend on her. In time, Nature heals all ills. The
way of Mother Gaia is the passive, feminine, Yin way of healing. All we need to do to regain our
health is to return to the bosom of Mother Nature and live in accordance with her laws. The Gaia
archetype underlies all notions of the Nature Cure. Mother Nature is a healing goddess.

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Indian myths and environment:

Although human beings are seen as the most intelligent life form on earth, they are responsible for
almost all the damage done to the planet. If we imagined the earth is aged 46, all the damage done
has taken place in the last 60 seconds of the earth's life. Hinduism is very concerned with the
relationship between humanity and the environment. Karma teaches that resources in the world
become scarce because people use them for their own ends. People should use the
world unselfishly in order to maintain the natural balance and to repay God for the gifts he has
given. For, so sustained by sacrifice, the gods will give you the food of your desire. Whoso enjoys
their gift, yet gives nothing, is a thief, no more nor less.
Trees are treated with great respect because it is the most important type of plant life and, like all
living things, has an atman (soul).If there is but one tree of flowers and fruit within a village, that
place is worthy of your respect.

The Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya is believed to be the sacred fig tree under which the Buddha attained
enlightenment. It is worshipped by Buddhists. The sacred fig is also venerated in Hinduism and
Jainism

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The god Krishna compares the whole of the world with the banyan tree because it is so large and
provides a home for many different creatures. The concept of ahimsa non-violence and respect for
life prevents a Hindu from causing harm to any creature, and therefore, many Hindus
are vegetarian. In India, Hindus take an active part in checking government schemes which might
damage the environment, such as the building of large-scale dams which could cause the rivers to
flood, destroying precious land and animals. The universe is the divine creation, and must be
honored in all its parts. Animals and plants, mountains and rivers, all form part of the earth, and
many are worshipped for the noble qualities they possess. Cows, for example are so highly revered
that killing of them is banned and those that no longer produce milk are retired, not slaughtered
and special sanctuaries called goshallas have been created for them.

Native Americans and environment:

Native Americans in the 19th century were very religious people but their spiritual beliefs were
quite different from those of the new settlers on the Great Plains. Although early European settlers
in America decided that Native Americans had no religion, the opposite was true. In fact Native
Americans were very religious.
Although many Native Americans believed in a great spirit - called Wakan Tanka - their religion
was animistic. It was based on the desire to appease 'the spirits', which they did in a variety of
ways.

When a young man came of age, he would take part in a ceremony which involved
fasting, self-harm, going into a trance and seeing an animal that was a spirit friend.

One of these ceremonies the Sun Dance featured a structure with a central pole
signifying the sun, from which the young men hung themselves by their nipples.

Native Americans believed that spirits caused the harsh weather of the Plains, as
well as illness. They thought that 'medicine men' could speak to these spirits, and
ask for their help.

They performed the Mandan Buffalo Dance, which they thought would bring
buffalo to them.

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1886 engraving showing Cree Indians performing a Sun or Thirst Dance.

Native Americans were true lovers of nature. They believed that humankind ought to live in a way
to fit in with nature. They especially loved the land, which they called their 'mother'.
Native Americans thought that:
a) Land was put here by the Great Spirit to support mankind.
b) Land did not and could not belong to any one person.
c) Land belonged to all the creatures.
d) Land could not be sold.
e) Land should be venerated because the ancestors were buried there.
f) Land was beautiful and should be enjoyed by all.
g) Land was eternal and imperishable.
h) Spirits lived in the earth and it was unwise to anger them.

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3.3 Social regulations:

If

we see indigenous people s culture and social-economic

and religious situation and

environment in hill track areas and other districts in Bangladesh, they obey some restriction which
is called as a regulation ,it may be social regulation where ancestors of them followed this
regulation.in the Garo society to see matriarch .it is not regulated by law but only regulated by
social regulation.
The anthropologist or sociologist will properly study a myth as the expression of social ethos for
e.g. Sumerian myth of innanna perhaps indicate a matriarchal tradition whereas narcissus and
hyacinth might suggest a practice of ritual human sacrifice. (The world of myth, oxford university
press, 1990, by David Adams leeming)

4.0 Characteristics of myths:

1. Myth is an established link between the past and present.
``Bronislaw Malinowski described it thus ,myth as it exists in a savage community
,that is ,in its living primitive from ,is rest merely a story told but a reality world .it is
not of the nature of fiction ,such as we need today in a novel ,but it is a living reality,
believed to have once happened in primeval times and continuing ever since to
influence the world and human destinies .these stories live not by idle interest .not as
fictions or even as tree narrative but are to the natives a statement of a primeval
greater and more relevant reality by which the present life ,fates and activities of
mankind are determined the knowledge of which supplies man with the motive for
ritual and moral action as well as with indication as to how to perform them.``(myth
in primitive psychology ,London 1926,pp-21,39)
2. Sometimes: the narrative aspect of a significant ritual core narrative of most important
religious practices of society; fundamentally connected to belief system, sometimes
the source of rituals.

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3. Its explanatory and etiological aspect of myth is also from history, philosophy,
theology, or science. Myths helped early societies understand such phenomena as the
movement across the sky and changing of the season as well as such event mystery as
the creation and the nature of the gods. Myths also served as the basis for ritual by
which the ways of humanity and those of nature could be psychologically reconciled
many of those myths and rituals are still operative in the world`s religion.
4. Characters are often non-human e.g. gods, goddesses, supernatural beings, first
people.
5. Literature that it is a mean of extending mythology. That is literary works may be
regarded as mythopoeic tending to create or recreate certain narratives which human
being to be crucial to their understanding of the world. Thus cultural and literary
criticism may involve mythography or the interpretation of myth, given that mythic is
an important dimension of cultural and literary experience. (myth, London 1997
laurence coupe ,page 4)

5.0 The work of myths is basically four types:

1. ``Transcendental work: what is surprise! What is earth! You think that things to
get some fear in the myths ,
2. Cosmic dimension: you know everything and discovery by the science.
3. Socialist work: myths are different from space to space, community to community
and society to society .where polygamy is myths and where monogamy is myths
.where do you live? That is dependent myths.
1. Logical matters: how do you live in the society and what is that situation? You learn
from myths.``( The Power of Myth (1988), Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers)

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6.0 Environmental Regulation:

Regulation can be presumed as law or rules and control of environment .Environmental regulation
is two concepts:
1. Conservation or preservation of environment which include law or rule or
regulation and control of environment
2. Another myth is not directly related to law but it is considered as a regulation
when indigenous knowledge is transferred to make regulation.

7.0 Emphasis on Indigenous knowledge to make laws:

Myths are very strong for protecting environment than laws or rules .in the world many countries
they are used indigenous knowledge or myths to make environmental laws.

In Bangladesh where indigenous knowledge is used for making the following Acts:
The Protection and Conservation of Act, 1950
Section: 3 stated that the government makes rule to conserve or to prevent destroying fishes,
prohibit caching fishes time to time season which knowledge is taken from fishermen who
know when fishes are laid eggs into water .

In India
A. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, 2006 in this Act many sections indigenous knowledge is applied.
Section: 3, this section includes the forest right of scheduled tribes and other traditional forest
dwellesr rights, sub-section (e), (i) and (k) (1) of section (3) where including community tenure of
habitats and habitations of primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities, to protect,
regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource which have been traditionally
protecting and conserving for sustainable use, to access biodiversity and community right to
intellectual property and traditional knowledge related to biodiversity and diversity culture.

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Section: 5(c) and (d) give to power gram Sabha and village level institutions in areas of holder of
forest to ensure that habitats scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers is preserved from
any from destructive practices affecting their cultural and natural heritages, to regulate access to
community forest resources and stop any activity which adversely affects wild animals, forest and
the biodiversity are complied with.
B. Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Preamble: Biological diversity and associated traditional and contemporary
knowledge system relating thereto.
Section: 36(5)
The Central Government shall endeavor to respect and protect the knowledge of local people
relating to biological diversity, as recommended by the National Biodiversity Authority through
such measures, which may include registration of such knowledge at the local, State or national
levels, and other measures for protection, including sui generis system.

In Zimbabwe:
The Environmental Management Act, 2002
Sections 116 (1) (I ) and (j) recognizes the need by government to protect the indigenous property
rights of indigenous communities in respect of biological diversity and to support the integration
of traditional knowledge on conservation of biological diversity with scientific knowledge. These
are progressive provisions which show that government is making legislative efforts to comply
with the international human rights framework in order to help women to access biological
diversity such as forest produce and also to use their indigenous knowledge to obtain the maximum
benefit from these resources

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The Traditional Leaders Act: Chapter 29:17

The Traditional Leaders Act gives traditional leaders powers to manage the environmental and
natural resources within their areas of jurisdiction. Section 5 deals with the duties of chiefs and
some of these duties include the following:
Ensuring that land and its natural resources are used and exploited in terms of
the law (section 5 (1) (l)).
Controlling the indiscriminate destruction of flora (plants) and fauna (animals)
(section 5 (1) (l) (iii)).
Preventing the degradation, abuse or misuse of land and natural resources in
their area (section 5 (1) (l) (iv)).
The Chiefs can delegate some or all of these duties to the Headmen or Village Heads under their
jurisdiction. This explains the active involvement of traditional leaders in environmental
management in the rural areas. In my research areas, the role of the traditional leaders was also
evident in the management of forest produce and in particular in allowing access to and defining
permissible uses of forest resources.

In Canada:
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.This act maximum sections
are taken indigenous knowledge for environmental assessment. Some sections are discussed:

Section: 4(d) this Act is the purpose to promote communication and cooperation with aboriginal
peoples with respect to environmental assessments;

Section 16.1, gives responsible authorities conducting an EA the discretion to consider Aboriginal
traditional knowledge in any EA: "Community knowledge and Aboriginal traditional
knowledge may be considered in conducting an environmental assessment.

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Sections: 5, 10 and 13 Why consider Aboriginal traditional knowledge in an Environmental

Assessment:
Aboriginal traditional knowledge is held by the Aboriginal people who live in the area of a
proposed project, and who have a long relationship with the lands and resources likely to be
affected. As such, the input of Aboriginal traditional knowledge into the Environmental
Assessment process can assist in an Environmental Assessment in many ways. For instance,
Aboriginal traditional knowledge can:

provide relevant biophysical information, including historical information, that

may otherwise have been unavailable;

help identify potential environmental effects;

lead to improved project design;

strengthen mitigation measures;

contribute to the building of enhanced long-term relationships between

proponents, Aboriginal groups, and/or responsible authorities;

lead to better decisions; and

Contribute to the building of Environmental Assessment:

And Aboriginal traditional knowledge capacity within Aboriginal communities

and build an awareness of, and appreciation for, Aboriginal traditional
knowledge in non-Aboriginal communities.

Sections: 11, 14 When can Aboriginal traditional knowledge be brought into environmental
assessments?
Aboriginal traditional knowledge can be brought into an Environmental Assessment: at any time.
For instance, in an Environmental Assessment, Aboriginal traditional knowledge can assist with:
scoping the project and the assessment;
the collection of baseline information;
consideration of the environmental effects of a project;
evaluation of environmental effects and the determination of their
significance;

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 evaluation of any cumulative environmental effects of the project;

evaluation of the effects of the environment on the project;
identification or modification of mitigation measures; and
Design and implementation of any follow-up programs.
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro
in June 1992. The conference stressed the need to develop mechanisms to protect the earth's
biodiversity. Many of the documents signed at UNCED also reflect the requirement to conserve
the knowledge of the environment that is possessed by many local communities. The resultant
Agenda 21 is the starting point for sustainable development. Agenda 21 called for major efforts to
be directed to the recording of indigenous knowledge. The United Nations system agencies, have
been responsive to these needs. In addition to the UN family, other development agencies
recognize the value of indigenous knowledge (e.g. the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR) 19.
International Conference on Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Development (September
1992, IIRR, Silang, Philippines). This conference, which was sponsored by IDRC, was the first
major international manifestation of indigenous knowledge among the development community.
.
Global Knowledge for Development 1997 (June 1997, Toronto, Canada). Organized by the
Government of Canada and the World Bank. Considerable attention given to indigenous
knowledge issues.

A regulation is a legal norm intended to shape conduct that is a byproduct of imperfection. A

regulation may be used to prescribe or proscribe conduct to calibrate incentives

or to change

preferences. In statist mechanisms it can also be extended to monitoring and enforcement of rules
as established by primary or delegated legislation. In this form, it is generally a written
instrument containing rules having the force of statist law. Other forms of regulation are selfregulation. In general, regulations are written by executive agencies as a way to enforce laws
passed by the legislature. Because of the actual or potential interference in choices, the idea of
regulation and most issues related to regulation tend to be in controversy. ``

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8.0 Conclusion:
From above discussion it is unambiguous to us that indigenous people are very careful about
environment .They think that everything of environments is so related to their souls instance the
water's murmur is the voice of my father's father. The rivers are our brothers. They quench our
thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that
you would give any brother that the earth is our mother. Those faith has very effect on environment
.They struggle for protection of environment. Maximum developed countries destroy the
environment in name of development but they are very dangerous for environment .the indigenous
people`s myths have

played very strong role for protecting environments than enforcing

environmental laws. At the present, people don`t believe myths it is why they can easily destroy
the environment .Without environment no man can live in the world. We should aware of
environment so that world is suitable place for living.

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Bibliography:
2. Larousee World Mythology, by Pierre Grimal. page -9)
3. myth in primitive psychology ,London 1926,pp-21,39)
4. The world of myth, oxford university press, 1990, by David Adams leeming)
5. myth, London 1997 laurence coupe ,page 4
6. The Power of Myth (1988), Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers
7. www.parlzim.gov.zw/index
8. www.laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/
9. www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/31/cattle-trade-brazil-greenpeaceamazon-deforestation> Accessed May 2, 2012.
10. www.greekmedicine.net/mythology/mythology.html
11. www.app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite
12. www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/myth
13. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_worship
14. www.fra.org.in/new/
15. khaner bachan, www.sabujsathi.wordpress.com
Articles:
1. Cultural values and indigenous knowledge of climate change and disaster
prediction in Rajasthan, India, By Aparna Pareek & PC Trivedi, Department
of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur

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