Abstract:
Environmental education increasingly calls for pedagogies that seek to connect ecological
knowledge to experiences, creativity, cultural memory, and ethical values. This paper
explores the pedagogical potential of Sama-Chakeva folk performance of the Mithila
region as a means of teaching environmental ethics through visual and performing
arts. The research problem addressed in this paper is the underutilization of living folk
performance traditions as pedagogical resources for sustainability and environmental
education. This study aims to identify how the artistic, seasonal, material, symbolic, and
communal features of Sama-Chakeva can facilitate experiential learning and contribute
to cultural heritage education. The study adopts a qualitative research design that relies
on secondary sources of information. The sources include research articles, books,
folklore, cultural heritage resources, and educational literature on Sama-Chakeva, folk
performance, environmental education, indigenous and traditional knowledge, and artsbased
pedagogy. The analysis reveals that clay figures, bamboo baskets, bird symbolism,
seasonal references, songs, storytelling, movement, craft, and communal participation
can be used as points of entry into biodiversity, ecological relationships, responsible
material use, respect for non-human life, community, and intergenerational knowledge.
The paper suggests a five-stage Sustainable Arts Education Model that builds from
cultural encounter, ecological inquiry, artistic creation, collaborative performance, and
ethical reflection. The study argues that Sama-Chakeva should not be used as a mere
cultural exhibit or a festival performance; instead, it should be engaged as a pedagogical
resource that connects folk knowledge, environmental ethics, creative practice, and
sustainable education. At the same time, the study notes that traditional practices should
not be presented as inherently sustainable and that future research should explore the
perspectives of performers, teachers, and students.
