Nāgas in North America: Ecology, Colonialism, and the Limits of Tibetan Buddhist Practice in Diaspora

Despite their localized nature, North American Tibetan Buddhist communities have begun adapting indigenous Tibetan mountain deity (yul lha) and nāga (Tib. klu) practices to the American landscape. This article will explore some of the potentials and limitations of transplanting place-based religious practices through two lenses: ecology and colonialism. It will begin by analyzing several examples of how Tibetan Buddhists in North America are adapting these practices yul lha and nāga practices to the North American landscape. It will then think through some of the positive ecological consequences of North American nāga pūjās and consider how indigenous Tibetan approaches to sustainability may be imported alongside these religious practices. Finally, this article will think through the complicated dynamics of a diaspora community populating their new landscape with imported religious deities and consider the neocolonial limitations of nāga practice in its ability to work towards socioecological justice.