This study examines how Naga beliefs shape community learning, cultural continuity and environmental sustainability in rural communities in northeastern Thailand. It explores Naga beliefs not only as spiritual traditions but also as lived knowledge systems through which communities teach values, transmit stories and rituals across generations, and guide relationships with rivers, lakes and other culturally meaningful environments.
The study used a qualitative ethnographic design with an interpretive case study approach. Data were collected in Chumphon Subdistrict, Phon Phisai District, Nong Khai Province, through semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document analysis. The sample included 22 participants: ten elders, seven cultural leaders and five younger community members. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis, supported by narrative analysis and triangulation across interviews, observations and documentary materials.
The findings show that Naga beliefs support informal community learning through storytelling, ritual participation and intergenerational guidance. They also sustain cultural continuity by reinforcing collective memory, shared identity and the renewal of local traditions, including through the Naga Fireball Festival. In addition, Naga beliefs are linked to environmental stewardship, especially in relation to rivers, lakes and other water-related places. The study also found both tensions and opportunities in integrating local knowledge into formal education.
This study is based on a qualitative case study in specific rural communities in northeastern Thailand and is therefore contextually grounded rather than statistically generalizable. The research also worked within ethical limits because not all cultural knowledge was appropriate for public discussion; accordingly, the analysis focused on non-sensitive and community-approved forms of representation. These limitations suggest the value of further comparative and longitudinal research on local belief systems, education and sustainability in other contexts.
The findings suggest that educators and curriculum designers can incorporate Naga-related stories, place-based lessons, community-based modules and classroom visits by elders or cultural leaders into local learning. Heritage practitioners can support living heritage through ritual spaces, participation and locally controlled representation. Environmental planners and local authorities can strengthen conservation efforts by working with communities whose stewardship values are shaped by long-standing cultural beliefs linked to rivers, lakes and other significant places.
The study highlights the social value of recognizing local belief systems as resources for learning, identity, cultural continuity and environmental responsibility. Supporting intergenerational storytelling, ritual participation and culturally responsive education can strengthen community cohesion and help younger generations maintain meaningful connections with local traditions. The findings also suggest that linking conservation to local cultural values may improve public participation and reinforce the social sustainability of environmental management.
The article offers a context-specific contribution by showing how Naga beliefs function simultaneously as a source of community learning, a mechanism of cultural continuity and a framework for environmental stewardship in rural northeastern Thailand. It also adds methodological value by combining ethnographic fieldwork, thematic analysis and narrative analysis to show how belief operates in everyday life. The study contributes to wider debates on local knowledge, living cultural traditions and culturally grounded sustainability practices.
