Both indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage are critical resources that provide social identity, environmental management and cultural continuity for tribal communities. Although scholars give increasing importance to indigenous knowledge, there is still insufficient empirical evidence regarding the role of youth in preserving and transmitting this knowledge in the tribal areas of Alluri Sitarama Raju District of Andhra Pradesh. This research examined the functions of the tribal youth in preserving the indigenous systems of knowledge and protecting cultural heritage within their communities. More specifically, this research documented indigenous knowledge in the fields of traditional agriculture, ecological resource management, rituals and festivals, oral traditions, food and community practices and the modes of transmitting this knowledge from generation to generation. The research utilized a qualitative ethnographic design, which involved collecting information via in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, key informant interviews, and photographic documentation among tribal youth, village heads, teachers, and community leaders from Bagata, Valmiki, Porja, Gadaba, Kotiya, Mali, Konda Kammara, as well as different tribal societies classified based on region. The outcomes of thematic analysis showed that indigenous knowledge is widely incorporated in everyday life of the community and is transmitted in the process of participating in the activities associated with agriculture, using forest resources, conducting rituals, telling stories, helping in community work, and attending seasonal celebrations. Tribal youth support the preservation of cultural heritage through learning from the elderly people, participating in traditional doses of performances, working according to indigenous methods of environmental knowledge, and engaging in performing various rituals. However, the participants pointed out that there are various emerging challenges for the continuity of knowledge, such as the decreasing application of indigenous languages, migration, changes in livelihood strategies, and the lack of opportunities for communication between generations. Nonetheless, the results of the study demonstrated that tribal youth perform the functions of the cultural heritage custodians.
The study concludes that the preservation of indigenous knowledge depends upon strengthening community-based learning, intergenerational engagement, and culturally responsive heritage initiatives that recognize young people as central actors in sustaining tribal cultural heritage.