Visiting the heart of India gave us the unique opportunity to experience rural villages on the out skirts of national parks. The ancient Gond & Baiga tribes are indigenous to central India. They’ve been forest dwelling aboriginals for the last 20,000 yrs. These tribal communities share space and resources of the forest with tigers and other wild species, the communities’ skills traditionally lie in an intimate knowledge of plants and animals. Apart from farming, many locals now work as park guides or at lodges around the national park. Through the music, dance, food, and stories of the communities that coexist with the jungle, I came away with a deeper understanding of India’s wild heart.