Category Archives: Quotes

Video | Through the Eye of the Ancestors: Historical Adivasi photo exhibition curated by a member of the Rathwa community – Gujarat

View the full video here >> Image: Bhil husband and wife: 1953, Fürer-Haimendorf Collection (SOAS Library PPMS19_6_BHIL_0142) | More information >> Your ancestors and my ancestors existed together; therefore, we should also be together and live happily. – Muja Ratwa Source: subtitles … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, History, Homes and utensils, Maps, Modernity, Museum collections - general, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Seasons and festivals, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Video resources - external, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off

Health and nutrition: Creating awareness among Adivasi children – Tamil Nadu

To read the entire report and view more photos, click here >> In the 1980s, the tribal people in our region came together and set up a group called the AMS. At that time malnutrition was a serious problem among tribal people … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Customs, Health and nutrition, Organizations, Quotes, Storytelling, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off

Subscribing to the Gandhian way of life – Gujarat

I have often heard it said by some of the tribal activists that Gandhi had no take on the Girijans (his term for Adivasis). However, during my twenty years of work among Adivasis in Gujarat, I find a number of community … Continue reading

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Nirmala Putul: A Santal poet questioning ‘development’ and ‘progress’ in modern civilization

Mountain Child by Nirmala Putul The mountain child — a fragment of the mountain — plays in the lap of the mountain Toddling up the mountain he plants his feet in the mountain soil to rise like a mountain in … Continue reading

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Mahasweta Devi: A model in which activism and writing can reflect upon each other

Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in the city of Dacca in East Bengal (modern day Bangladesh). As an adolescent, she and her family moved to West Bengal in India. Born into a literary family, Mahasweta Devi was also influenced … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, History, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Women | Comments Off

Linking cultures, fostering environmental responsibility: World Sparrow Day – Nagercoil

A successful House Sparrow Project by S S Davidson The House Sparrow is strongly associated with human habitations, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human … Continue reading

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Tip | Search articles on tribal history, politics and literature on Ramachandra Guha’s website

Type “adivasi”, “tribal”, “Mahasweta Devi”, “Verrier Elwin”, the name of place or a tribal community or similar combinations of words in the the Quick Search field seen on Ramachandra Guha’s website >> Guha’s books include a pioneering environmental history, The … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Colonial policies, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Internet, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Seasons and festivals, Tips, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Academy of Tribal Learning: Ramachandra Guha on its inauguration by writer-activist Mahasweta Devi – Gujarat

In the first week of February 2002, I got a call from the writer Mahasweta Devi. I had met Mahasweta only once—in a boarding house in Delhi where we both happened to be staying—but knew, of course, a great deal about … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Education and literacy, Languages and linguistic heritage, Museum collections - India, Names and communities, Organizations, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Early Buddhist Sanghas valued outlook of tribal society: Democratic functioning, gender equality and knowledge of medicinal plants

Lobsan Payat (Newsfinder.org) Posted by Anandajoti on Tuesday, 19th October, 2010 Adivasi traditions and practices pervade all aspects of Indian culture and civilization, yet this awareness is often lacking in popular consciousness, and the extent and import of Adivasi contributions … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Names and communities, Quotes, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Egalitarian culture leaves Adivasi youth unprepared for competition: On the challenge of balancing tradition and modernity

Boro Baski is a teacher and social worker with the community-based organisation Ghosaldanga Adibasi Seva Sangha in West Bengal. Read the entire article >> Boro Baski, 13/05/2013 The young generation of India’s tribal communities is struggling with different problems than the college-educated urban … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Assimilation, Commentary, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Western India’s cotton-growing and -dyeing technologies traced to Indus Valley civilization

  The western region consists of the desert states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh. [...] The region is home to a wide variety of people with different religious ‘s and … Continue reading

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Fashion, History, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Women | Tagged , | Comments Off

Indigenous Peoples of the World: National Consortium of Tribal Arts and Culture – Gujarat

The term indigenous peoples is the term used here in connection with all ethnic groups inhabiting a geographic region with which they have the earliest historic connections, before colonization or annexation and who have maintained a distinct language, culture and … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Museum collections - India, Organizations, Quotes, Resources, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Call for respect to indigenous peoples and an end to gender discrimination: India’s first National Dalit and Adivasi Women’s Congress

Dalit and Adivasi Women Warriors Question Caste and Gender Oppression Sujatha Surepally | Read the entire report with more photos >> (Impressions from the first National Dalit and Adivasi Women’s Congress held on February 15-16, 2013, at Tata Institute of Social … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Community facilities, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Women | Comments Off

Slideshow | Celebrating the Adibasi Baha Parab Flower festival 2013 – West Bengal

Photos: courtesy Boro Baski, Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust © 2013 About three thousand people from several villages took part in this year’s Santal flower festival celebrations. The Ashadullapur Gramin Silpa & Sastha Bidhan Kendra, the crafts training centre founded by Sanyasi Lohar … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Economy and development, Games and leisure time, Homes and utensils, Languages and linguistic heritage, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Tagore and rural culture, Tribal elders, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Publications by social anthropologist Prof. Carol Upadhya, School of Social Sciences Bangalore: land rights and adivasi politics in Jharkhand

Carol Upadhya, a social anthropologist, is Professor in the School of Social Sciences [Bangalore]. Prof. Upadhya is Co-director of an international collaborative research programme entitled ‘Provincial Globalisation: The Impact of Reverse Transnational Flows in India’s Regional Towns’, and is Co-Anchor … Continue reading

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Indigenous communities’ decisions on traditional lands and habitats to be respected, based on information provided in a language accessible to them: Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights – Odisha (Orissa)

Amnesty International, 18 April 2013 India: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a great victory for indigenous rights Today’s ruling by India’s Supreme Court that the Indigenous (Adivasi) communities will have the final decision on plans for a bauxite mine by a subsidiary … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi, Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Video | Trailer to “Have you seen the arana?” – Kerala

“The stories of ancestors and their discoveries give the film a mystical quality and work like a poetic refrain” – Review by Bikas Mishra >>

Posted in Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Health and nutrition, Maps, Modernity, Networking, Quotes, Storytelling, Video resources - external, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Women | Comments Off

Indigenous Knowledge: “The country can learn much from the beauty of Adivasi social practices, their culture of sharing and respect for all”

Backgrounder on Adivasis in South India (October 2009) | Read the entire page >> Adivasis The term “Adivasis” (original inhabitants) refers to the Indigenous Peoples of India who possess distinct identities and cultures often linked to certain territories. The term is … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Colonial policies, Customs, Gandhian social movement, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Organizations, Quotes | Comments Off

Tip | Watch an educational video on ecowalkthetalk.com: Appreciating and sustaining India’s biodiversity

To view video contents on ecology and more, select a topic under Multimedia Biodiversity Development Sustainable agriculture and more … Eco WALK the Talk is a non-profit environmental website with an Asia focus. We cover eco news and insights, offer green … Continue reading

Posted in Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Globalization, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Tips, Video resources - external, Women | Comments Off

Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes) are the largest tribal population in the world – World Directory of Minorities

From “Adivasis of India” (dated 2008) | Read the full article >> Alternative names: Scheduled Tribes, various tribal names e.g. Santhals, Hos, Mundas, Oraons, Gonds, Konds, Bhils etc. [...] The Adivasis (original inhabitants) is the collective name used for the many tribal … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

National Food Security Bill (National Food Security Bill Act), 2013 – Govt. of India

Excerpt from the “revised version, as tabled in Parliament, 22 March 2013″ It extends to the whole of India [...] Schedule III (See section 39) (1) “Revitalisation of Agriculture” – (a) agrarian reforms through measures for securing interest of small and marginal farmers; … Continue reading

Posted in Democracy, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Quotes, Women | Comments Off

Film review of “Have you seen the Arana?”: Award winning documentary feature on Wayanad’s treasure trove of flora and fauna – Kerala

Bikas Mishra | Sunday, April 21st, 2013 Bikas Mishra writes about Sunanda Bhat’s documentary feature which won the John Abraham Award recently | Read the entire review here >> The Adiya people of Wayanad believe that their goddess has turned into the … Continue reading

Posted in Eco tourism, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Film, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Storytelling | Tagged | Comments Off

Bushmen, the original people of southern Africa, regain the right to live on their ancestral lands – Botswana

A celebration of the Bushmen’s historic court victory against their expulsion from their ancestral lands, weaving together photos and testimonies showing their profound connection to their homelands. The Bushmen are the original people of southern Africa. They can uniquely claim … Continue reading

Posted in Accountability, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Economy and development, History, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Adivasi Religion and Society Network (ARS): Encouraging communication and collaboration among scholars from all disciplines interested in religion and society among adivasi people

Reflections Why a Network for Adivasi Religions and Societies? Gregory Alles, October 11, 2011. When I first became interested in adivasis and adivasi religions several years ago, I started looking around for scholars of religious studies who were interested in … Continue reading

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Learning how to use video in rural education: A documentary made by Adivasi pupils in Gudalur (Nilgiri mountains) – Tamil Nadu

Recently we learnt how to shoot and edit films using video cameras and softwares, and now we are doing interviews with the people in our villages. Teachers and pupils of the school run by the Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya Trust belong to all … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Education and literacy, Games and leisure time, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Storytelling, Video resources - external, Websites by tribal communities, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Tagged , , , | Comments Off