Category Archives: Languages and linguistic heritage

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

Lending a voice to the nation’s indigenous population: Adivaani, a trust that publishes books written by Adivasis – Jharkhand and West Bengal

Garima Mishra, Indian Express New Delhi, Sat Apr 27 2013 | Read the full article >> “Why don’t we have an Adivasi voice?”, “Why don’t we have a ‘for and by’ Adivasi publishing house?”, “Where is the authentic Adivasi narrative?” … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal culture worldwide | 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

Video | Hul Sengel: The Spirit of the Santal Revolution (1855) – Jharkhand

Watch a film produced on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Santal Hul ["Santal revolution" of 1855-56] >> Director and Producer: Daniel J. Rycroft, University of East Anglia Co-Director: Joy Raj Tudu (Indian Confederation of Indigenous & Tribal People) Co-Producer: D. … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Colonial policies, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Media portrayal, Music and dance, Names and communities, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Tribal identity, Video resources - external, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Call for providing children’s literature in Jharkhand’s endangered tribal languages: Sahitya Akademi’s seminar – Ranchi

The Telegraph, Kolkata, November 28 , 2012 Eight languages spoken by tribals of Jharkhand are among the world’s endangered list of 1,763, including 171 in India, according to a Unesco report. In this context, Sahitya Akademi, which hosted a two-day … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood and children, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Globalization, Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Modernity, Organizations, Press snippets | 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

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

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

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

Adivaani Trust: Kolkata-based publishing house for Adivasi literature – West Bengal

Call for Support: Adivaani—Publishing the Adivasi Voice Adivaani is a new publishing house from Kolkata, which describes itself as a response to the  endangered Adivasi cultural and historical heritage. For long, mainstre am publishing in India has neglected the documentation and publication … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Education and literacy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Organizations, Resources, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Akshara experiment and book – The wealth of India’s crafts combined with linguistic diversity

View the Caravan Magazine’s slideshow with explanations and picture credit here >> By Devina Dutt,  Caravan Magazine,  1 February 2013 [...] The Akshara experiment, carried out over five years, brought together 58 artists in crafts, textiles and traditional paintings on a journey … Continue reading

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Education and literacy, Gandhian social movement, Globalization, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets | Comments Off

An indigenous film industry for large indigenous populations: ‘Jhollywood’ tells the stories of modern Adivasis in Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Manipur

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 26, Dated July 3, 2010 Jhollywood is calling Forget the faux tribals grunting in Raavan. Jharkhand has its own film industry, made by Adivasi filmmakers for Adivasi viewers, says G VISHNUIS BEERA Formula for … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Film, Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets, Storytelling | Comments Off

Conference on unrecognized languages: Bhasha Research Centre – Gujarat

The Indian Express, Vadodara, Thu Feb 18 2010 Come March, and the city’s linguistic diversity will increase manifold, though for a few days. [...] People speaking as many as 250 languages, which are not recognised by the Indian constitution, will … Continue reading

Posted in Government of India, Languages and linguistic heritage, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets | Tagged | Comments Off

Māori language schools, radio stations, and television channel & Language Week – New Zealand

A language revives Māori language school class >> Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week. This is a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Māori (the Māori language) and to use more Māori phrases … Continue reading

Posted in Audio resources - external, Community facilities, Customs, Democracy, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Media portrayal, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Tribal culture worldwide | Comments Off

Video | Learning from one another: An international exchange programme “for a new future for the Ainu people” – Japan

In January 2012, a Maori leader, Te Ururoa Flavell visited Ainumosir (Hokkaido) and Tokyo and witnessed the work Ainu people are doing in their communities to revitalize their culture, language, and rights. He immediately suggested that Ainu youth come to … Continue reading

Posted in Assimilation, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Dress and ornaments, Figures, census and other statistics, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide, Video resources - external | Comments Off

Adivaani “the Adivasi voice”: A publishing house for India’s indigenous population – West Bengal

June 12, 2012 Who is adivaani Ruby Hembrom I believe not everyone is meant to do just one thing in life, I certainly am not. My 8 years of work experience in the Legal field, the Service Industry, the Social Development … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Names and communities, Networking, Quotes, Storytelling, Women | Tagged | Comments Off

Tribal languages face extinction as “young people want to be part of the mainstream culture” – Uttarakhand

Tip: for more information on the work of the “Central Institute of Indian Languages” and “Bharat Bhasha Vikas Yojana” mentioned in this article, use Google custom search – Indian press coverage of tribal culture; click Search select periodicals >> Excerpts from The Telegraph, … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural heritage, Figures, census and other statistics, Globalization, Government of India, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Modernity, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Tagore and rural culture, Tribal elders | Tagged , | Comments Off

On the experience of translating Rabindranath Tagore’s Raktakarabi into Santali: Lecture by Boro Baski – West Bengal

Left to right: Prof. Dhoneswar Majhi, Dr. Boro Baski, Subhas Mukherjee (research scholar Visva-Bharati), his wife, Mrs. Chandni Mukherjee (high school teacher) and Mrs. Didimoni Hansda (high school teacher) 

Posted in Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Storytelling, Tagore and rural culture, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Early appreciation for the city’s Indigenous heritage: Kaurna Language in Adelaide – Australia

Kaurna Language in the City of Adelaide – Read the entire article here >> Kaurna is the language Indigenous to Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains. When Adelaide was first established Kaurna was a vibrant language spoken by the original inhabitants … Continue reading

Posted in Colonial policies, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | Comments Off

Locations of dialects, languages, and language families – Linguistic Survey of India map collection

The LL-MAP team is happy to announce the completion of the digital adaptation of the Linguistic Survey of India map collection. This important series of maps was a survey of the languages of British India, conducted in the first several decades of the 20th century … Continue reading

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Tip | A Digital Library of Language Relationships: searchable database and maps – multitree.org

Search information and create a customized map on multitree.org/search (e.g. Gondi, Santali) >> A customized map showing the distribution of the Santali created on multitree.org MultiTree is a project of The LINGUIST List to create and present a digital library of scholarly hypotheses about language relationships and … Continue reading

Posted in Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Maps, Names and communities, Networking, Quotes, Tips | Tagged , | Comments Off

Video | Hanmi: A Treasure Trove of Oral Heritage – Karnataka

Published on Oct 13, 2012 Hanmi is the one of the few artists who has mastered the oral epic songs and other verbal art. She belongs to Gamokkalu tribe from Uttara Kannada district Karnataka. Sadly now Hanmi is the only … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Childhood and children, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Homes and utensils, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Music and dance, Names and communities, Organizations, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Video resources - external, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

“The Experience of Translating Raktakarabi”: Special Lecture at Visva-Bharati by Dr. Boro Baski – West Bengal

VISVA-BHARATI Department of Santhali and Patha Chakra jointly present Special Lecture by Dr. Boro Baski Principal, Rolfschoembs Vidyashram (A Non formal Santhal School) On “The Experience of Translating Raktakarabi” 23 February 2013, Saturday,  at 4.00 p.m at the Central Library … Continue reading

Posted in Education and literacy, Languages and linguistic heritage, Organizations, Quotes, Tagore and rural culture | Tagged | Comments Off

Video | Politicians unite on Indigenous recognition vote: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the first inhabitants – Australia

Julia Gillard says a referendum on constitutional change to recognise Indigenous people is important work for a new generation. Watch the video here >> Source: PM laments ‘unhealed wound’ of Indigenous Australia – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Address : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-13/pm-laments–unhealed-wound-of-indigenous-australia/4516284 … Continue reading

Posted in Democracy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Quotes, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity, Video resources - external | Comments Off

Community-based volunteer-run radio station: a tool for revitalizing languages – Cultural Survival

Listen to flute player Robert Mirabal of Taos Pueblo who shares his thoughts on music in Native American culture – Living Voices Track 2 >> Language experts believe that 90% of the world’s estimated 6,000 languages could disappear entirely by the end of … Continue reading

Posted in Audio resources - external, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Music and dance, Networking, Organizations, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Storytelling, Tribal culture worldwide, Websites by tribal communities | Comments Off