Category Archives: Anthropology

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

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

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

Tip | Publication: The Politics of Belonging in India: Becoming Adivasi

edited by Daniel J Rycroft, Sangeeta Dasgupta (2011) Source: The Politics of Belonging in India: Becoming Adivasi – Google Books Address : http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z_Pe0z1ta_8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false Date Visited: Mon May 13 2013 18:24:39 GMT+0200 (CEST) Related posts Adivasi Colonial policies History Literature and bibliographies … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, De- and re-tribalisation, History, Literature and bibliographies, Names and communities, Resources, Tips, Tribal identity | Tagged , | Comments Off

Seminar on the issue of trans-border Asia’s trans-border communities: Struggling to preserve their social and cultural characteristics – National Atlas & Thematic Mapping Organisation

Ipsita Pati, The Hindu, Kolkata, February 24, 2013 Tribal groups have to relocate themselves to create new identities or merge with bigger nations as an adaptive strategy to preserve their inherited social and cultural characteristics, said National Atlas & Thematic Mapping … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Government of India, History, Modernity, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity | 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

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, History, Literature and bibliographies, 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

Memories of life in a remote Bhil hamlet on the Narmada river: “poor but not impoverished” – Maharashtra

Simple ways of life Yoginder Sikand, Dec 23, 2012 : Reflections It was almost three decades ago and I have only very hazy memories of the trip. We, a batch of university students, accompanied our Anthropology professor to a remote tribal … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Commentary, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Dress and ornaments, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Press snippets, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Book review: A Rogue and Peasant Slave by Shashank Kela

STAN THEKAEKARA, Indian Express, 5-1-2013 The Nine Per Cent An incisive account of adivasi survival, from colonial risings to contemporary insurgencies IS IT an anthropological study by an academic, a textbook by a historian, a political polemic by an activist … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, Forest Rights Act (FRA), History, Misconceptions, Names and communities, Press snippets, Storytelling | Tagged | Comments Off

Shivaratri celebrations by the Kota community in the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

View a video and two slideshows taken during Shivaratri, the main annual festival celebtrated by the Kota community Video | Kota women’s dance Video | Kota dance Slideshow | Kota dance and music Slideshow | Kota game More videos, slideshows and background information provided … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Childhood and children, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Games and leisure time, Literature and bibliographies, Maps, Music and dance, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Seasons and festivals, Tribal elders, Video contents, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Tribals’ excellent knowledge of the environment, closer to an ideal society: – Jharkhand

A.S.R.P. MUKESH, The Telegraph, Jharkhand, November 18, 2010 Ranchi, Nov. 17: He is British by birth, but prefers to call himself an Indian. Having lived in this country for three decades now, Felix Padel, the great great grandson of father of … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Commentary, Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Figures, census and other statistics, Misconceptions, Modernity, Press snippets | 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

Durua, Bhumia, Gadaba and Kondh women receive respect from men for their inherent strength to lead the family and community forward

Ch. Santakar, The Hindu, KORAPUT, January 1, 2013 Women in tribal communities of Koraput district were safe for the well acknowledged traditional guidelines of life being adhered to by one and all including the young and old in the community, Paresh … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Customs, Education and literacy, Health and nutrition, Maps, Music and dance, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Seasons and festivals, Social conventions, Women | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Andaman and Nicobar Islands (union territory, India), union territory, India, consisting of two groups of islands at the southeastern edge of the Bay of Bengal. [...] Port Blair (on South Andaman Island) is the territorial capital. [...] The Andamans comprise more … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Colonial policies, Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Quotes | Comments Off

Collaborative lifestyle, women’s inheritance have contributed to our uniqueness as humans – Tamil Nadu

 Should I stay or should I go? JANAKI LENIN, The Hindu, October 26, 2012 [...] Traditionally, women of these communities — the Nair and Mappila of Kerala, the Khasi and Garo of Meghalaya, and the Nicobarese of the Nicobar Islands — … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Customs, Economy and development, History, Names and communities, Networking, Press snippets, Social conventions, Women | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

The Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum in Hyderabad – Andhra Pradesh

NIVEDITA N., The Hindu, December 31, 2012 The museum brings together culture, lifestyle, customs and beliefs of the various tribes hailing from different districts of Andhra Pradesh. Some of the tribes represented here are Kondareddi, Bagata and Hill Reddi. The tribes … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Fashion, Figures, census and other statistics, History, Homes and utensils, Libraries, Maps, Media portrayal, Museum collections - India, Music and dance, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Seasons and festivals, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Traditional dress, practices and festivals refashioned – Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is home to about twenty-five separate tribes and as many languages/dialects in the Tibeto-Burman family. (Despite the descriptive inadequacies of the term ‘tribal’, the alternatives are equally imprecise; ‘tribal’ is a politicised category all over India [Beteille 1991], … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, Dress and ornaments, Fashion, Figures, census and other statistics, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Modernity, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Tourism, Worship and rituals | Comments Off

Romanticising ‘indigenous peoples’ in the West just as in urban India

The impulse to romanticise ‘indigenous peoples’ is still a powerful force in scholarship and public debate, and not only in the West but also in urban India, where ‘tribal’ (adivasi or ‘first-inhabitant’) textiles are fashionable, tribal dances grace government parades, … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Fashion, Government of India, History, Maps, Media portrayal, Modernity, Quotes | Comments Off

The term ‘Adivasi’: neither an equivalent to ‘Tribe’ nor used in the Indian Constitution – Mainstream Weekly

By J.J. Roy Burman, Mainstream, Vol XLVII, No 32, July 25, 2009 In India the term ‘Adivasi’ has gained immense popularity in the last few decades to identify the tribes. This term is more commonly brought to use by the NGO … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Colonial policies, Figures, census and other statistics, Gandhian social movement, History, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples | Comments Off

Admirable demographic regime of India’s tribes thanks to living in tune with the natural resources of their environment

By Arup Maharatna, Mainstream, Vol XLVIII, No 40, September 25, 2010 [...] Thus, the relatively low infant and child mortality (vis-à-vis adults) in the tribal population, if true, could provide a clue simultaneously to their relatively high CWR on the one … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Customs, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Quotes | Comments Off

Usage of ‘tribe’ traceable to colonial census authorities

By Arup Maharatna, Mainstream, Vol XLVIII, No 40, September 25, 2010  The term ‘tribe’, as is widely known, subsumes enormous complexities—both anthropological and historical. However, the British India Censuses used to enumerate tribes as Animists until the 1931 Census, in which … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Colonial policies, Figures, census and other statistics, Misconceptions, Quotes, Worship and rituals | Comments Off

Tribal culture and society characterised by comparatively high levels of autonomy, equality, and social position of tribal women

By Arup Maharatna, Mainstream, Vol XLVIII, No 40, September 25, 2010 There can be little dispute that the socio-cultural norms, practices, and rituals in the mainstream Hindu tradition subsume a deep ideological repugnance towards gender equality. But this contrasts with the … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Anthropology, Customs, Quotes, Social conventions, Women | Comments Off

Video | Jarawa and Onge – Andaman Islands

Uploaded by journeymanpictures on Jul 8, 2008 Source: Endangered Jarawa – India – YouTube Address : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlRSsvB4iLE&feature=relmfu Date Visited: Mon Nov 12 2012 16:52:48 GMT+0100 (CET) Samir Acharya heads SANE, an Indian environmental organization based in Port Blair in the Andaman … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Assimilation, Commentary, Community facilities, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Tourism, Video resources - external | Tagged , | Comments Off

Video | Chenchu hunter-gatherers – Andhra Pradesh

Video by by Sathya Mohan The Chenchus are one of the last remaining tribes in India. They live a hand-to-mouth existence in the forest but attempts to integrate them in society have failed. For centuries, the Chenchus have survived as … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Homes and utensils, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Quotes, Seasons and festivals, Tiger, Tribal elders, Video resources - external, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off

Slideshow | Apatani methods of agriculture – Arunachal Pradesh

The Hindu, Oct 13, 2012 It’s all about land for the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh, who are believed to have migrated from beyond the Khru and Kime rivers in the north. Their methods of agriculture have drawn worldwide attention. Text … Continue reading

Posted in Anthropology, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Health and nutrition, Homes and utensils, Maps, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Tribal elders, Women | Tagged | Comments Off