Category Archives: Adivasi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation: Providing employment to several hundred Irula women – Tamil Nadu & New Delhi

Times of India, 29-3-2005 The Irulas’ Natural Products Corporation is a partnership firm located in the ITWWS campus, which produces, promotes and markets Irula health-care products. It provides employment to several hundred Irula women. [...] A team of experienced vaidyars … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Customs, Economy and development, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Maps, Names and communities, Organizations, Press snippets, Women | Tagged | 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

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

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

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

Storytelling and local history in tribal school curriculum: Gudalur region (Nilgiri) – Tamil Nadu

March 27th, 2013  [...] A few of us have been busy over the last few weeks. We are trying to find ways to share stories of our local history with other in our school and family. For many years, the … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Cultural heritage, Education and literacy, History, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rural poverty, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Websites by tribal communities, Women | 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

Adivasi community event and documentary film screening hosted by Accord – Tamil Nadu

Accord held a meeting in memory of Manoharan who passed away in 2012. He worked with Accord for 20 years. A lecture was delivered by Shashank Kela, author of a recently published book titled ‘A Rogue and Peasant Slave’ dealing … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Community facilities, Education and literacy, History, Maps, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Quotes, Tribal culture worldwide | Tagged | Comments Off

Slideshow | Community screening of documentary “Have you seen the Arana?” in Gudalur – Tamil Nadu

Bangalore-based filmmaker Sunanda Bhat was invited by ACCORD for a community screening of her award winning documentary ”Have you seen the Arana?” on 24 March 2013 in Gudalur. Her audience comprised students, their teachers and other members of the different Adivasi communities of … Continue reading

Posted in Adivasi, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Cultural heritage, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Film, Media portrayal, Modernity, Networking, Photos and slideshows, Storytelling, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off