Role of sacred groves in adivasi society: Adivasi Munnetra Sangam Gudalur – Tamil Nadu

Role of Sacred Groves and their current status in adivasi society

Conservation of natural resources has been an integral part of diverse cultures in different ways. Indigenous communities all over the world lived in harmony with the nature and conserved its valuable biodiversity. There were many traditional conservation practices of adivasis in many parts of the world, which contributed to the conservation and protection of biodiversity. A good example of such traditional practices is the conservation and protection of small forest patches called “sacred groves”. Sacred groves are patches of forest, water bodies, grasslands considered to be inhabited by gods and hence, strictly prohibited from resource extraction. […]

More news on educational and health matters

Higher studies that can result in a livelihood opportunity is within the reach of many students and their families now – a far cry from even a decade ago. […] tribal counselors also function as a good bridge between the government’s health system and the adivasi community, by informing everyone about the various government schemes and other possible assistance. They help monitor chronic patients and pregnant women regularly.

Importantly, they prove, once again, that given an opportunity, adivasis are capable of providing important services to our own community and are the best bet to mobilise the community and to take responsibility for their future.

Source: Adivasi.net – Newsletters, No.31 Apr – Jun  2011
Address : <http://www.adivasi.net/Newsletters/news.php>
Date Visited: Wed Jul 13 2011 16:49:29 GMT+0200 (CEST)

Reports in the Indian press | List of periodicals included in this search >>

Search tips

Combine the name of any particular state, language or region with that of any tribal (Adivasi) community.

Add keywords of special interest (health, nutrition endangered language, illegal mining, sacred grove); learn about the rights of Scheduled Tribes such as the “Forest Rights Act” (FRA); and the United Nations “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, “women’s rights”, or “children’s right to education”.

Specify any other issue or news item you want to learn more about (biodiversity, bonded labour and human trafficking, climate change, ecology, economic development, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, global warming, Himalayan tribe, hunter-gatherers in a particular region or state, prevention of rural poverty, water access).

For official figures include “scheduled tribe ST” along with a union state or region: e.g. “Chhattisgarh ST community”, “Scheduled tribe Tamil Nadu census”, “ST Kerala census”, “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group Jharkhand”, “PVTG Rajasthan”, “Adivasi ST Kerala”, “Adibasi ST West Bengal” etc.

In case the Google Custom Search window is not displayed here try the following: (1) toggle between “Reader” and regular viewing; (2) in your browser’s Security settings select “Enable JavaScript” | More tips >>

Sacred grove photo © survivalinternational.org >>
Learn more about the Soliga community in Karnataka >>
PARI >>

“We have a special responsibility to document, monitor and conserve our most precious asset” – Kamaljit S. Bawa in “Our biodiversity, our life, our future” >>

Learn more

Atree.org | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the Environment (posts)

Biodiversity | Biodiversity hotspot | Hyderabad biodiversity pledge

Climate change | Audio | The Climate Question (BBC Podcast)

eBook | Background guide for education

Ecology and environment | Eco tourism | Tourism | Wildlife tourism

Environmental history and what makes for a civilization – Romila Thapar

Equations blog (Equitable Tourism Options)

Forest Rights Act (FRA) | Hunter-gatherersIllegal miningLegal rights over forest land

Indigenous knowledge systems

Information provided by Indian government agencies and other organizations (FAQ)

Man animal conflict

Nature and wildlife | Crocodile | Elephant | Tiger | Mangrove forest | Trees

PARI’s tales from tiger territory | People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI)

Revival of traditions

Sacred grove

Shola Trust | Nilgiri Biosphere

Success story

Water and development – India’s tribal communities

Western Ghats – tribal heritage & ecology

Wildlife tourism

What is the Forest Rights Act about? 
Who is a forest dweller under this law, and who gets rights?