Category Archives: Cultural heritage

“We want our young generation to be rooted in our specific culture and to have good opportunities to take their fate into their own hands. Using our language is essential. What alphabet we use in school, matters less. We tell our students about Ol-chiki [the Santali alphabet invented in 1925 and one of India’s 22 official languages since 2004] – encouraging, but not forcing them to learn it.”–  Boro Baski in “The pros and cons of Ol-chiki” (D+C Development and Cooperation, e-Paper April 2021)
https://www.dandc.eu/sites/default/files/pdf_files/dc_2021-04.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21581

“Each island has its own culture, tradition which is unique. They [the Nicobarese] are not one tribe. Like we say all Chinamen look alike but we know there is great diversity among them. Similarly is the case here. So it will be a unique loss of culture. Each island has a very small population. Each has its own culture. If one island also gets wiped out it will be the loss of an entire culture, a whole tradition.” – The late activist Samir Acharya quoted by M. Rajshekhar in “Remembering Samir Acharya, Who Fought to Preserve the Cultures of Andaman and Nicobar” (The Wire, 18 October 2020)
https://thewire.in/rights/samir-acharya-andaman-nicobar-activist-culture-preservation-tribute
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=7364

“Tribals are the first to bring about civilisation. Indus-valley scripts are their major contribution. Outsiders are simply jealous and their invasion is simply to bring about an end to the tribal culture.” – Latari Kawadu Madaavi (tribal scholar writer from Maharashtra) quoted in “Treasure trove of golden words” (The Telegraph, 29 April 2005)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=1825

“[T]he tribal communities are a standing example of how women play a major role in preservation of eco historic cultural heritage in India.” – Mari Marcel Thekaekara, writer and Co-founder of ACCORD-Nilgiris quoted in The Hindu (27 January 2017)
https://www.thehindu.com/society/A-messenger-from-the-mountains/article17102329.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22373

“In Rayagada in Odisha, Kondh parents distinguish between dangar patha (mountain learning) and kagaj patha (paper learning). Asked which they prefer, many parents answer ‘both’. This expresses a need deeply felt by Adivasis: literacy, with fluency in the regional language or English, is important; but so is respect for native languages and knowledge systems linked to the land and forest.” – Felix Padel & Malvika Gupta in “Are mega residential schools wiping out India’s Adivasi culture?” (The Hindu, 13 February 2021)
https://www.thehindu.com/society/children-from-tribal-communities-are-being-corralled-into-mass-schools-that-are-wiping-out-cultures/article33818793.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4176

“The Tree of Life [a six-foot-tall metal Bastar tribal sculpture made of brass, bronze and alloy casting] is the most ancient cross cultural symbolic representation of the universe’s construction. It can be seen to dwell in three words- a link between earth, heaven and the other world.” – The Times of India 22 December 2008
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Almost-all-of-Tajs-art-safe-remaining-can-be-restored/articleshow/3872065.cms
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3121

“Today, Gonds are fast catching up with city life, and modern-day amenities, but most of their rituals remain the same. As Japani said, ‘Thoughts have changed and so also the lifestyle. Houses are fast changing into concrete ones. However, the tradition of painting on the walls is still there. […] We exhibit our paintings at many places around the country. People often tell us to take up modern art but we want to stick to our tribal painting style and the depiction of our culture and nature through it. We also would like to give our perspective of the outside world through our art.'” – Venus Vinod Upadhayaya in “Rituals – Where art imitates life” (lifepositive.com)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=4084