Category Archives: Bees and honey

“Without [bees] there would be no pollination. Without them there would be no future food. And the small farmers are the primary source of food.” – Video message by Vandana Shiva in support of The “Save Bees and Farmers!” European Citizens’ Initiative (28 February 2020)
https://www.savebeesandfarmers.eu/w/files/videos/200219-vandana-supports-the-eci_smaller.mp4
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12161

“Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. […] With their lives in the forest being steadily pulled away from under their feet, communities like the Kattunayakans are losing their sense of culture and meaning. Without the ritual of tapping honey, a rich history of song and dance associated with the practice will have no place in their lives.” – Priyashri Mani in “Home is where the forest is….” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 August 2013)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12436

“Constructing these bamboo-ladders [used to extract honey from beehives] is an architecture itself. Building them is a secret. It is done only at night. Non-community people will not be allowed to be present when tribals build them. These ladders can be sometimes 200 feet tall.” – K.T. Gandhirajan quoted by T.S. Subramanian in “Ancient rock art dating back to 1500 B.C. found in Tamil Nadu” (The Hindu, 28 September 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Ancient-rock-art-dating-back-to-1500-B.C.-found-in-Tamil-Nadu/article14769223.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21555

“Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. […] With their lives in the forest being steadily pulled away from under their feet, communities like the Kattunayakans are losing their sense of culture and meaning. Without the ritual of tapping honey, a rich history of song and dance associated with the practice will have no place in their lives.” – Priyashri Mani in “Home is where the forest is….” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 August 2013)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=12436

“Constructing these bamboo-ladders [used to extract honey from beehives] is an architecture itself. Building them is a secret. It is done only at night. Non-community people will not be allowed to be present when tribals build them. These ladders can be sometimes 200 feet tall.” – K.T. Gandhirajan quoted by T.S. Subramanian in “Ancient rock art dating back to 1500 B.C. found in Tamil Nadu” (The Hindu, 28 September 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/Ancient-rock-art-dating-back-to-1500-B.C.-found-in-Tamil-Nadu/article14769223.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21555

How to cope with the climate change, government interventions and the demands of companies? “We support farmers”: A tribal self-help organization’s experience with organic orchards – West Bengal

Posted on 05/08/2020 by website administrator

The Green Revolution has changed life in Indian villages, but the main beneficiaries were the landlords. Daily labourers remain poor and marginalised. The limits of using ever more fertiliser and pesticides are becoming apparent. Many farmers are confused because extension … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees and honey, Eastern region, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, FAQ, Figures, census and other statistics, Government of India, Health and nutrition, Modernity, Names and communities, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Rural poverty, Success story | Tagged | Comments Off on How to cope with the climate change, government interventions and the demands of companies? “We support farmers”: A tribal self-help organization’s experience with organic orchards – West Bengal

Tip | Learn more about bees and honey: “What if bees did not exist?”

Posted on 04/08/2020 by website administrator

The role of bees in any economy is well understood, and the disappearance of indigenous bee populations is alarming to scientists all over the world: Bees are some of nature’s most fascinating creatures, they are also incredibly important. Their intimate … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees and honey, Customs, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Ethnobotany, FAQ, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Globalization, Health and nutrition, Nature and wildlife, Tips, Topics and issues, Tribal culture worldwide, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology | Comments Off on Tip | Learn more about bees and honey: “What if bees did not exist?”

Role models for members of “hill-tribes” forcibly brought down to the plains: Irulas in pursuit of higher education – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 02/08/2020 by website administrator

How Tamil Nadu’s Irula students are struggling to pursue higher education | To read the full story in the New Indian Express, click here >> As [the correspondent] travels across the northern districts of Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Vellore, and Tiruvannamalai, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Adverse inclusion, Assimilation, Bees and honey, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, Education and literacy, Figures, census and other statistics, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Health and nutrition, Languages and linguistic heritage, Maps, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Success story, Tribal identity, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on Role models for members of “hill-tribes” forcibly brought down to the plains: Irulas in pursuit of higher education – Tamil Nadu

The Adivasi way of life: Utopian or worth emulating by ‘mainstream’ society? – An ongoing debate

Posted on 02/08/2020 by website administrator

Anyone who has had some meaningful interaction with India’s indigenous or adivasi people, cannot fail to be touched by the encounter. There is a directness in them, an absence of artifice or guile, an almost childlike innocence, born of simplicity … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi, Assimilation, Bees and honey, Childhood and children, Commentary, Community facilities, Customs, De- and re-tribalisation, FAQ, Fashion and design, Health and nutrition, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Quotes, Southern region, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal elders, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Women, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on The Adivasi way of life: Utopian or worth emulating by ‘mainstream’ society? – An ongoing debate

Slideshow | Ancient rock art and modern graffiti: Continuity of tribal tradition since 1500 B.C. – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 27/07/2020 by website administrator

India has about 5,000 rock art sites, next only to Australia and South Africa, where prehistoric people have recorded life as they saw it, in paintings, engravings and carvings. Finding and decoding this artistic “perception of reality” is a challenge … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Archaeology, Bees and honey, Central region, Childhood and children, Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Education and literacy, Elephant, History, Homes and utensils, Literature and bibliographies, Maps, Modernity, Nature and wildlife, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Quotes, Southern region, Storytelling, Tiger, Tribal culture worldwide, Western Ghats - tribal heritage & ecology, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on Slideshow | Ancient rock art and modern graffiti: Continuity of tribal tradition since 1500 B.C. – Tamil Nadu