Category Archives: Languages and linguistic heritage

“They have lost their livelihood, their forests and even their Gods. Now they will also lose their language.” – Raghavan Payyanad (folklorist and exponent of indigenous knowledge), in “Relinking tribal youth with their culture” on efforts to revive and reacquaint youngsters from different tribes with endangered tribal arts at the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Tribes Kozhikode (The Hindu, 16 December 2015)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/relinking-tribal-youth-with-their-culture/article7994424.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=19376

“There are 418 different tribes in India, with even more languages and dialects. […] To accommodate these diverse and culturally distinct communities with a single educational policy is a mammoth task, verging on the impossible. Thus, despite good intentions, tribal-education policies are mostly dysfunctional. And when such systematic dysfunction continues for years or even generations, social unrest erupts.” – Boro Baski in “Teaching Santal children” (D+C Development and Cooperation, 2 July 2009)
https://www.dandc.eu/en/article/long-term-success-non-formal-adivasi-school-west-bengal
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=2274

“Nations don’t make us human – languages make us human [and] behave like civilised beings.” – Ganesh [G.N.] Devy (co-founder, People’s Linguistic Survey of India) in a video interview (Scroll.in, 25 November 2017)
https://www.facebook.com/scroll.in/videos/1600744976675043/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=24320

“All languages created by human communities are our collective cultural heritage. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that they do not face the global phonocide let loose in our time.” – Ganesh [G.N.] Devy (in a lecture at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore (26 September 2010)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/Inclusive_Education_NIAS_Lecture_2010_Prof-Ganesh_Devy.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?page_id=27950

“1500 km and 1300 years separate the IVC [Indus Valley Civilisation] and Keeladi. The gap may not lead to too many direct and immediately recognisable similarities. But the fact that we have found graffiti that looks very similar to Harappan script in the Keeladi excavations [Tamil Nadu] is extremely important, especially since this is not the first time that graffiti similar to Harappan scripts have been found in South India and even Sri Lanka.” – Tony Joseph, author of Early Indians quoted in “The Dig” by Sowmiya Ashok (Fiftytwo.in, 2 April 2021)
https://fiftytwo.in/story/the-dig/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=38630

Tribal Memory, Folklore and Hindu Epic Narratives: Papers presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

Posted on 24/06/2022 by website administrator

PLENARY SESSION Chaired by: Prof. M. Asaduddin, Dean, Faculty of Humanities & Languages, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Paper Presenters: Dr. Athikho Kaisii (JMI, Delhi), Dr. Pravin Kumar (IGNTU, Amarkantak), Dr Ananya Barua (Hindu College, Delhi). Dr. Saroj Kumar Mahananda (JMI, Delhi) and Norkey … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Anthropology, Assimilation, Cultural heritage, Customs, Education and literacy, Ekalavya (Eklavya, Eklabya), EMR & Factory schools, Games and leisure time, Globalization, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Literature and bibliographies, Music and dance, Names and communities, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seasons and festivals, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council, Storytelling, Tribal elders, Tribal identity, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Tribal Memory, Folklore and Hindu Epic Narratives: Papers presented for “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (National Conference) – New Delhi

“Remote tribal memory of Indus civilization”: Bridging the gap in space and time with the Dravidian hypothesis – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 24/06/2022 by website administrator

REMNANTS OF DRAVIDIAN NAME HERITAGE IN INDUS VALLEY AND BEYOND Balakrishnan, R. The “Dravidian hypothesis” is considered the most plausible of all the prevailing theories on the language of Indus Valley Civilization (IVC). Again, in the context of tracing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Quotes, Southern region – Southern Zonal Council | Comments Off on “Remote tribal memory of Indus civilization”: Bridging the gap in space and time with the Dravidian hypothesis – Tamil Nadu

Poetry on the beauty of nature and its close association with mankind: “Tribal literature is as rich as any other literature in the world”

Posted on 20/06/2022 by website administrator

Mizo writer Darchhawna, who was awarded the Padmashree recently, praised tribal literature at a conference here today. He spoke on the concluding day of the Tribal Literary Conference and said tribal literature is as rich as any other literature in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Education and literacy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature - fiction, Misconceptions, Music and dance, Nature and wildlife, Organizations, Poetry, Social conventions, Storytelling, Women | Comments Off on Poetry on the beauty of nature and its close association with mankind: “Tribal literature is as rich as any other literature in the world”

Demonstrating the brain’s astonishing capacity to decode information – Ancient “whistled languages” used by indigenous communities in India, China, Turkey & Spain

Posted on 13/06/2022 by website administrator

For generations, the residents of Meghalaya’s Kongthong village have communicated with each other using a unique form of whistled identity instead of names! | Read the full story and view more images >> In The Whistling Village of Meghalaya, Every Child Has … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Childhood and children, Community facilities, Customs, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Music and dance, Musicology, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Northern region – Northern Zonal Council, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Revival of traditions, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council, Storytelling, Success story, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on Demonstrating the brain’s astonishing capacity to decode information – Ancient “whistled languages” used by indigenous communities in India, China, Turkey & Spain

Adivasi focused films as educational tool (Open Space Ranchi) – Jharkhand

Posted on 13/06/2022 by website administrator

On 20th February, two documentaries were shown amongst the students of Class IX, in Sarna Adivasi Madhya Vidyalaya in Pisca, a suburb area of Ranchi. It was a tribal area, with almost ninety percent Oraon students. When they saw ‘Kora … Continue reading →

Posted in Adivasi / Adibasi, Assimilation, Childhood and children, Colonial policies, Community facilities, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Film, Government of India, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Media portrayal, Modernity, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Quotes, Rural poverty, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council, Tribal identity | Tagged | Comments Off on Adivasi focused films as educational tool (Open Space Ranchi) – Jharkhand