Category Archives: Dress and ornaments

“We have forgotten the habit of putting a towel on our shoulder and embroider the end-pieces of our towels but we have not forgotten our childhood friendship.” – Synopsis by Boro Baski for “Bagi kedalang (We no longer do the same)”, a song composed and performed by staff and students of the Rolf Schoembs Vidyashram (Non-formal Santal school, Ghosaldanga village, Dist.-Birbhum, West Bengal), included in the Santali video album “Ale Ato” (Our Village)
https://youtu.be/OU15PO8TFnA
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?page_id=25317

“Life in the hamlet, home to a small number of families of the Bhil tribe, was simple. There were then no roads in the area, and communication with the world outside was strictly limited. The jungles and mountains acted as a barrier to the infiltration of outside influences, which meant that the denizens of the hamlet lived much as their ancestors must have. Bhil men donned just a small loin cloth, woven at home, and the women left their torsos uncovered. There were no shops in the area, indicating that the Bhil villages were largely self-sufficient.” – Yoginder Sikand in “Simple ways of life” (Deccan Herald, 23 December 2012)
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/300193/simple-ways-life.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=10420

“Hidden within the colour, weave and design of tribal textiles are many legends. […] Each pattern is a little capsule of information—containing tales of ancestors, social values, clan practices, and more. […] It has also been observed that the one thing common to most weaves and motifs is the role of women as creators.” – Avantika Bhuyan (interviewing members the North East Network) in “Folklore, myths and handloom” (Livemint, 1 December 2017)
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/FR23TDZqwz1hDYOlB5mRSN/Folklore-myths-and-handloom.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23691 

“[I]t is one of the signs of the ‘educated’ barbarian of today that he cannot appreciate the qualities of people in any way different from himself – in looks or clothes, customs or rituals.” – Guest Column titled “Hands off tribal culture” (India Today, 9 January 2014)
https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/guest-column/story/19800915-hands-off-tribal-culture-821415-2014-01-09
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11257

Tribal voices worth listening to: On culture, land rights, employment, education and indigenous languages – Andaman, Kerala & Odisha

Posted on 21/09/2022 by website administrator

“Unless we affirm our culture and right and language, we won’t live. Our colour is good, our language is good, our art is good, our way of living is good. If we can respect your religion and your practices, why … Continue reading →

Posted in Assimilation, Childhood, Commentary, Community facilities, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, De- and re-tribalisation, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Organizations, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Regions of India – Tribal heritage & indigenous knowledge, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Southern region – Southern Zonal Council, Storytelling, Success story, Tribal identity, Wayanad, Western Ghats – Tribal heritage and ecology, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off on Tribal voices worth listening to: On culture, land rights, employment, education and indigenous languages – Andaman, Kerala & Odisha

Video | “This land is mine. I will get it back: The struggle of women from the Rana Tharu community – Uttarakhand

Posted on 16/09/2022 by website administrator

Many Adivasis have lost their land in Uttarakhand. But Kamla Devi of Pindari village and Mangola Singh of Nandpur are resisting usury, fraud and gender prejudice to get back their farmland and secure their rights | Read the full story … Continue reading →

Posted in Adverse inclusion, Crafts and visual arts, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Forest Rights Act (FRA), Government of India, Names and communities, Networking, Organizations, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Quotes, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Rural poverty, Scheduled Tribe (ST), Video resources - external, Women | Tagged | Comments Off on Video | “This land is mine. I will get it back: The struggle of women from the Rana Tharu community – Uttarakhand

Shivaratri celebrations by the Kota community in the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

Posted on 22/08/2022 by website administrator

View a video and two slideshows taken during Shivaratri, the main annual festival celebtrated by the Kota community Video | Kota women’s dance Video | Kota dance Slideshow | Kota dance and music Slideshow | Kota game More videos, slideshows and background information provided … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Childhood, Cultural heritage, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Games and leisure time, Literature and bibliographies, Music and dance, Names and communities, Nilgiri Biosphere, Photos and slideshows, Seasons and festivals, Tribal elders, Video contents, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged | Comments Off on Shivaratri celebrations by the Kota community in the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

Western India’s cotton-growing and -dyeing technologies traced to Indus Valley civilization – Western region

Posted on 18/08/2022 by website administrator

The western region consists of the desert states of Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and western Madhya Pradesh. […] The region is home to a wide variety of people with different religions and cultures, most … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Colonial policies, Commentary, Constitution and Supreme Court, Crafts and visual arts, Customs, Dress and ornaments, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Fashion and design, Figures, census and other statistics, Gandhian social movement, Government of India, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Names and communities, Photos and slideshows, Quotes, Rural poverty, Western region –  Western Zonal Council, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged , | Comments Off on Western India’s cotton-growing and -dyeing technologies traced to Indus Valley civilization – Western region

“Rethinking tribals”: Articles on Adivasi culture in Folio Special issue

Posted on 09/08/2022 by website administrator

Ever since the Portuguese travel writers and missionaries decided to describe the vast variety of ethnic and occupational groups and sects of the Indian subcontinent in terms of “caste” and “tribe”, the terms have stuck to society as long-worn masks … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Adivasi / Adibasi, Adverse inclusion, Anthropology, Archaeology, Assimilation, Childhood, Colonial policies, Commentary, Community facilities, Constitution and Supreme Court, Crafts and visual arts, Cultural heritage, Customs, Democracy, Dress and ornaments, eBook eJournal ePaper, Ecology and environment, Economy and development, Education and literacy, Endangered language, Government of India, Health and nutrition, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Literature and bibliographies, Media portrayal, Misconceptions, Modernity, Music and dance, Names and communities, Nature and wildlife, Networking, Nilgiri Biosphere, Organizations, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), Press snippets, Quotes, Regions of India – Tribal heritage & indigenous knowledge, Revival of traditions, Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Social conventions, Tips, Tribal elders, Tribal identity, Western Ghats – Tribal heritage and ecology, Women, Worship and rituals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Rethinking tribals”: Articles on Adivasi culture in Folio Special issue