Video | “Kanavu: A School with A Difference” (Wayanad) for and by tribal communities in tune with their environment – Kerala

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Once they were the owners of these lands, All these vast expanses of forests, mountains and valleys belonged to them, and they lived of the fruits of nature without disturbing its harmony. Their rhythm of life was in tandem with the tunes of their environment. A rhythm that echoes in their music.

Their music and dance have helped mitigate the hardships of life, and brought them together in nurturing the values of mutual trust and love.

But with the periodic arrival of usurpers from the plains their lives got altered drastically. […] – Introduction (voiceover)

Source: Kanavu: A School with A Difference © UGC 2000
Ch-02: SANSKRITI [Arts, History, Philosophy]
CEC 02: Arts (Arts, Humanities and Languages) managed by  CEC,DELHI
URL: https://youtu.be/DAKtKeOGWQQ
Date Visited: 4 April 2020

A Nomad Called Thief: Reflections on Adivasi Silence and Voice by
Ganesh [G.N.] Devy | Publications >>

When you travel along a highway, you tend to notice the well maintained asphalt, the maniquered lawns, the big trees, fields stretching up to the horizon, carpet of blossoms.

But on a closer look and if you are not in a hurry, you will notice that your scenery is also dotted with tiny way side flowers. They are as beautiful, perhaps more important than the dominating landscapes. Kanavu, the alternate school tucked away in the hills of Wynad forest, is one of them.

The children of Kanavu come from wrecked homes. Brought up like orphans by parents. Their mothers spend their meager daily earnings on watching movies, while fathers drink it up. In between the children remain abandoned. […]

Kanavu is a commune of tribal children. In Kanavu, children learn to live together and live together to learn.

The children do not follow any syllabus or curriculum. You can see them harvesting the string beans and ladies fingers practicing their martial art, listening and grasping their own history, singing their own songs, watching and understanding the film, “Rashamon” by Kurosawa.

This documentary [no longer online] tells the story of the children of Kanavu in the background of the aadivasi situation in Kerala and the so-called terminology of Kerala Education Model.

Source: Kanavu (Dream) | Third Eye Films
Address : https://thirdeyefilms.org/Kanavu
Date Visited: Tue Mar 12 2013 15:07:46 GMT+0100 (CET)

Uravu | Tribal education and customs in Wayanad >>
Photo © Ludwig Pesch
Wayanad song by Kanavu music group >>

Success stories that have made a world of difference for millions of schoolchildren:
Jointly creating storybooks in familiar languages for first-generation learners: Suchana, Pratham Books and StoryWeaver | More success stories >>

Search tips: More about Kanavu and Wayanad’s tribal cultural heritage | Use the search field seen below to find up-to-date information on the region’s Adivasi films, arts and related subjects

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Learn more about water-related issues that affect India’s tribal communities >>
“National development and the development of tribal communities are linked to each other.” – Droupadi Murmu | Speeches by the 15th President of India >>

“Together, we must endeavour to strengthen tribal communities which are the role model in preservation of water, forest and land, and learn from their connection with nature and the surrounding environment for the sake of the entire human race.” – journalist and tribal rights activist Dayamani Barla in The Wire >>

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