Ecology & environment
“In Central India, individual plant species figure in the first fruit ceremonies of the adivasi (indigenous) communities. During certain periods of the year, their fruits, flowers, leaves or seeds are not collected or consumed. This allows those species to rest for a few weeks or months during crucial periods for their growth or regeneration. The norms around these practices or methods are often embedded within the cultural-religious traditions of communities. As a knowledge system being transferred between generations, seldom are they explained or discussed in terms of ecology or conservation.” – Madhu Ramnath in “How culture threatens species A note on Caryota urens in South India” (Current Conservation 16.3, accessed 4 December 2022)
https://www.currentconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/16.3.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=20305
Vacationing in a responsible and compassionate manner: Wayanad – Kerala
For the tribes The Priyadarshini Tea Estate was begun as a cooperative society in 1985 to provide a means of livelihood for the Adivasis who were released from bonded labour. I was told the proceeds of our stay at the estate would go towards the welfare of the 120 Adivasi families living in the estate. … Read more
Video | Chenchu hunter-gatherers: An Ethnographic film by Sathya Mohan – Andhra Pradesh
This award-winning ethnographic documentary film made by Sathya Mohan PV, deals with the socio-economic and religious life of the Chenchus, the only Telugu speaking prehistoric hunting-gathering tribe living in the Nallamalai forests of Andhra Pradesh, India. They are a conservative tribal group and have not made many changes in their lifestyle or tried to adapt … Read more
Adivasi focused films as educational tool (Open Space Ranchi) – Jharkhand
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 Rajee’ (The Land of the Diggers) on the adivasi brothers / sisters of their’s who … Read more
Mushroom culture and bio-diversity in the Western Ghats – Tamil Nadu and Kerala
People belonging to the kani tribe of the forests and hills of Kanyakumari district have wild mushrooms in their diet. They collect half-a-dozen species of mushrooms from the deep forests of the Western Ghats which has a rich repository of bio-diversity. Since the district receives rainfall from both the southwest and northeast monsoons, it aids … Read more