“[I]ndigenous people in India also feel the claustrophobic confines of their identity which has been imposed on them by others, be it the colonial administrator, the colonial anthropologist.” – Santali poet, scholar and translator Ivy Imogene Hansdak in “Is tribal identity relevant in today’s world?”, Inaugural Speech, National Conference “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (2017)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23032
United Nations – Gujarat in western India is home to more than 20,000 Siddis [Sidhi], an ethnic group of African descent. But today, many live on the fringes of society in poverty. One young man is fighting to protect their unique heritage – as well as their close ties with the remaining Asiatic lions of the … Read more
Watch two brief excerpts from the archive of Bhasha’s video documentation team This documentation was undertaken at the campus of the Adivasi Academy to document the cultural practices as well as to understand them. These are available with the Academy’ museum for interested visitors, researchers, students and practioners of music and community members. The documentation … Read more
The religion of the Santals, which we see today, represents one of the most ancient religions. […] The Santals are one of the largest homogenous indigenous peoples group in India, numbering more than six million scattered over in the states of Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and outside India in Nepal, … Read more