The Power of Self-Interpretation: Ideas on Starting a Community Museum

[…] To appreciate the potential of the community museum, consider the challenges local communities, especially disadvantaged ones, face today. The effects of globalization include persistent poverty, loss of cultural identity, accelerated migration, and disintegration of the bonds of unity and solidarity within local communities. In this context, the community museum is not a luxury, and … Read more

Tribal influence on Indian and international fashion – Chhattisgarh & Seven Sister States

While fashion is a reliable reflector of change, it is also the marker of a continuity of control exerted by the affluent and the powerful. Desmond L. Kharmawphlang G. Badaiasuk Lyngdoh Nonglait Wandashisha Rynjah in Globalization: The Khasi Perspective, p. 13 Source: Globalization and Tribes of Northeast IndiaAddress : http://wiki.indianfolklore.org/images/2/2a/Ifl_22.pdfDate Visited: Thu Feb 12 2015 16:07:07 … Read more

“Who is Indian, and what makes a person an Indian?”: Questions debated among members of 565 recognized American Indian tribes

My answer? There are many definitions of who is an Indian. As a starting point, “Indian” is a misguided label that spread through Europe after 1492. Native people have always associated themselves with their tribe(s) and referenced their tribal names in their tribal languages. Explorers and colonists from Spain, France, England, the Netherlands, and Russia, … Read more

Rebels in the Amsterdam ‘Artis Library’ – Netherlands

By Mieke Beumer In 2002 the Indian government issued a stamp commemorating Sido Murmu and Kanhu Murmu for their bravery. The brothers had led an insurrection on June 30 1855, which is still celebrated annually as the Santhal Hul. The Santhals (Santals) are a large ‘tribal’ community spread across northeastern India and neighbouring regions, notably … Read more

eLearning | “Cadence and Counterpoint: Documenting Santal Musical Traditions” – A virtual exhibition on Google Cultural Institute

Source: courtesy Dr. Ruchira Ghose (Co-Curator, New Delhi, 21 January 2016); for photo and detailed credits, please check the multimedia production available at Google Arts and Culture here >> [Bold typeface added above for emphasis] Tip: view the actual slideshow, watch a video on Santal puppetry, listen to a rare 1914 Santali recording and read the full story