Toda embroidery: an ancient art thriving in the Nilgiris – Tamil Nadu

The ancient Toda community people are the residents of Nilgiris that means ‘Blue Mountains’, popularly known as Ooty. Nilgiris is the abode of many interesting tribes and prominent among them are Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Mullukurumbas and Paniyans. These Todas are said to be of pastoral community and speak Toda language, belonging to Dravidian family … Read more

Video | Chronicling 15,000 years of history: The Rock Art of Djulirri – Australia

The Rock Art of DjulirriIn a remote corner of Arnhem Land in central northern Australia, the Aborigines left paintings chronicling 15,000 years of their history. One site in particular, Djulirri, the subject of “Reading the Rocks” in the January/February 2011 issue of ARCHAEOLOGY, contains thousands of individual paintings in 20 discernable layers. In this video … Read more

In support of India’s tribal women: Find information provided on Government and NGO websites

The concept of a mixed economy as envisaged in the Indian constitution gave way to a modern free market economy. As a result, the ground gained over the previous two decades in the fight against poverty began to slide out from under them. Accordingly, they are not taken in when they are told again and … Read more

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such […] all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of hu- mankind […] all doctrines, policies and practices … Read more

Member of Siddi community nominated to the Karnataka Legislative Council: A community with African ancestry – Karnataka

Shantharam Budna Siddi, from the Siddi [Sidhi] community of Karnataka which traces its roots to Africa, has been nominated to the Karnataka Legislative Council by Governor Vajubhai Vala. This is the first time that the community will be represented in the legislature. […] According to him, the Siddi community traces its roots to Africa, somewhere … Read more