Storytelling

“Having grown up within the largely oral Khasi community in Meghalaya, whose creative expressions mainly comprised song and “iathoh khana” (storytelling), it puzzled me that, in none of the canonical creative writing textbooks, had I come across a discussion on the influences of oral storytelling on craft.” – Janice Pariat in “Decolonising creative writing: It’s about not conforming to techniques of the western canon” (Scroll.in, 4 July 2021)
https://scroll.in/article/999215/decolonising-creative-writing-its-about-not-conforming-to-techniques-of-the-western-canon
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3382

Film review of “Have you seen the Arana?”: Award winning documentary feature on Wayanad’s treasure trove of flora and fauna – Kerala

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Online viewing: Trailer and more information >> Bikas Mishra writes about Sunanda Bhat’s documentary feature which won the John Abraham Award recently | Read the entire review here >> The Adiya people of Wayanad believe that their goddess has turned into the  lizard Arana. Earlier found everywhere, Arana is getting hard to spot nowadays. Filmmaker Sunanda Bhat uses the … Read more

Video | Interview with anthropologist Cristoph von Fürer-Haimendorf on the rapid transition into modernity by a previously untouched tribe: “Apatanis developed fast, not overrun by outsiders” – Assam

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Source: “Interview of Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf by Alan Macfarlane, Part 1 of 3”URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV2aJLFU6_YDate Visited: 11 January 2023 “President Droupadi Murmu said that the high respect given to the women in the Naga society is demonstrated through the fact that the literacy rate among women in the state is higher than the national average, and … Read more

Tip | “Forests Alive”: Educational and other books combining scientific knowledge and hereditary practices of the Soliga and other tribal communities worldwide

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ATREE at Biligiri Rangaswamy Wildlife Sanctuary The process, while documenting and archiving a vast resource of places and stories, also provided a critical understanding of the ways Soligas interacted with the landscape. ATREE used formal cartographic instruments such as GIS-enabled devices, to locate places and names that Soligas identified with in mainstream maps. ATREE has developed … Read more

Mahasweta Devi: Bhasha’s life time mentor remembered at the Adivasi Academy Tejgadh – Gujarat

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An indefatigable crusader for tribal rights, eminent litterateur Mahasweta Devi was keen to be laid to rest at Tejgadh, a tribal village in Gujarat and also the site of the Adivasi Academy, says noted literary critic, linguist and tribal rights activist Ganesh Devy who wishes to bring some of her ashes to the academy that … Read more

Video | “The Siddis: A Forgotten People”: UN in Action – Gujarat

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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