Adivasi (people) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Adivasi, ( Hindi: “Original Inhabitants”) official name (in India) Scheduled Tribes,  any of various ethnic groups considered to be the original inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. The term is used primarily in India and Bangladesh. In the constitution of India, promulgated in 1950, most of these groups were listed—or scheduled—as targets for social and economic development. Since … Read more

Video | Mallika Sarabhai on the power of art – storytelling for a cause

A TED-talk on the power of storytelling for a social cause: promoting social justice and counteracting misconceptions on vulnerable groups and communities. Her presentation also demonstrates how to reach “elite” audiences otherwise disinclined to face serious issues – the fact that women are sexually  harassed with impunity, India’s Adivasi communities affected by political violence, just as indigenous populations and coloured … Read more

Nurturing Oglala Lakota customs, language, and beliefs in South Dakota (USA) – National Geographic Magazine August 2012

In the Shadow of Wounded Knee After 150 years of broken promises, the Oglala Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota are nurturing their tribal customs, language, and beliefs. A rare, intimate portrait shows their resilience in the face of hardship. By Alexandra Fuller Photograph by Aaron Huey Read the full article … Read more

Modern teaching tools to share and store information about dialects in danger of disappearing

The Times of India, June 21, 2012 In an alliance with scholars and linguists, the internet powerhouse introduced an Endangered Languages Project website where people can find, share, and store information about dialects in danger of disappearing. “People can share their knowledge and research directly through the site and help keep the content up-to-date,” project … Read more

Māori cultural standards in education – New Zealand

The place of Cultural Standards in Indigenous Education Huia Tomlins-Jahnke […] Why cultural standards? The development of cultural standards in indigenous education in North America and in  New Zealand has evolved largely as a response to nation-state education systems that, for the most part, are culturally and epistemologically disconnected from indigenous communities. The cumulative effect … Read more