Colonial policies

“Tribal population was spread all over India and most of them occupied wild tracts, hilly and forested areas, away from more civilized centers. In 1880 their population was estimated at about seventy million. They had existed for centuries with their own social traditions and beliefs and subsisted on natural resources. They had preserved their near isolation and way of life until the British administration and policies made inroads into their territories.” – Subha Johari in “Tribal Dissatisfaction Under Colonial Economy of 19th Century”
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1040271311
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=11961

More than a question of terminology: ‘Adivasi’, ‘Indigenous Peoples of India’, ‘Vanvasi’, ‘Vanyajati’, and the administration of constitutional privileges for ‘Scheduled Tribes’ (ST)

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A Contentious Term to denote Tribes as Indigenous Peoples of India | Full article >> In India the term ‘Adivasi’ has gained immense popularity in the last few decades to identify the tribes. This term is more commonly brought to use by the NGO circles and activists of the ‘mainstream’ or ‘mainland’ India. The term has also … Read more

“A historic opportunity of integrating conservation and livelihood rights of the people”: The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act – Reports & Articles

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The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is a result of the protracted struggle by the marginal and tribal communities of our country to assert their rights over the forestland over which they were traditionally dependent. This Act is crucial to the rights of millions of tribals and … Read more

“Rethinking tribals”: Articles on Adivasi culture in Folio Special issue

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Ever since the Portuguese travel writers and missionaries decided to describe the vast variety of ethnic and occupational groups and sects of the Indian subcontinent in terms of “caste” and “tribe”, the terms have stuck to society as long-worn masks that start becoming one’s real personality. The result is that today no Indian describes society … Read more

Resilience of indigenous culture in the face of assimilatory processes and modernisation: Reflections on tribal identity in Bastar District – Chhattisgarh

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Excerpts from interviews on the occasion of a major exhibition in Museum Rietberg, Zürich (Switzerland), The Telegraph, Sunday, July 22, 2012 Source: Tribal trystAddress : http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120722/jsp/graphiti/story_15755328.jsp#.VMjPr3YkJrhDate Visited: Wed Jan 28 2015 13:02:10 GMT+0100 (CET) Bastar Folk Art – Shrines, Figurines And Memorials by Michel Postel and Zarine Cooper, Franco-Indian Research Private Limited, Mumbai : Franco-Indian Research, 1999. | … Read more

South India’s largest collection of forestry artefacts: The Gass Forest Museum in Coimbatore – Tamil Nadu

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Esther Elias, The Hindu, Coimbatore, July 9, 2012 | To read the full story and view more images, click here >> The Gass Forest Museum located within the 100-year-old TNFA has many stories to tell. It hosts South India’s largest collection of forestry artefacts including timber and non-timber forest produce, geological samples, tribal armaments and … Read more