The importance of one’s mother-tongue in primary education: Suitable teaching methods and textbooks

Imagine yourself as a child attending school only to realize that you cannot understand anything said by your teachers (and vice-versa) … Yet this has long been the unenviable situation faced by “tribal” children all over the world including India, a country whose constitution protects the right of children to learn through their mother tongue: Across the region, … Read more

Inculcating pride for their mother tongue in Madia children: Language is more than a medium of communication – Maharashtra

Samiksha Godse-Amte, The Hindu, April 3, 2013 | Read the full article here >> When an ‘apple’ was shown in a kindergarten class and asked what it was, the question was greeted with silence as the children had never seen one before. But when they were shown a mahua flower; they all came up with … Read more

On protecting one’s unique culture and tradition while gaining access to education and “modern civilization”: Dambaru Sisha, the first MLA from the reclusive Bonda community – Odisha

Priya Ranjan Sahu, Hindustan Times  Bhubaneswar, May 23, 2014 The Bondas, one of India’s most primitive tribes living in the remote hills of Odisha’s Malkangiri district, turned a new leaf on Friday. Dambaru Sisha, 34, took the oath of office as the first MLA from the reclusive tribes that remained untouched by civilization for centuries. … Read more

Video | “Walking is a form of dancing, and speech, a song”: An appeal by a Video Volunteer to include Adivasis’ rich heritage in holiday camps – Jharkhand

To view this video on YouTube and learn more about Priyasheela’s appeal, click here >> For the Adivasis of Jharkhand, culture is their last bastion of hope. […] Community Correspondent Priyasheela is an Adivasi living in Ranchi. Priya, a mother of two, considers one of the biggest challenges while bringing up her kids, the task of ensuring that they have … Read more

An “unprecedented opportunity” presented at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples: Report on globally important ecosystem services – BBC News

By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News, 19 September 2014 | To read the full article, click here >> Recognising the land rights of local people could provide cost-effective protection for many of the world’s tropical forests, a report says. But existing initiatives to tackle deforestation were poorly suited to deal with the issue, it added. … Read more