“Adivasi [Adibasi] – which is derived from Sanskrit – is applied to the dark-skinned or Austro-Asiatic indigenous groups of India (usually those from Eastern India). It is a commonly-used term in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. It is also used by the local Mongoloid tribes of North Eastern India for the migrant workers who were brought in as indentured labourers to work in tea plantations during the colonial period. ‘Tribal’ is a very broad term in the English language, as we all know, and includes all the different indigenous groups of India.” – Santali poet, scholar and translator Ivy Imogene Hansdak (email dated 27 March 2020)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23032
Watch a video documentary on Santali marriage customs >> The original inhabitants of South Asia are known as Adivasi. Their lifestyle is generally marked by a profound respect for nature. It is this sense of harmony that sustained the life of countless tribal communities for thousands of years. Today’s changes include carbon dioxide pollution caused … Read more
Source: “Perceiving the Forest: Early India Studies” in History (February 2001 17: 1-16)URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/025764300101700101 | Backup (PDF, 1MB) >>Date Visited: 6 November 2021 The Aryans describe their enemies as dark in complexion, noseless or flat-nosed, of harsh speech, not honouring the Aryan gods, not observing the Aryan religious ritual, but rich in material possessions and … Read more
Introduction: Some considerations on dance in tribal India (Excerpts pp. 126-127) The symbolic and ritual use of dance in the Indian Subcontinent is so diverse and widespread that we cannot but restrict ourselves here to some general considerations. Acting as a rhythmic order, the dance of gods and mythical heroes contributes to the cyclical adjustment … Read more
Within the world of food collection […] Hunts such as these, all of them taking place in the months preceding the monsoon and involving only men, made me first realize that ‘hunting’ is not synonymous with ‘meat’ or ‘food’, and that there were other connotations attached to the activity. They inevitably involved rituals and, often, first fruit … Read more
Read the full post here | View all posts by vsanthakumar >> The central and state governments in India, and organizations such as Azim Premji Foundation are committed to the agenda of `quality schooling for all’. Adivasies constitute nearly 9 percent of Indian population. Their under-achievements in education are alarming for those who are concerned … Read more