Customs

“We have a song for every situation. We feel money takes away from the enjoyment of life. But to earn a livelihood, people have to learn other languages.” – Santal teacher Pada Murmu interviewed by Nandini Nair (OPEN Magazine, 13 January 2017)
https://openthemagazine.com/features/dispatch/santali-talking-time/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=21581

Eco-spirituality in the face of climate change: Learning from the Kaani (Kani) community of Kanyakumari District – Tamil Nadu & Kerala

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ECO-SPIRITUALITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE WITH REFERENCE TO THE KAANI TRIBE OF KANYAKUMARI FORESTS Davidson Sargunam (Nagercoil) & S Suja (Associate Professor, Women’s Christian College, College Road, Chennai) ABSTRACT The Kaani tribal people live in 48 Tribal Settlements in the deep jungles and forests of Kanyakumari in the Western Ghats. They live in consonance with Nature … Read more

Audio | CBC Unreserved on “Decolonizing the classroom: Is there space for Indigenous knowledge in academia?” – Canada

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Priyamvada Gopal on the rights of indigenous peoples (Adivasi in India): Colonialiality is a dynamic we need to be alert for as much in the present even within so-called independent, decolonized countries [quote from 31:30 onwards] Listen to the full episode including an interview with author Priyamvada Gopal (53:59) on CBC radio >> Priyamvada Gopal’s … Read more

The champions from Stuartpuram: Yerukulas as role models bringing hope to a new generation – Andhra Pradesh

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The Yerukulas were first criminalised by the British and forced into a ‘reformatory’ colony named ‘Stuartpuram’ in 1913. P. Samuel Jonathan reports on the tragic history of a community devastated by colonial prejudice and tracks their struggle to reclaim a life of dignity. | Read the full story >> The Yerukulas were originally traders of grain and salt … Read more

Elephants – a way of life for the Korubas of South India – Karnataka

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ASHOKA, ELEPHANT BOY, Age 17Excerpts from Mother India’s Children by Edward Rice Sometimes India reminds me of the ocean. It looks like one great undifferentiated mass of people, like so many identical waves. To the tourists who jump from Calcutta to the Taj Mahal in Agra and then to Bombay, it is. All Indians look … Read more

Learn from “insiders” to fight misconceptions: Ideas and practices worth sharing

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There’s much to learn from the positive contributions made by tribal communities on a daily basis. To start with, let’s learn from insiders and others who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that a precious heritage will continue to make a difference to people from all backgrounds – all over India and even beyond: “[I]t … Read more