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

The “Dungari mata” sacred grove maintained by Bhil and Bhilala communities: A custom that helps to preserve medicinal plants in the face of environmental degradation – Madhya Pradesh

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Inventory of ethnobotanicals and other systematic procedures for regional conservation of medicinal and sacred plants Author: Vijay V Wagh Affiliation: Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226 001, India; Ashok K Jain Affiliation: School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 474 011, India … Read more

Documentary on the matrilineal Khasi Tribe: A social order where women are dignified and not discriminated against – Meghalaya

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By Kamayani Bali Mahabal | To read the full article with images, click here >> Filmmaker Aditya Seth demystifies the traditions and culture of the matrilineal Khasi tribe of Meghalaya, as they discover their place in a fast-changing world. […] In his latest 60-minute documentary, ‘Are They Better Off’, screened recently at the National Centre for the Performing Arts … Read more

eJournal | The New Institutionalized Religion of the Tangsa Community – Assam & Arunachal Pradesh

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Abstract In recent years, elites in many small ethnic communities in northeast India have made attempts to revive, reform and institutionalize their traditional religious practices in order to stem the tide of conversion to world religions and also to use their new religion as a marker for their ethnic identity. In this paper, I focus … Read more

Video | “Share your groundwater story!”: World Water Day held annually on 22 March – United Nations

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GROUNDWATER – MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere. Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater. As climate change gets worse, groundwater will become more and more critical. We need … Read more

eBook | Online resource: “Tribes of India: The Struggle for Survival” by Christoph Fürer-Haimendorf

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This book tells of observations among Indian tribal populations spanning the period from 1940 to 1980. Ever since 1936, when a study of the Konyak Nagas marked the beginning of my career as an anthropological field-worker, I have maintained contacts with Indian tribesmen. […] Any realistic and unbiased analysis of the present situation of the Indian tribes … Read more