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

Revival of interest in aboriginal history: The “Khoe”, descendants of herders who introduced pottery 2000 years ago – Southern Africa

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Read the full article by Prof. Andrew B. Smith >> The name ‘Hottentot’, or its Afrikaans shortening ‘Hotnot’, became a disparaging term for people of colour at the Cape. Today we refer to the aboriginal herders of the Cape by the name they would have called themselves: Khoekhoen =’people people’ or ‘real people’ (non-gender specific plural). … Read more

Wastewater snow would ruin a mountain considered sacred – Flagstaff (USA)

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[R]ivers run through Navajo lands but the water is diverted to golf courses in Phoenix […] while natives lack legal rights to the water and can’t even get plumbing to wash their hands. Source: Janene Yazzie, a Navajo community organizer, explained to her interlocutor from the New York Times quoted by Vinay Lal (Professor of … Read more

Malayalam poetry to hitherto unexpressed human conditions: “The city’s late discovery of the forest” – Kerala

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S Joseph, who introduced Malayalam poetry to hitherto unexpressed human conditions (Meenkaran, Mesthri, Kotta, Identity Card, Chila Irunda Idangal, Aana, Maruku, Pengalude Bible) with very ordinary, pared down words, has wandered through life’s mean streets to reach where he is today. Indeed, he has come a long way as a man and a poet. His grubby backyard … Read more

Audio | The inspiration of our village development work – West Bengal

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Rabindranath Tagore’s idea of education not only revitalized our initiative of village work but also strengthened our belief that the positive cultural values of Santal life can play an important role in sustainable development of our society even in the modern world.  Dr. Boro Baski in “The inspiration of our village development work”