Tribal identity

“While benefiting from affirmative action in some cases, Adivasis or indigenous people in India also feel the claustrophobic confines of their identity which has been imposed on them by others, be it the colonial administrator, the colonial anthropologist, the missionary or the neo-liberal, neo-imperialist forces that rule global economy today.” – Santali poet, scholar and translator Ivy Imogene Hansdak  in “Is tribal identity relevant in today’s world?”, Inaugural Speech, National Conference “Tribes In Transition-II: Reaffirming Indigenous Identity Through Narrative” (2017)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=23032

“Tribal communities are a standing example” – National workshop highlights the role of tribal women in the preservation of eco historic cultural heritage in India

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Mari Marcel Thekaekara, writer and Co-founder of ACCORD-Nilgiris says the tribal communities are a standing example of how women play a major role in preservation of eco historic cultural heritage in India “Once, I was walking with this young tribal girl through the forest and we stumbled upon a tuber. She plucked it, cut the … Read more

An exemplary life story – Dr. Munda remembered for integrating tradition into modern-day life

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Musician, linguist, writer, scholar, educationist, institution-builder, tribal activist — and a key figure in creation of Jharkhand — Ram Dayal Munda passed away in Ranchi on September 30 at the age of 72. […] Dr. Munda believed strongly that the Adivasis would survive only if their culture continued to flourish: Nachi se banchi (Dance to … Read more

eBook | Creation of Night and Day (Rathwi) – A story from Gujarat

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Long, long ago there was a time when the sun would shine all along in the sky and there would always be light on earth …

Adivasi music – bibliography

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Audio-resource-link: The Muria and Maria Gonds of Madhya Pradesh – audio examples and information >> Babiracki, C.M., ‘Tribal music in the study of great and little traditions of Indian music’. In: B. Nettl (ed.), Comparative musicology and anthropology of music. Chicago, 1990. Bhattachary S., 5., Ethno-musicology and India. Calcutta,1968. Deva, B.C., Musical instruments. Delhi, 1977. … Read more

The Bhil of Central India – Madhya Pradesh

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The Bhil tribe is a proud and ancient ethnic group inhabiting the Western part of Central India with the highest concentration in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh State. Well over 1.5 million of them live as marginal farmers in almost 2000 villages. The members of the Bhil tribe possess a vast array of rich customs … Read more