“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
The clip is called Setu, meaning bridge and features Jeetendra Vasava, a young writer belonging to the Narmada region in south Gujarat. Jeetendra speaks Dehwali, a tribal language spoken in regions of south Gujarat and northern Maharashtra. Jeetendra is a faculty member at the Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh. In the clip he speaks of oral traditions, the … Read more
Tattooing the face, maybe a style fad today, but for certain tribal and indigenous people in the far North East of the country, such tattoos have been a integral way of life for ages. And now, a 27-year-old Naga youth from Manipur is working to revive and give a new form to the traditional tattooing … Read more
Folklore, myths and handloom Hidden within the colour, weave and design of tribal textiles are many legends If you were to look beyond the visible landscape of a weave, you would find myriad stories hidden in the colours and designs—tales about human creation, magical deities and kindred forest spirits. These patterns offer tangible evidence of legends … Read more
Reams have been written about adivasis by so-called experts. Much of it is subjective interpretation, an exercise I have always been wary of indulging in. For this issue, therefore, my husband Stan and I recorded reflections of different adivasis on how they view life, their religion, politics, the past, the present and the world around … Read more
The documented Art forms include Folk Dances, Folk Musical Instruments, Traditional Paintings, Classical Music, Classical Dance, Folk Arts and Crafts, Traditional Festivals, Folk Theatre etc. Besides, documentation on different art forms is taken up by the centre regularly. The Documentation Cell of the Centre has many rare art forms documented. Documented art forms will also … Read more