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

Video | Santal flute played by Gokul Hansda: Reviving traditional culture in Santal villages around Santiniketan – West Bengal

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Gokula Hansda – Santal bamboo flute (Har tiriyo) Gokula Hansda is a Santal educator and co-founder of Kulhidhuri, an organization devoted to preserving and reviving traditional Santal culture. Its members collect and sing traditional Santal songs at festivals throughout West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. They wish to re-establish these songs as part of the informal education of … Read more

eJournal | Special issue dedicated to the study of tribal culture in India (open access) – Asian Ethnology

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Kondagaon Dance Competition 2004 from Asian Ethnology on Vimeo. Editors’ Note Frank J. Korom (Boston University) & Benjamin Dorman (Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture), 28 September 2014, Nagoya, Japan This year we bring you a special double issue dedicated to the study of tribal culture in India. Some of our readers might wonder why we … Read more

The Sohrai harvest festival of the Santals: Photos and customs explained by the Daricha Foundation – West Bengal and Jharkhand

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The harvest festival of Sohrai is the biggest and most important festival of the Santals. During this festival, Santals pay homage to their gods and their ancestors as a thanksgiving for their crops, their cattle, their ploughs and everything that has helped them attain this harvest. | To read the full article and view more … Read more

The story behind “Sohrai”: The harvest festival that keeps scattered Santal communities connected – Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Bangladesh and Nepal

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By Boro Baski The Santals of northern and middle Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Bangladesh and Nepal celebrates their biggest cultural festival ‘Sohrae’ from 25th Pouṣ of Bangla Calendar. In earlier times, this festival used to be celebrated during Kalipuja in the month of Aświn-Kartik (i.e. from the middle of September to the middle of November). It … Read more

Video | Voices of Bhil tribal from semi-arid forest: A documentary on forest Rights by Purabi Bose – Rajasthan

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Forest Rights: Jung Jungle aur Jungle ke logo ka. Voices of Bhil tribal from semi-arid forest, Rajasthan, India. A short video documentary (14mins) film ‘Forest Rights’ is produced and directed by Purabi Bose based on research field work data collection. Camera assistance by Savyasachi. The film brings the voices of marginalised scheduled tribes, in particular, … Read more