Tribal elders

“We plant the trees for our children in the memory of our elders who planted for us.” – Fundia Bai Parte of Korku village in Betul (Madhya Pradesh), interviewed in “Protectors dubbed criminals” by Aparna Pallavi (Down To Earth, 7 June 2015)
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/protectors-dubbed-criminals-38993
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=20447

Revival of interest in traditional folk medicine: Medicinal plants reported with the help of the Paliyar community (Theni district) – Tamil Nadu

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Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Paliyar tribals in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India.[My paper] S Ignacimuthu, M Ayyanar, K SankarasivaramanEntomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Chennai-600 034, Tamil Nadu, India. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the Paliyar tribals in various tribal villages of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India during December 2004 to January … Read more

The Adivasi way of life: Utopian or worth emulating by ‘mainstream’ society? – An ongoing debate

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Anyone who has had some meaningful interaction with India’s indigenous or adivasi people, cannot fail to be touched by the encounter. There is a directness in them, an absence of artifice or guile, an almost childlike innocence, born of simplicity combined with a lack of greed and avarice. The more interior and untouched a village, … Read more

The unique narrative of shawls worn among 16 major tribes: Reflecting one’s social standing and the younger generation’s changing tastes – Nagaland

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ANTHONY KURIAKOSE narrates how each Naga shawl is a thing of beauty, mystery, history and eternal appeal. And how each shawl wraps in its folds, a unique narrative. In the textile history of  India, the warrior shawls of  Nagaland have a special place and  like  their counterpart,  the Scottish kilt,  these  too need to be … Read more

Learn more about tribal communities in Tamil Nadu

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Shivaratri celebrations by the Kota community in the Nilgiri mountains – Tamil Nadu

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Videos taken during Shivaratri, the main annual festival celebtrated by the Kota community More videos and background information provided by Venkatesh Lakshmanan >> For an in-depth study of Kota culture and music, refer to Richard K. Wolf’s award-winning study, The Black Cow’s Footprint: Time, Space, and Music in the Lives of the Kotas of South India >>