IASNOVA
Kui Language- Kondh Tribe (Odisha)
- Kui Language in the News: The Odisha Cabinet proposed including the Kui language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
- Part of the Dravidian Family of languages, primarily spoken by the Kondh/Kandha Tribe, Odisha’s largest tribe.
- Utilizes Odia Script; includes dialects like Khondi, Gumsai.
Muthuvan Tribe and Nilgiri Tahr Conservation:
Tamil Nadu Forest Department includes the Muthuvan tribe in the Nilgiri Tahr conservation project as of October 18, 2023.
- Muthuvan Tribe:
- Resides in the border hill forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Practices animism and spirit worship, including forest gods.
- Known for their coexistence with wildlife and traditional ecological knowledge.
- Governed by the ‘Kani System’ with village heads known as ‘Kani’.
- Project Tahr:
- Aims to improve understanding and conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr through surveys, radio telemetry, and habitat restoration from 2022 to 2027.
- Focuses on public awareness and addressing threats to the species.
Koya Tribes
- Koya Tribe conserves Indian Bison by stopping the use of horns for traditional flutes.
- Located in Papikonda, Andhra Pradesh, and also in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.
- Speak Gondi, Telugu, and Koyi; practice settled cultivation and animal husbandry.
- Known for Kommu Koya dance and Permakore flute, incorporating Bison horns.
Sammakka Sarakka Jatra
- Sammakka, married to Kakatiya dynasty chief Pagididda Raju, lived in Warangal with her children Sarakka, Nagulamma, and Jampanna.
- In the 13th century, Sarakka died and Sammakka vanished after battling tax imposition by local rulers.
- Koya tribals believe Sammakka transformed into a vermillion casket.
- Mulugu holds a biennial festival – the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara – often referred to as the Kumbh Mela of the tribals.
- The event commemorates the battle of the mother-daughter duo against the imposition of taxes on the Koya people.
Hakki Pikki
- Hakki-Pikki tribe in Karnataka, traditionally known as bird catchers (“Hakki” means bird, “Pikki” means to catch).
- Primarily located in Shivamogga, Davanagere, Mysuru districts; speak ‘Vaagri’. UNESCO has listed Vaagri as endangered language.
- Known for traditional medical knowledge, especially plant and herb-based medicines, demanded in African countries.
Pahadi Korvas
- PVTGs group in Chhattisgarh
Kokborok Language
- Kokborok is spoken by Borok people in Tripura; “kok” means “verbal”, “borok” means “people”.
- It’s a Sino-Tibetan language, dating back to the 1st century AD, noted in the Rajratnakar book.
- Belongs to Tibeto-Burman language group, tracing back to Sino-Tibetan family.
Toto Language
- Toto language, a Sino-Tibetan language, is spoken by Toto tribe in West Bengal near Bhutan.
- “Toto Shabda Sangraha” dictionary compiled to prevent extinction; uses Bengali script.
- Dhaniram Toto created a script for the language in 2015; spoken by around 1,600 people.
Zo tribes:
- The Zo people comprise various tribes, including Chin, Kuki, Mizo, Lushei, Zomi, and others, spread across Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh. The tribes share a common history, including migration and settlements in different regions, and are connected by their Christian faith.
- The movement for Zo reunification, while emotionally appealing to the people of Mizoram, faces political challenges in terms of carving out areas from Manipur, Tripura, and neighbouring countries for integration with Mizoram.
Shompen Tribe
- Location: Resides in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Isolation: Among the world’s most isolated tribes, largely uncontacted and avoiding external interactions.
- Population: Census 2011 estimated 229, but the exact number remains uncertain.
- Status: Classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in India, with minimal studies conducted on them.
- Lifestyle: Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, relying on hunting, gathering, fishing, and basic horticulture for sustenance, with pandanus fruit as a staple food.
Dhokra Shilpkala
- Chhattisgarh’s Ocher Studio is preserving the 4,000-year-old Dhokra Shilpkala, a craft from the Dhokra Damar tribes.
- Originated among tribal communities in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
- Noted for its unique lost wax casting method.
- Dhokra Damar tribes are the main traditional metalsmiths of Odisha and West Bengal.The tribe extends from Jharkhand to West Bengal and Odisha; members are distant cousins of the Chhattisgarh Dhokras.
Bru (Reang) Refugees
Why in news?
- The Tripura government has allocated land for the rehabilitation of the last batch of Mizoram Bru refugees.
- These refugees were granted permanent settlement in Tripura through a Home Ministry-initiated quadripartite agreement signed in January 2020.
Background
- Brus, also known as Reangs, are an indigenous tribal community from northeast India, particularly in Mizoram, Tripura, and Assam.
- In Tripura, Brus are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Their religious practices vary by region, with many in Assam and Tripura being Hindu, while those in Mizoram have largely converted to Christianity.
- Many Brus in Tripura have faced over two decades of internal displacement, primarily due to ethnic persecution from Mizoram.
- The crisis began in 1995 with demands from various groups in Mizoram to remove Brus from the state’s electoral rolls, claiming they were not indigenous.
- Migration to Tripura: Ethnic clashes in 1997 forced many Brus to flee to neighboring Tripura, where approximately 35,000 continue to live in refugee camps, particularly in north Tripura’s Kanchanpur.
Soligas and Yeravas: Indigenous Communities of Peninsular India
Soligas
- Location: Primarily in Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, Karnataka, near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara.
- Diet: Honey and foraged food from the Ghats; use Silver cockscomb as a nutritious vegetable.
- Recognition: First tribal community within a tiger reserve in India to have forest rights recognized by law.
- Cultural Contribution: A new genus of wasp, Soliga ecarinata, named in their honor.
Yeravas
- Origin: Migrated from Wayanad, Kerala to Kodagu, Karnataka.
- Diet: Heavy reliance on tubers, with mushrooms being a monsoon dietary addition.
- Language: Speak their own language, Ravula.
Common Challenges
- Land use changes and policy shifts impacting traditional food sources.
- Loss of traditional knowledge due to youth migration.
