Scheduled Tribe of Uttarakhand :

Tribes of Uttarakhand mainly comprise five major groups namely Jaunsari tribe, Tharu tribe, Raji tribe, Buksa tribe and Bhotiyas. In terms of population Jaunsari tribe is the largest tribal group of the state. Tribes of Uttarakhand represent the ethnic groups residing in the state. Every district of Uttarakhand has more or less a moderate percentage of tribal population. In the state of Uttarakhand, the main concentration of tribal population is in the rural areas. As per records, around 94.50 percent of total tribal population resides in rural areas and the remaining percentage of tribal population lives in urban centers. It is said that officially Uttarakhand is the home of around five tribes. These tribes of Uttarakhand have been scheduled in the Constitution of India. Historical records suggest that the tribes of Uttarakhand are earliest settlers of this region of North India. In the past, their main concentrations were confined to remote hilly and forested areas. 

Bhoksa People :

Bhoksa, also known as Buksa, are indigenous peoples living mainly in the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. They are mostly concentrated in Dehradun and Nainital districts in the foothills of the outer Himalayas. They are also found in the Bijnor districtof Uttar Pradesh, where they are known as Mehra. Both communities have been granted Scheduled Tribe status. The language of Bhoksa is one of the Tharu languages.

There are various traditions as to why the community acquired the name Bhoksa. According to some experts, the name is a corruption of the word buqra, which is root found in the Terai, and was the staple diet of the Bhoksa. Other traditions state that they acquired the name on account of the fact that their appearance was unkempt, and their neighbours gave the name boksa, which means a mountain goat in the local Pahari language. In Dehradun and Bijnor districts, they are known as Mehra, which is said to be a corruption of the Hindi word mehram, which means a knowledgeable person. They are said to have acquired this name on the account of the fact that they were the only community that was employed as guides by travelers in the Terai. 

As of 2001, the Bhoksa of Uttarakhand were classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of affirmative action. As Buksa, they are similarly classified in Uttar Pradesh.

Jaunsari People :

The Jaunsari are a tribal community found in Uttarakhand, northern India, more specifically in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of the western portion of the state in Garhwal Division. They speak the Jaunsari language and are listed as one of the Scheduled Tribes in the Indian Constitution.

Raji people :

The Raji people are a community found in Uttarakhand, India. As of 2001, the Raji people are classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.

Tharu people :

The Tharu people are an ethnic group indigenous to the southern foothills of the Himalayas; most of the Tharu people live in the NepalTerai. The word tharu is thought to be derived from sthavir meaning follower of Theravada Buddhism. Some Tharu groups also live in the Indian Terai, foremost in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Tharus are recognized as an official nationality by the Government of Nepal. The Government of India recognizes the Tharu people as a scheduled tribe.

The origin of the Tharu people is not clear but surrounded by myths and oral tradition. The Rana Tharus claim to be of Rajput origin and have migrated from the Thar Desert to Nepal's Far Western Terai region. Tharu people farther east claim to be descendants of the Sakya and Koliya peoples living in Kapilvastu. The Tharu people themselves say that they are a people of the forest. In Chitwan, they have lived in the forests for hundreds of years practicing a short fallow shifting cultivation. They plant rice, wheat, mustard, corn and lentils, but also collect forest products such as wild fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and materials to build their houses; hunt deer, rabbit and wild boar, and go fishing in the rivers and oxbow lakes.

The Tharus never went abroad for employment – a life that kept them isolated in their own localities. In this isolation they developed a unique culture free from the influence of adjacent India, or from the mountain groups of Nepal. The most striking aspects of their environment are the decorated rice containers, colorfully painted verandahs and outer walls of their homes using only available materials like clay, mud, dung and grass. 

Traditionally, marriages were often arranged during the pregnancies of two women. If they gave birth to opposite sex babies, the two babies were supposed to be married if they grew up as friends. It was problematic if a boy or girl came of age and rejected their assigned fiance. Finding a replacement was difficult because most girls and boys were already engaged. However this custom has been disappearing. Most Tharus now practice conventional arranged marriages. They also practice love marriages, inter caste marriage, marriage after courtship and eloping.

 Bhotiya : 

Uttarakhand Bhotiya are an ethno-linguistic group of people residing in the upper Himalayan valleys of the Kumaon and Garhwal divisions of Uttarakhand state, India and in Darchula district, Nepal. These include the Shaukas of Kumaon and Tolchhas and Marchhas of Garhwal. Their name, Bhotiya, derives from the word Bod , which is the Classical Tibetan name for Tibet. Bhotiya is the name used by the Constitution of India, throughout Nepal and by most people of the area. The name Bhutia is also sometimes used, though it more commonly refers to the Sikkimese people.
Ethnic groups : Groups within the Bhotiya of Uttarakhand include:

Rangkas : The isolated Rangkas tribe has a population of 600 and is found in the outskirts of the Mahakali valley. According to Ethnologue, the Rangkas are ethnically related or are of the Johar tribe.

Byansis : The religion practised by the Byansis leans towards Bön-Animism, with influences from Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism.

Social status :

As of 2001, the Uttarakhandi Bhotiyas were classified as a Scheduled Tribe under the Indian government's reservation program of positive discrimination.

   The tribes of Uttarakhand have retained their age old traditional ways of living. They represent the distinctive culture and traits of a primitive life. Their traditional norms and socio-cultural practices determine their ethnicity. Officially Uttarakhand is home to as many as five tribes which have been scheduled in the Constitution of India, more than four decades back in 1967. It has been often wondered at the bewildering diversity one witnesses in the habitat, population, ethnicity, socio- cultural norms and practices, modes of livelihoods, languages and dialects and their interactions both with each other and the rest of the inhabitants in their neighborhoods.