Why In The News?

• The Dongria Kondh tribe of Odisha was recently featured for showcasing their vibrant identity and cultural resilience during a festival near the Niyamgiri Hills.

About Dongria Kondh Tribe:

Who Are They?

• The Dongria Kondh are an indigenous tribal community, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
• They are renowned for their environmental stewardship and successful resistance against bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills.

Habitat:

• Reside in scattered hamlets within the Niyamgiri hill range, spread across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in southwestern Odisha.
• These hills are ecologically rich and spiritually sacred to the tribe, home to their revered deity, Niyam Raja.

Key Features:

Language and Script:

• Speak Kui, an oral Dravidian language closely related to Gondi.
• Kui does not have a written script, though it is sometimes transcribed in the Odia script.

Physical and Cultural Traits:

• Known for their distinctive dress and adornment, Women wear minimal clothing, metallic nose pins, tattoos, and long rows of earrings.
• Men wear colourful turbans and loincloths with traditional body tattoos.
• Use traditional knowledge to practise podu (shifting) cultivation, growing millets, turmeric, pineapples, and other crops.

Social and Religious Life:

• Follow animism, ancestor worship, and nature-centric spiritual beliefs.
• The tribe includes sub-groups like Kovi, Kuttia, Languli, Penga, and Jharnia.
• Uphold traditions through oral storytelling, song, dance, and community rituals.