Within Tamil Nadu there are 36 scheduled tribes, many of which can be found within the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. Of those who are considered as part of the scheduled tribes in Tamil Nadu, there are six groups that are approved as Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs), all of which can be found in the NBR: Kattunaickens, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Paniyans, and Todas. The characteristics of a PTG include: “a pre-agriculture level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and a subsistence level of economy” (P.5, Paniyans of Nilgiri District Tamil Nadu). When defining a tribe there can be a multitude of answers. On description from the Tribal Cultural Documentation sources a definition from anthropologist T.B. Nayak that directly states – “A tribe is a social group with territorial affiliation, endogamous, with no specialization of functions, ruled by tribal officers, hereditary or otherwise, united in language or dialect… following tribal traditions, beliefs and customs illiberal of naturalization of ideas from alien sources, above all conscious of a homogeneity of ethnic and territorial integration” (p.1, Paniyans of Nilgiri District Tamil Nadu) In the NBR, and even as small as the Nilgiri district within, there are multiple tribes, each with their own…
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Traditions that incorporate conservation practices The practice of wild honey collection, even when done with the utmost regard for the environment and natural systems, still has a negative impact on the honeybees in the end. The very apparent harmful impact is the fact that the honey is the main source of food for the honeybees, especially for the brood. Honey hunting is even more harmful when it is done out of complete disregard for the honey bees. For instance, some honey hunting has involved the destruction of an entire hive by putting direct fire on the comb, thus much of the brood and adult bees will be killed. However, there are ways in which the varying tribes of the Nilgiris have sought to make their practices more sustainable. For example, most honey hunters nowadays will only put smoke near the hive to encourage them to temporarily abscond the nest, as opposed to directly burning the colony. Since the honeycombs on cliffs are at a 45 degree angle, only part of the hive attached to the cliff will have the honey. Thus, with proper dexterity (of course, while dangling from a cliff) a skilled honey hunter can stab out only the…
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Collective Information There are various tribal groups spread throughout this area of Orissa as well as other places. Some of these groups include the Kolha, Bataudi, Santal, Saunti, and Bhuiyan. There are also groups that are considered PTVG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups), specifically the: Khadia, Mankaria, and Lodha. These groups are also renowned for wild honey collection, although for the Mankaria it is not a consistent practice. Instead the Mankaria people are more known for their craftsmanship with rope making. The Khadia, Mankaria, and Lodha have a common practice of NTFP (non timber forest products) . Ten years prior, their main source of livelihood was simply NTFP collection, however now they have had to start participating in wage labor and agriculture. The other tribal groups also practice agriculture and NTFP collection but this does not include gathering wild honey. The largest community are the Santal, a tribal group that can found in multiple Indian states, while the Manakaria are the smallest group with only 103 households remaining. The Specific numbers of the tribal groups are: Santhal (51,815), Kolha (42,209), Bhuyan (16, 291), Saunti (13, 396), Bathudi (22, 604), Khadia (4000), Lodha (758), and Mankidia (580). The communities estimate that they…
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  These are the stories of the Honey Hunters of the Similipal Biosphere Reserve, the Mayurbhanj Distict, of Orissa. The honey hunters hail from the various tribal groups of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and for several of the indigenous groups their histories and traditional practices have been recorded, albeit with some missing information but nevertheless documented. However, the purpose of these anecdotes is to show the personal narratives of each honey hunter and their own distinct experience; to go outside the limitations of textbook information and read about personal accounts. To understand a certain group of people it is necessary to have anthropological information and it is equally important to know the stories of individuals within that group. A few of the simple questions that were asked included: What is your favorite/most memorable moment from honey hunting? Why do you continue honey hunting? Will this tradition continue? Have you noticed any changes in this practice? Below are the summations of their answers; sometimes there is a common thread response and other times an individual gives a completely unique account.   Surendra Dehuri  He is a honey hunter that comes from a village called Gandiadar, found at the edge of Simlipal National Park in…
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