Muthuvan Tribe : Protest
A rare convention of the Muthuvan community has taken on a novel mission to protect their language and culture, organising a three-day special conference as part of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
- The Muthuvans, or Mudugars, live on the border hill forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- There are two different groups among the Muthuvan, and they speak slightly two different dialects. Hence, they call each other Malayalam Muthuvan and Pandi Muthuvan.
- They are known for coexisting with the wildlife with their traditional knowledge and understanding of hills.
- They have expertise in traditional medicines which are very effective and these medicines and the medicine men are confidentially preserved and passed on to the generations.
- The Muthuvan have six clans known as Koottams. Each koottam is again divided into sub clans.
- The functions of these divisions are mainly for marriage alliance, to keep up the social status, and to indicate descent and ancestry.
- The Muthuvan adhere to community endogamy and clan exogamy.
- These tribal people follow a unique system of governance called the ‘Kani System’.
- Under this system, each village is headed by a ‘Kani’, who is responsible for the administration of the village.
- They have various punishment methods for breaking their traditions and moral standards.
- They are animists and spirit worshippers and also worship the forest gods.
- They believe that the spirits of their ancestors are to be the first migrants to the hill forests.
- Virippukrishi (a form of shifting cultivation) is their traditional means of livelihood, and they cultivate a wide variety of food grains that are used only for consumption.
- Ragi (Little Millet), Maize (Sorghum), Thina (Italian Millet), Varagu, Chama Rice, Tomato, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Potato, Cheeni Vala, Toppi, Mocha, etc., are principal food crops cultivated by the Muthuvan community.
