New Delhi: Living in urban areas, most of us have never had exposure to indigenous tribes, let alone knowledge about their lives and lifestyles. When the average person thinks of tribes, the first thing that comes to mind is primitive savages who wear animal skins and take part in elaborate rituals, dependent on external aid yet resistant to outside influence. However, these stereotypes are completely untrue and perpetuating them can lead to discrimination and ostracism, which could further cause injustice in many ways as well as an erosion of their rich culture. Let us learn about five indigenous tribes and where they can be found worldwide.
Places where Indigenous tribes are found
North Sentinel Island, India
Maasai Mara, Kenya
Papua New Guinea
Amazon Rainforest, Brazil/Peru
Navajo Nation, USA
North Sentinel Island, India
Living in India’s Andaman Islands, the Sentinelese are among the few uncontacted tribes worldwide. A hunter-gatherer people, they are fiercely protective of their island and culture, killing almost anyone who dares enter their space.
Said to reside in huts and build canoes, which they use to navigate the shallow waters of the reef, this tribe is also well-equipped with weapons like spears, knives, bows, and arrows, which they frequently use to attack and kill any intruders that venture close to the remote island.
Maasai Mara, Kenya
Inhabiting the Maasai Mara, one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world, the Maasai are a friendly and welcoming people. They live as semi-nomadic pastoralists with a long-standing relationship with tourism industries in the area. Proud traditionalists, members of this tribe still practice hunting and surviving in the wild and are customarily warriors. Clad in bright red robes, the Maasai are calm and courageous, commanding great respect from even British colonisers.
Papua New Guinea
Most natives of this island nation are Melanesians, identifiable by their dark skin and blond hair. One of the most linguistically diverse countries globally, the tribal population speaks over 800 languages. While the tribe has been known to worship natural elements, Christianity has become increasingly popular due to missionary activities. Storytelling, mask making, body painting, tattoos and elaborate woven art items have a cultural and spiritual significance. The tribe is also known for its vibrant festivals, including dance and music, celebrating various social activities like marriages, agricultural prosperity, etc.
Amazon Rainforest, Brazil/Peru
Concentrated with about 400 tribes, the inhabitants live deep inside the forests or by the rivers, utilising the fertile soil for agriculture and the river for fishing. Threatened by deforestation, predators and deadly mosquitos, these tribes are mostly nomads who adhere to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. While all the tribes differ concerning where they live within the Amazon rainforest and their clothes, face painting is a tradition common to all the tribes populating the vast area.
Navajo Nation, USA
Occupying parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, this area is home to the Navajo tribe, the original inhabitants of the United States of America. Although many live in this land allotted to them by the government, many members of the tribe have moved to more urban areas, as their culture has integrated with that of modern Americans. They continued to live a predominantly traditional lifestyle till the early 21st century, speaking their language and practising their religion and social structure. In World War II, the Navajo used their native language to communicate important information through the radio, a strategy that foiled the enemy monitoring of radio lines.
All tribes, be it the Maasai in Kenya or the Sentinelese in India, have a rich history and culture that is unique to them and must be preserved. Read on to find out more about such tribes and the parts of our world they inhabit. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
