Tribal Knowledge Systems: Tracing the Roots

This book delineates tribal knowledge systems and emphasizes their multidisciplinary nature. It describes their different components such as the science behind tribal art and architecture, medicinal and healing systems, agricultural and nutritional aspects, and ways of human-nature coherence. It highlights the importance of preservation and promotion of these knowledge systems to create a sustainable world. The book explains the structure and functions of tribal knowledge systems that have the potential to create a balance between nature and development. It describes the various approaches to traditional lifestyles and the conversion of those approaches into modern science and technology-based theories. It also outlines the policy framework developed by the government and the suite of legal instruments for preserving and promoting these knowledge systems in more scientific and applicable ways. This book will be useful to the students, researchers, and academicians working on tribal studies, indigenous knowledge systems, anthropology, sociology, tribal studies, development studies, cultural studies, and human/cultural and social geography.

Table of Contents:
Figures x Tables xi List of Contributors xii Foreword xviii Preface xix List of Abbreviations xxiv PART I Theoretical Foundations and the Conceptual Framework 1 1 Tribal Knowledge System: Meaning and Concept 3 PAVAN RAMESH TERDAL 2 Language and Oral Literature in Tribal Knowledge Dissemination 28 BALUMURI VENKATESWARLU 3 The Knowledge Systems of Tribal Women and Their Sustainable Indigenous Practices 47 NAGESH M AND ALEKYA CHALUMURI 4 Sacred Landscapes: Tribal Knowledge, Ecology, and Community Resilience 60 REONA SHINAM AND SHRAVAN B RAJ PART II Indigenous Health Systems and Healing Practices 77 5 Health, Hygiene, and Healing System among the Karimpalan Tribe in Kerala: Exploring Continuity and Change 79 THANG MIN LUN AND B BINDU 6 Decolonizing Medicine: Insights from Odisha’s Tribal Healing Systems for Holistic and Sustainable Wellness 95 PRAVAT RANJAN SETHI 7 Strategies for Integrating Traditional Healing Practices into Modern Healthcare Systems: A Comprehensive Approach 115 PARIKIPANDLA SRIDEVI PART III Traditional Food Systems and Agricultural Sustainability 129 8 Indigenous Nutritional Practices for Global Health and Food Security: Processed Cocoyam as a Sustainable Superfood 131 OKEKE CHINYERE CHARITY AND CHIAMAKA CHINASA OBASI 9 Traditional Food, and Indigenous Farming of the Baiga Tribe: Livelihoods and Modernization Impacts 145 SHIV RAJ, MEGHA GUPTA AND MEENAKSHI KUMARI 10 Tribal Knowledge in Sustainable Food Systems: Investigating Agriculture, Nutrition, and Culinary Traditions 161 K R MOHAN PART IV Tourism, Culture, and Economic Empowerment 185 11 Pastoral Tourism: Sustaining Tribal Identity and Revitalizing Tradition 187 ADITI CHOUDHARY, ANKITA DEVNATH AND MAHIMA GOPALKRISHNA 12 Tourism Crossroads and Tribal Knowledge System: A Narrative of Vulnerabilities and Socio-Ethnic Dynamism in Mizoram 203 LALCHHUANAWMA CHHANGTE AND BINDI VARGHESE 13 Promotion of Tribal Cultural Tourism through Traditional Festivals in Andhra Pradesh: An Empirical Study 222 LAKSHMINARAYANA K, SAMPATH KUMAR, PRAVEEN M KULKARNI, APPASABA L V AND BASAVARAJ S TIGADI 14 Advancing Tribal Tourism Marketing through Innovation and Emerging Technologies 245 SHREEANSH MISHRA AND JITENDRA MOHAN MISHRA PART V Governance, Identity, and Crisis Response 263 15 Tribal Knowledge in Crisis: Scripting Emergency Protocols for Cultural Preservation 265 DASARI NARAYANA AND HARIHARARAO MOJJADA 16 The Last Tribal Kingdom: Governance and Sustainability Lessons from the Mannan Tribes of Idukki District in Kerala 279 DAVIS JOSEPH AND R SRIDHARAN Final Reflections 294 Index 299

About the Author :
Debanjana Nag is a Faculty Member at Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh, India. She is also the Nodal Officer for the Dr Ambedkar Centre of Excellence (DACE), a scheme started by the Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India, for providing free Civil Services coaching to the Scheduled Caste and marginalized students in the university. She completed her PhD in the year 2022 from the Centre for Development Studies, University of Allahabad, India. Her specialization is in globalization, culture, and marginalized groups like women and tribes. Previously, she was engaged as a Research Associate at Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj. During her research period, she has also worked on various projects as a research assistant for different national-level bodies such as the National Commission for Women and the National Child Labour Project in Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. She also worked as a National Level Monitor for the evaluation of government schemes under the Ministry of Rural Development and Sanitation, such as MNREGA (rural employment program) and PMAY (housing and sanitation program). To date, she has published chapters in edited books, various research papers in both English and Hindi, and has also done some translation and transcription work for the Hindi journal Samajikee, published by Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Prayagraj. She also has expertise in four languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, and Assamese. Kusum is currently working as Assistant Professor at Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh, Vizianagaram since December 2022. She has previously worked at GNA University, Phagwara from July 2018 to December 2022, where she was engaged in teaching and research in the field of travel and tourism, and served as Assistant Editor of the GNA Journal of Management and Technology. She has also worked at Bahra University, Solan, and Chandigarh University, Mohali (Punjab). She holds a PhD in Tourism Management, an MPhil in Tourism Management, an MBA in Hospitality Management, and a Master’s in Tourism Management (MTM) from Kurukshetra University. She has a blend of industry and teaching experience. She worked with the renowned brand in the tourism industry Cox & Kings (I) Ltd. from December 2004 to May 2010. Her areas of interest include travel and tourism management, tour operations, tourism resources, sustainable tourism, and tourism marketing. She has published research papers in various national and international journals. She has also attended and presented papers at various seminars, conferences, and workshops. She has also guided PhD research scholars.