Kurumba Tribe
Recently, it was observed that increased migration among the Kurumbas as one of the factors that poses a threat to the survival of the Kurumba language.
About Kurumba Tribe:
- They reside in the hilly forest regions of Attappady in Palakkad district of Kerala.
- These people are also found in the Cardamom and Nīlgiri hills, west-central Tamil Nadu.
- They have been classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
- Society:
- Belief System: They consider the forest as their mother. Thy worship the earth, mountains, nature and rivers.
- The Kurumbas are They pray to their gods and ancestors in all tribal ceremonies
- The represent their deities by wooden or stone sculptures placed in small huts called ‘Kaavu’ (temples).
- They speak Kurumba, an oral language without a script.
- Diet: Kurumbas consume a diet based on forest produce, millets, and locally grown vegetables.
- Occupation: The primary occupations of the Kurumba Tribe span traditional forest-based livelihoods and modern shifting labor due to conservation restrictions.
Source: Kurumba: a language and community fighting for visibility