Kurumba Tribe: Migration Threatens the Survival of Its Indigenous Language

Kurumba Tribe Latest News

Recently, it was observed that increased migration among the Kurumbas is 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 polytheists. They pray to their gods and ancestors in all tribal ceremonies
  • They 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: TH

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