Hakki Pikki Tribe

Hakki Pikki Tribe Latest News

Eight members of Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki tribal community, who had travelled to Central Africa for the sale of herbal products, are now facing a serious crisis after their visas expired.

About Hakki Pikki Tribe

• ‘Hakki-Pikki’ is one of the major tribal communities in Karnataka.
• According to the 2011 census, the Hakki Pikki population in Karnataka is 11,892.
• In Kannada, the word ‘Hakki’ stands for ‘bird‘ and ‘Pikki’ stands for the verb ‘to catch’. 
• Therefore, the community is known as the ‘bird catcher,’ which is their traditional occupation.
• They  believe their original ancestor was the legendary Ranapratap Singh and that they are from a Kshatriya or warrior background. 
• They believe their ancestors migrated to southern India after being defeated by the Moghuls. 
• They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in India.
• Language:
  • Despite being surrounded by Dravidian languages and living in southern India, the community speaks an Indo-Aryan language. 
  • Their mother tongue was designated ‘Vaagri‘ by scholars.
  • They communicate in ‘Vaagri’ at home but speak in Kannada when conducting daily business.
  • UNESCO has listed ‘Vaagri’ as one of the endangered languages.
• Occupation:
  • After the implementation of stricter wildlife laws, the tribe changed its occupation from hunting to selling spices, flowers, Ayurveda formulations, and herbal oils.
  • They began doing odd jobs like working in fields and sharpening knives and sickles by riding around towns.
  • They are renowned for their indigenous medicines. The community resided in the dense jungles for a long time and created its own plant- and herb-based medicine systems.
  • They now travel globally to sell these products, especially in the African continent, where there is a demand for cheaper alternatives to Western medicine.
• Rituals and Customs:
  • The tribe follows Hindu traditions and celebrates Hindu festivals.
  • They follow a clan-based social structure and practice endogamy within their clan.
  • The tribe prefers cross-cousin marriages.
  • The society is matriarchal, where the groom gives dowry to the bride’s family.

Source: HANS

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