Shompen Tribe

Shompen Tribe Latest News

Recently, tribal leaders have accused the Andaman and Nicobar island administration of seeking to drag the Shompen, an isolated indigenous community into a “modern lifestyle”. 

About Shompen Tribe

• They are one of the most isolated tribes on Earth.
• They are designated as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India.
• They reside in dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar Island of Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands.
• Occupation: The Shompen are nomadic hunter-gatherers, living in small groups.
• Diet: They collect a wide variety of rainforest plants, but their staple food is the pandanus fruit, which they call larop.
• Language: Shompen speak their own language, which has many dialects.
• They are of short to medium stature, have a round or nearly broad head shape, narrow nose, a broad facial profile, and distinctly exhibit Mongoloid features.
• Society
  • They have nuclear families comprising husband, wife, and their unmarried children.
  • A Shompen family is controlled by the eldest male member, who controls all activities of the women and kids.
  • Monogamy is the general rule, although polygamy is allowed too.
  • The Shompen worship the moon, known as Houou, as their goddess, whom they believe created the universe.

Source: TH

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