Muthuvan Tribe

Muthuvan Tribe Latest News

A recent report by the Kerala Food Commission has spotlighted significant discrepancies in the distribution of ration supplies in Edamalakkudy, Kerala’s sole tribal panchayat, primarily inhabited by the Muthuvan tribe.

About Muthuvan Tribe

• The Muthuvans, or Mudugars, live in the Western Ghats mountains in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• The Muthuvan language is a special language spoken by the Muthuvan people. It belongs to the Dravidian language family.
• There are two different groups among the Muthuvan, and they speak slightly different dialects. Hence, they call each other Malayalam Muthuvan and Pandi Muthuvan.
• They are known for coexisting with the wildlife with their traditional knowledge and understanding of hills.
• They have expertise in traditional medicines, which are very effective, and these medicines and the medicine men are confidentially preserved and passed on to the generations.

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Muthuvan Tribe Social Organization

• The Muthuvan have six clans known as Koottams. Each koottam is again divided into sub-clans. 
• The functions of these divisions are mainly for marriage alliances, to keep up the social status, and to indicate descent and ancestry. 
• The Muthuvan adhere to community endogamy and clan exogamy. 
• These tribal people follow a unique system of governance called the ‘Kani System’.
• The law and order in the community is handled by a council of elders under the leadership of the Kani, the headman.
• The elders select the kani. They have various penal codes for breaking their traditions and moral standards.

Muthuvan Tribe Religion and Beliefs

• They are animists and spirit worshippers and also worship the forest gods.
• They believe that the spirits of their ancestors are to be the first migrants to the hill forests.
• Nowadays, the Hindu gods and goddesses of the plains are also being worshipped, one of the effects of cultural infiltration.

Muthuvan Tribe Occupation 

• Virippukrishi (a form of shifting cultivation) is their traditional means of livelihood, and they cultivate a wide variety of food grains that are used only for consumption. 
• Ragi (Little Millet), Maize (Sorghum), Thina (Italian Millet), Varagu, Chama Rice, Tomato, Carrot, Sweet Potato, Potato, Cheeni Vala, Toppi, Mocha, etc., are principal food crops cultivated by the Muthuvan community.

Source: DEVD