Indigenous Philosophy in Adivasi Poetry

Abstract Book of the 10th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences

Year: 2025

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Indigenous Philosophy in Adivasi Poetry

Sneha Tirkey

ABSTRACT:

The indigenous people in India are called the Adivasi/tribe. They are heterogenous communities, which constitute 8.6 percent of the total population of the country. Despite facing myriad challenges related to land alienation, development induced displacement, migration, climate change, and adverse psychological effect, the Adivasi have been persistent in fighting against the systemic oppression to save forest. For them, land is not seen as a commodity, but a shared space between human and non-human. They prioritize ‘we’ over ‘I’. It depicts global indigenous philosophy, which is rooted in community life, symbiotic relationship and reciprocity. In the last few decades, the Adivasi have been slowly shifting from oral to written literature, thereby, challenging dominant ideas and writing their own history. Jacinta Kerketta, a poet, journalist and activist, from the Oraon tribe in Jharkhand, has become a voice of the Adivasi. Her poems are inspired by her personal life, resistance and historical injustice. It has become a means to understand relational ontology amidst indirect violence, cultural erasure and identity crisis. The paper seeks to present indigenous philosophy hidden beneath the struggle of the Adivasi through the poems of Jacinta. Through decolonial lens, it challenges dominant epistemologies from insider’s perspective. It is a portrayal of tribal values, which play significant role in preserving the essence of humanity.

Keywords: Adivasi, Indigenous Philosophy, Reciprocity, Relational Ontology, Resistance