Do You Know About The Tribal Life Of Andaman? - Andaman Holiday Packages

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You may have never thought of Andaman unless you
are planning to spend an exclusive honeymoon or
adventurous trip there. What all people think
about when it comes to Travels in Andaman, is
the white sand beaches, clear turquoise waters,
dense green forests, sea food, and water
activities. But, there is one thing that can also
get you interested about this place is the
tribal life of the place. These trials have been
cut off from the contacts of mainland culture
and developments. They are still caught up in the
primitive times and live n their own
distinguished world, undisturbed by the modern
times. However, these tribal communities are
gradually becoming extinct, and the ones left
are in isolation. So, while they still live, you
must try to know and understand them, because
who knows when nobody else will be able to see
them!
The Andamans have two main tribes Negrito and
Mangoloid. The Negrito tribe has four
sub-classifications including the Great
Andamanese, Jarawa, Sentinelese, and Onge. And,
the Magoloid tribe has two sub-classifications,
namely Nicobarese and Shompen. The Negrito group
resides in Andaman, and the Mangoloid group
resides in Nicobar. Let s explore more about
these tribes. Great Andamanese In the 19th
century, there were around 5000 members of the
Great Andamanese tribe. But, in only a century
and a half, the population came down to only 50
individuals! Thousands
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of Great Andamanese were killed in conflicts with
British settlers, as they defended their
territory from invasion. In 1970, this tribe was
re-settled in Strait Island, a little away from
Port Blair, by the Indian government, and was
provided food, shelter, and clothing by the
government itself. By the 20th century, the
surviving population intermarried with Burmese
and Indian settlers, which is why now they have a
mixed Indian, Burmese, and aboriginal culture.
Their main occupation is hunting, poultry, and
horticulture. Jarawa One of the most hostile
tribes, the Jarawas have strictly followed their
policy of no human contact. They were the most
feared community of their times as they attacked
with poisonous arrows. But today, with only
300-400 members left, their hostility has
reduced. The main occupation of this tribe is
hunting, and making arrows and metal tools. They
mainly feed on forest and sea for food. The major
consume includes wild boar, monitor lizard,
fruits, honey, and tubers. The Andaman government
has restricted entry into their areas, but with
the construction of the Andaman Trunk Road that
connects Baratang Island, Middle Andaman, and
South Andaman, you can get a glimpse of these
tribes as the road goes deep into their
areas. Sentinelese Located in the Sentinel Island
in North Andaman, the Sentinelese tribe is the
most difficult ones to get in touch with. With a
number ranging from 50 to 200, they live in
isolation, and are not contacted by any
outsiders or even the government, because they
are very hostile towards anyone who is not of
their community. This is why environmental groups
have urged the authorities to leave the
Sentinelese group alone, and respect the 5 km
exclusion zone thrown around their area. Their
main occupation includes fishing and hunting.
Even today, they use the bow and arrow to hunt
and fish. Onge Located in South Andaman, Onge is
the most primordial tribe that reduced in number
from 700 to 100 after the British invasion in
1901. Today they are mainly seen near the Dugong
Creek in Little Andaman. Their main occupation is
hunting, where the males go for hunting and crop
plantation, while the females find roots and
tubers beneath the soil. They generally eat jack
fruits, roots, fish, and turtle. However, this
tribe is also addicted to tobacco and alcohol
consumption, which has resulted in increasing
number of deaths of the tribal men. The
government has been providing this tribe with
pucca houses, food, clothing, and medicines.
This tribe is known for its craftsmanship to make
canoes and other accessories from shell and
wood. Nicobarese This is one tribe of the lot
that has a population of thousands, categorized
into 6 different sub-tribes, each having its own
culture, tradition, occupation, and habitat.
However, all the Nicobarese believe in living in
joint families known as Tuhets. They love
celebrating life events by dancing and singing.
Their main occupation is pig farming and
horticulture and their staple food is coconut,
rice, fish, and Pandunus.
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Shompen This tribe belongs to the nomad category
that has no fixed place to live. They live in
around 12 habitations made of bamboo and leaf
thatch. This tribe is one of the most isolated
hunter tribe who were the first to arrive at the
Nicobar Island before the Nicobarese arrived.
Shompen has never been hostile like the other
tribes, but they are shy in nature and prefer
staying peacefully in their area. They friendlily
accept the food, shelter, and utensils gifted by
the government. This tribal community hunts for
pigs and fishes for their meals. While all these
tribes are different from one another, one
commonality is that the demography of these
tribes is reducing with time. Hence, it is
important to keep these tribes protected and
reserved so that their legacy remains. This is
why visiting these tribes is not a part of
Andaman tourism. However, for everything else
that you want to book and do in Andaman, you can
get in touch with Andaman Holiday Packages to
plan the perfect Travels in Andaman for you. For
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