Indigenous people are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures, and ways of relating to people and the environment. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights, as distinct peoples.
In order to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups, today (9) commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are currently an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5% of the world’s population, but account for 15% of the poorest, speaking an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages, and representing 5,000 different cultures.
For as long as time, indigenous people have been repressed culturally and socially – so much so, that most have gone extinct, or are getting closer to it with each passing day.
Brunch had a look at Sri Lanka’s own indigenous people that have inhabited this island for centuries, to understand their society, and the problems they face.
The Vedda community
The Vedda people are the last indigenous tribe still in existence on the island of Sri Lanka. Dating back to the 6th Century BC, the Veddas inhabited the forests of Sri Lanka long before the Buddhists arrived.
The origins of the Vedda were not fully documented, but there are two general ideas as to how long they have been on the island. While legend has it that the Vedda are descendants of Prince Vijaya, who became the legendary first king of Sri Lanka, there are also archaeological and anthropological studies that show that the Vedda tribe is much older than that, dating as far back as the Stone Age.
According to scientific evidence available to us today, it’s safe to say that the first people to take over the Vedda territories were Prince Vijaya and his descendants. After thousands of years as free-range inhabitants, the Vedda started to conform to their colonisers. As time passed, the indigenous Vedda were forced to adopt the customs of the Sinhalese and Tamil settlers, losing much of their identity.
Today, the remaining Vedda population can be seen having made a life for themselves deep in the confines of the jungle, although it is unfortunate that the future of their unique culture is at risk in the same way that the evolution of man since the Stone Age rewrote several of the traditions and lifestyles that were in place.
Given that we live in the 21st Century, now more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that we put in the effort to understand ancient tribes, and their cultural, social, economic, and scientific heritage that has indisputable relevance in the present time. The symbiotic relationship that many of Sri Lanka’s ancient tribes had with nature, for example, offers invaluable lessons in sustainability. The architecture, medicine, nutrition, agriculture, irrigation systems, and many other aspects of the traditional communities of Sri Lanka feature technologies that have been perfected over generations, and which are important to science even today.
Repression followed by conservation attempts
Back in 1981, the catchments of Maduru Oya and Ulhitiya were declared part of a national park. As pointed out by environmentalists and conservationists, a national park declared under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) however, does not allow for private property and human habitation within its precincts. The fate of the Vedda community who had lived within these areas for generations was thus forcefully sealed.
The question of “should not they become part of the mainstream?” was posed and answered – but not by themselves. A decision was then made that the community was to be evicted to Henanegala. However, according to a report by Environmental Science, Bird Ecology and Behaviour, Conservation Biology, and Ecotourism Prof. Sarath W. Kotagama, Thissahamy, the leader of the community, along with his family and seven other families, decided to stay on despite their violation of the rules of the FFPO, opening a new chapter of the Vedda community.
With Thissahamy’s passing, his son Wanniya stood strong in the face of adversity, and Impressively enough, was able to restore some of their forgotten culture and tradition. Since then, the “Vanniyalaththo”, or rather “people of the forest” as they call themselves, are today more recognised as an indigenous community in Sri Lanka than ever before.
In conservation attempts of their culture, the Department of Archaeology and the Ministry of Heritage built the “Veddas Heritage Centre” in Rathugala just before the pandemic, where the chief will be leading tours for visitors. The “evicted” Vedda people have now been recognised. They have been permitted entry to the National Parks, and have also been recruited as “guides”. Progressive integration of this nature has greatly aided the sustenance of the identity of the community.
As we move forward, we must not forget the past, and while several progressive steps have been taken to ensure the sustenance of the Vedda community, we should understand how we can continue to learn from their symbiotic relationship with nature while allowing them to maintain their traditional ways of life.
