Onge Tribe

The Onge tribe, one of the most ancient and primitive tribes of India, is a fascinating yet vulnerable community that resides on Little Andaman Island. Recently, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration established a Van Dhan Vikas Kendra for the Onges at Dugong Creek under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan. This initiative aims to help the Onge tribe become self-sustainable through the production of coconut-based products. This is part of a broader effort to integrate tribal communities into mainstream development while preserving their cultural identity.

Key Characteristics of the Onge Tribe

1. Racial and Linguistic Background:

   • The Onges belong to the Negrito racial stock, a group of indigenous people in Southeast Asia, with distinct physical features such as short stature, dark skin, and tightly coiled hair.

   • They speak the Onge language, which has no written script, making their communication and cultural preservation unique.

2. Lifestyle and Religion:

   • Traditionally, the Onges are semi-nomadic, relying entirely on nature for sustenance. Their way of life is deeply tied to the forests and the sea around them.

   • Their religious beliefs are centered on animism, with a belief in spirits of nature such as those inhabiting the wood, sea, and storms, as well as ancestral spirits.

   • They do not practice ceremonial worship or propitiation, keeping their religious practices simple and deeply connected to the environment.

3. Cultural Practices:

   • One of the most unique cultural practices of the Onges is their treatment of teeth color. They consider pearly white teeth to be a symbol of death, and therefore, they chew tree bark to impart a red color to their teeth.

   • The Onges also use white and ochre clay to decorate their bodies and faces, with body ornamentation becoming particularly important during special occasions.

4. Territory and Population:

   • The Onges originally inhabited the entire Little Andaman Island (approximately 732 sq km). However, today they share the island with around 17,000 settlers from India, Bangladesh, and the Nicobar Islands.

   • The Onge population drastically decreased from 670 in 1900 to only 96 individuals by the early 2000s, primarily due to the spread of diseases and the impacts of British colonization and subsequent interactions with Indian settlers.

   • In 1976, the tribe was relocated to a reserve in Dugong Creek for their protection, as their traditional land became increasingly encroached upon.

5. Challenges Faced by the Onge Tribe:

   • Infertility: The Onge are one of the world’s most infertile communities, with over 40% of married couples experiencing infertility. This has significantly impacted their population growth.

   • Isolation and Vulnerability: The Onge continue to face challenges of cultural erosion, health crises, and economic marginalization, especially with the encroachment of settlers and the assimilation pressures from modern society.

Van Dhan Vikas Kendra: Empowering the Onge Tribe

The Van Dhan Vikas Kendra initiative aims to provide the Onge tribe with tools for self-sufficiency and economic independence by leveraging local resources, particularly coconut-based products.

1. Economic Empowerment:

   • The Kendra is designed to train the Onge tribe members in sustainable practices related to the processing and marketing of coconut-based products, which could include coconut oil, coconut fiber products, and coconut-based snacks.

   • By focusing on products derived from locally available resources, the Onge can sustain their traditional way of life while integrating with the broader economy.

2. Preservation of Culture:

   • The initiative also aims to preserve the tribe’s cultural identity by involving them in activities that reflect their connection to the land, nature, and traditional knowledge, such as handicrafts or organic farming.

3. Sustainable Development:

   • This project focuses on creating sustainable livelihoods, reducing dependency on external aid, and improving access to education and healthcare for the Onges. It also aims to reduce the risk of environmental degradation by promoting sustainable land-use practices.

Significance of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan

The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PMJJANM) is a government initiative aimed at improving the livelihoods of tribal communities across India. The establishment of the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra for the Onge tribe under this mission represents a holistic approach to tribal welfare, focusing on both economic growth and cultural preservation.

Andaman and Nicobar tribes

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to a diverse array of indigenous tribes, with distinct racial and cultural differences, including Negrito and Mongoloid tribes. These tribes, many of whom are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), have survived and maintained their unique ways of life despite external pressures from colonization, development, and modernity.

Negrito Tribes of Andaman

The Negrito tribes of the Andaman Islands are believed to have migrated from Africa around 60,000 years ago. They are mainly nomadic hunter-gatherers, relying on their intimate knowledge of nature to thrive in their environments. Their primary food sources include wild pig, monitor lizard, fish, honey, roots, and berries, which they gather with tools like bows and arrows.

1. Great Andamanese Tribe

• Location: Strait Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Language: They speak Jeru among themselves.

• Historical Significance: The Great Andamanese tribe is part of the PVTGs and has been historically significant for their resistance against British colonialism. On 14th May 1859, they fought the Battle of Aberdeen against the British. In recognition of their bravery, a statue was erected by the Andaman Government in Marina Park.

• Lifestyle: Traditionally, they were hunter-gatherers, but their population has drastically declined due to diseases, colonization, and other external influences.

2. Onges Tribe

• Location: Little Andaman Island, the most southern part of the Andaman archipelago.

• Current Settlement: Dugong Creek, a reserve much smaller than their original homeland.

• Self-Identification: The Onges refer to themselves as "En-iregale", meaning "perfect person."

• Lifestyle: The Onges practice animism, with a heavy emphasis on ancestor worship. They are hunter-gatherers and fishers but have also engaged in cultivation. Decisions within their community are made via group consensus.

• Challenges: The Onge population, once numbering around 670 in 1900, drastically declined due to disease contact with outsiders. By the early 2000s, their population had dwindled to 96.

3. Jarwas Tribe

• Location: The Western coasts of Middle Andaman and South Andaman Islands.

• Lifestyle: The Jarwas continue their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle. They use bows and arrows to hunt wild pigs and monitor lizards. They also gather mollusks, fruits, roots, and honey from the forest. Unlike other tribes, they do not use dogs for hunting.

• Homes: They live in temporary huts, called chaddhas, in small groups of 40-50 people.

• Population: Approximately 400 members.

4. Sentinelese Tribe

• Location: North Sentinel Island.

• Isolation: The Sentinelese are one of the most isolated tribes in the world, and they are hostile to outsiders. They have actively resisted contact with the outside world, which has led to their protection under Indian law.

• Lifestyle: They are hunter-gatherers, using dug-out canoes without oars, instead using long poles to propel them in shallow waters. The men and women of the tribe do not wear clothing, and their diet consists primarily of fish, hunting animals, and collecting fruits and roots.

• Population: The population is estimated to be around 100-150 individuals.

Mongoloid Tribes of Andaman and Nicobar

The Mongoloid tribes likely arrived in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from the Malay-Burma coast thousands of years ago. These tribes generally practice agriculture and have more settled lifestyles compared to the Negrito tribes.

1. Shompen Tribe

• Location: Great Nicobar Island.

• Isolation: The Shompen are one of the most isolated tribes on Earth and have little to no contact with the outside world. According to the 2011 Census, the population is estimated at 229 individuals.

• Lifestyle: The Shompen are nomadic hunter-gatherers, with pandanus fruit being their main food source. They live in a patriarchal society, with the eldest male controlling the family's activities. Although monogamy is generally practiced, polygamy is also allowed.

• Threats: The Shompen tribe faces significant risks from development projects aiming to transform their island into a commercial hub, threatening their very existence.

2. Nicobarese Tribe

• Location: Nicobar Islands.

• Lifestyle: The Nicobarese are a relatively large population compared to the other tribes of the region. They practice agriculture, and their community is matriarchal, meaning the chief is female. Most Nicobarese are Christian, though some still practice animism.

• Cultural Structure: They live in joint families, known as Tuhet, where ownership of resources like land, coconuts, and pigs is collective, not individual.

• Currency: The Nicobarese use fruits and nuts as a form of currency for trading.