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Title
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Nilgiri Seemai Suddhi
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Description
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The Nilgiri Seemai Suddhi has been initiated, from April 2007 onwards. The community newsletter released monthly editions till 2014, and quarterly editions since then. The newspaper covers community-generated news about birth, marriage, death, health tips, Government news, traditional festivals, riddles, poems amongst other issues of interest to communities of the Nilgiris.
This collection is a repository of all the published editions of Seemai Suddhi since it's inception and the various activities that were carried out as a part of the news collection and dissemination.
Changes are taking place in the tribal culture and socio-economy in the NBR. There are 8 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) as classified by the government within the NBR. Erstwhile gathering activities and linkage to forest ecosystems are gradually diminishing. Indigenous communities in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve are increasingly marginalized and their cultural or social identity are vanishing in the mainstream lifestyle of the migrant communities which are unsustainable and lack respect for nature and the environment.
In order to make the communities realize the values that their traditions and cultures uphold, for generation that go beyond the written history of the Nilgiris, the systems which are based on conservation and respect for the environment, a medium of communication was deemed to be required.
To address this issue of non communication and lack of availability of a medium to exchange news the monthly newsletter Nilgiri Seemai Sudhi was conceived by a group of indigenous leaders from different parts of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve. The Nilagiri Seemai Suddhi was born out of an attempt to develop more robust communication systems between the various tribes and their clans, keep track of their births, deaths and other important ceremonies, as well as to spread information about government schemes and activities that are relevant to the Nilagiris.
Over the years , the newsletter has gathered a pool of reporters and researchers from the communities and currently comprises of dedicated area wise news relevant to Irulas, Kurumbas, Todas, Kotas, Jenu Kurumbas, Paniyas and Sholigas. The newsletter details area wise and community wise news in their respective languages, along with Tamil. This ensures that the readers find customized information relevant to their lives, livelihoods and cultures.
The newspaper’s coverage of traditional knowledge and cultural activities brings about an appreciation and appraisal of the Nilagiri affairs that govern their lives. In addition crop information, seasonal availability of seeds and best practices further ensure encouragement to sustainable and traditional modes of their living.
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Creator
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Indigenous Peoples Programme
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Publisher
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Keystone Foundation
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Contributor
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Jeyanthi, Selvi, T. Samraj, Snehalata Nath, Gangawati, Vasantha, Muthishkuttan, Shanmugan, Malliammal, Janagi, Murugaiyyan, Ashok, Mahendran, Rajkumar, Sumitra, Sarvanan (others..)
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Rights
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Community Access Rights only
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Relation
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This resource connects with the ongoing activities within the Community Newsletter Initiative. It had been nested under Community Wellbeing / Indigenous Peoples Programme (earlier known as the Culture and People Programme) at different points in time.
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Format
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Newsletter
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Language
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Tamil, Irula, Kurumba, Toda, Kota (in tamil font)
World Indigenous People's Day - The Local Vol. 1, Issue 8, August 31, 2007 About efforts to revitalise indigenous cultural practices through various efforts like the Niilgiri Seemai Suddhi