Tag Archives: adivasis

Tapestry of traditions for our children

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Taptestry

Why does adivaani do books?

Books keep history, heritage and identity alive; books reinvent, reinterpret and make relevant voices, thoughts, ideas and dreams. In the words, language, imagery and pages that books are made of are the threads of ourselves that each one of us contributes to build the Tapestry of traditions for our children.

This bit of yarn from adivaani and the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation is to help strengthen skills of communication in English a principal link language today.

Most Adivasi children with the opportunity at education are learning English at some level and in some form or the other. But there’s still a gap between them and other children in India.

We’d like our two illustrated books on the Santal Creation stories series to be the instrument to achieve this mastery of English and on another level accomplish something more critical– re-initiating the children to these wonderful stories of Adivasi origin–stories families or communities may have forgotten themselves or may not have had the time to re-tell.

Supplementing the books are two special simple animations to help the children practise English grammar and pronunciation.

The partnership with the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation has enabled us to circulate copies of the books and animations for free to schools, hostels, libraries, NGO’s and other agencies preserving and promoting Adivasi cultural heritage in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Assam.

But we now need you to add to the yarn. To facilitate the actualisation of the ‘language building through reading’ exercise we’re conducting a workshop on the 30th of November, 2013 and the 1st of December 2013 at Johar, HRD Centre, Dumka.

We need Adivasis to come forward to assist us with spreading the ethos of the project.

We can only accommodate 10 people at the workshop from where adivaani will host one of you to travel with the project to the centres identified to disseminate the learning.

The 2 day workshop on Language, Publishing, Books and Communication skills is sponsored, so if you’re willing to attend and commit to seeing the project through, just send in your names and contact information to info@adivaani.org by the 20th of November, 2013 and we’ll take care of the rest.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

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Tapestry of traditions for our children:

A language building through reading initiative in collaboration with the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Timotheas Hembrom’s new book is out!

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CoverLow

The Santal and the Biblical Creation Traditions: Anthropological & Theological Reflections

Language: English

Pages: 304

Rs. 200

In this book Timotheas Hembrom offers a brief and lucid introduction to the lifestyle and belief system of the Santals, showing that though they are a people of no scripture, they have as much knowledge about God the creator as the people of Scriptures. Hembrom also conducts an exegetical study and compares the Biblical and the Santal’s creation narratives. His findings and conclusions prove to be relevant for any reader interested in faith and the origin of religion.

Rev. Dr. Timotheas Hembrom has over 40 years of Theological teaching experience and is an ordained Priest of the Church of North India. He has taught at Chera Theological College, Cherrapunji, Bishop’s College, Kolkata, Gossner Theological College, Ranchi and The Santal Theological College, Benagaria.

A writer, editor, singer-musician, and songwriter, he wears many hats.

This book is a reflection of his love for words and language, and what he is at the core–a Santal, an Adivasi and a Theologian.

Adivasi PICKLE. Come as you are!

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AP020913b

We’ve been receiving enquiries from people who are intimidated by the requirements of the participation for the prize. It appears that we are requesting for the new masterpiece or the most innovative way to view ourselves and our ways of life–we are. But that’s not all.

We know who we are. It continues to be a long struggle, living in the margins, getting accustomed to unfamiliar ways, cultures, languages, in a world where we aren’t really welcome. English might not be the language you are most comfortable with but we want everybody around (the world) to know us. So come as you are–we’re here to help your narrative take shape.

There is no small idea, no small dream, no insignificant voice and no trivial story!

Share your bit of yarn to complete the tapestry of Adivasi writing by partaking of some Adivasi PICKLE: a prize for Indigenous Ideology, Thought and Knowledge.

Be the story, the narrative, the legend, the chronicle!

3 steps and you are part of this beautiful loom.

1) Send in a proposal with a working title for a book in English within 5000 words, by the 30th of September 2013 at pickle@adivaani.org

2) Attach proof of your being Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe.

3) Fill in the cover form and send it along with the above two.

For further details view the information on the following links:

What is Adivasi PICKLE?

https://adivaani.org/2013/08/08/adivasi-pickle-a-prize-for-indigenous-ideology-thought-and-knowledge/

Application Details

https://adivaani.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/picklepickle.pdf

A new voice: The Hindu take on us and our Adivasi Pickle!

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Ruby Hembrom

On August 8 this year, the eve of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Ruby Hembrom decided to institute Adivasi Pickle, a “prize for indigenous ideology, thought and knowledge”. In the announcement, she called on Adivasis to share unpublished stories of their lives, struggles and triumphs. From the submissions, a jury will select “the most relevant entry”. This will be published in August, 2014, by Adivaani, a publishing house “by and for” Adivasis, started last year by Ruby.

Please read the rest here and spread the word!

Adivasi PICKLE: a prize for Indigenous Ideology, Thought and Knowledge

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Pickle is the perfect accompaniment to spice up any spread and the one key element common to every Indian kitchen and palate.

How about some Adivasi pickle? A pickle made of indigenous ways and thinking—the perfect accompaniment to our present—with ingredients that help us understand how our ancestral ways have preserved and sustained the earth, until newer ways dismissed them as primitive and we became a resource to be extracted, exploited and ignored. Ingredients that help refurbish traditions and knowledge webs, and ensure our future.

adivaani is therefore calling Adivasis to share more about ourselves. We’ve instituted a small prize of a book, out of love, on the International Day for the World’s Indigenous Peoples, August 9th, 2013. We’re short on what we can give, but we’re long on good wishes, hope and solidarity: you write, we publish. That’s the deal!

We believe the time for us to do things our own way is now. We want this event to be a celebration of a communion of by and for Adivasis—right from our sisters and brothers sharing and chronicling their personal narratives, to the publisher, not forgetting the jury formed of Adivasi intellectuals, scholars and artisans.

Join us, spread the word and…

Click here to participate

Daily Mail India talks about us

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Daily Mail

Ruby Hembrom left her well-paid job at a multi-national company, and now spends most of her time working on projects to take tribal folklore to the masses. She has set up her own publication firm, Adivaani, to promote the history of Adivasi struggles.

More here…

We’re on Society!

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Society Cover July 2013

Kakoli Poddar, journalist with Magna Publishing, chose to feature adivaani in this month’s issue of Society:

Ruby says they want to create a database of adivasi writing of, for and by the adivasis. “We wish to document the oral forms of their storytelling and folklore. We also aim to narrate our stories of struggles, exploitation and displacement, in our words.”

Go get a copy. Find us on page 98.

Here’s the pdf file of the article.

Earthcare Books, Kolkata (they have an online sales portal too)

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Earthcare Books
10 Middleton Street
Kolkata-700071
West Bengal

Phone:  33  22296551 / 22276190
Email:   earthcarebooks@gmail.com
Website : www.earthcarebooks.com

Happy shopping! Happy reading!

See you at the Hul Celebrations!

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As we all know, 30th June is celebrated as Hul Diwas at Bhognadih to commemorate the Santal Rebellion of 1855-57. This year adivaani presents a Santal Hul calendar, beginning the 30th June, 2013 to the 30th June, 2014 as a memento to remember the occasion and to uphold the spirit of freedom and dignity.

Santal Hul

A sneak peek at the Hul Calendar 2013-14

adivaani is going to Bhognadih, all our titles will be available there.

Do visit our stall!

CDC sponsors adivaani!

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It’s raining goodwill for adivaani. This time it comes from CDC Printers, Kolkata.

CDC

After reading the feature on us in The Telegraph, Kolkata, CDC Printers got in touch with us saying they’d like to sponsor some of our work. We could hardly believe our ears.

Two meetings down the line we had it all figured out. They were impressed with our work and wanted to contribute to help us grow. They’re printing few of our productions for free and to encourage us to continue printing books without being burdened by budget constraints or compromising on quality, they’ve offered us a long-term arrangement that is the perfect solution for us.

Earth rests on a Tortoise being printed

Earth rests on a Tortoise being printed

Our books now seem secure.

We’re now adding three products to the adivaani list:

1. Earth rests on a Tortoise, part two of the Santal Creation Stories. Once again, text by Ruby Hembrom and illustrations by Boski Jain.

2. The success of We come from the Geese; part one of the Santal Creation Stories in English prompted us to have it translated in Hindi. So grab your copy.

3. A Santal Hul calendar, beginning the 30th June, 2013 to the 30th June, 2014 as a memento to remember the Santal Rebellion (1855-57) and to uphold the spirit of freedom and dignity.

The Santal Hul Calendar

The Santal Hul Calendar

All we can say is a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Chittranjan Choudhury and the entire team at CDC Printers.