In November 2024, the People and Nature Collectives from Keystone Foundation, a member organization of ILED Network in India, convened an impactful workshop in Hyderabad titled “Language, Culture and Identity: Indigenous Led Education Initiatives.” This gathering marked the inception of a nationwide network of community-led initiatives dedicated to education, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and fostering inclusive spaces for marginalized Indigenous-Adivasi communities.
The workshop brought together 75 participants from across India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. This diverse assembly of professors, filmmakers, teachers, researchers, educators, and activists from Adivasi communities facilitated a rich exchange of ideas and strategies. Discussions centered on community-based knowledge transfer mechanisms and the integration of scientific methods, digital tools, and creative economies tailored to the unique needs of oral-based languages and cultures.
A central theme of the workshop was the recognition that languages encapsulate community knowledge. Facilitating the transmission of these linguistic systems is vital to preserving Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions. The rapid evolution of Adivasi languages poses a risk to communities’ connections with their lands and cultural territories, underscoring the urgency of language revitalization efforts.
The Hyderabad workshop represents a pivotal step toward building cultural resilience among Indigenous-Adivasi communities in India. By uniting diverse stakeholders, it fosters a collective commitment to preserving linguistic heritage and strengthening community identities. A detailed report on the workshop’s outcomes is forthcoming, which will provide further insights into the strategies and future directions of this vital initiative.
This initiative was supported by the Indigenous-Led Education (ILED) Network. Through our collaboration, we aim to secure resources for Indigenous-led language revitalization and build robust advocacy platforms.
You can read the original report here.
Image credit: participants from the Hyderabad workshop
More information:
- Kavaya Anjali – Indigenous Youth Fellow from India
- Janaki Amma Award (Originally Indigenous Women are Educators Awards)