Cultural perspective
One of the most interesting areas of study not only to the anthropologists but also to the modern and contemporary human race is culture. Culture is generally considered as the way people live and it significantly varies from place to place. In fact, from time in memorial, culture has shaped the way people behave, live and think. It encompasses the way human race is socialized and embraces the belief and value systems (Corbey 339). Therefore, cultural diversity is deemed as a racial ethnic diversity.
Studying other people cultures is like staying with them and studying the way they talk, their literature, food and how they handle situations in their lives (Stocking 89). Today, it is very difficult to find a group of people or tribe that exclusively keep and practice their original culture. This ideally forms the reason why Jarawa of Andaman Aborigines who have practiced their original culture and have completely avoided the outside world, becomes of great significance to governments, academicians, tourists and even scientists. Indeed, various original cultural practices of the indigenous inhabitants are in the archives. Cultural preservation comes in because people yearn to know their past and origin. In fact, for Jarawa and other Andaman Aboriginal tribes, it is like experiencing their past.
The Jarawa people
Jarawa is one of the tribal groups of Andaman Aborigines which is thought to have migrated from Africa to Asia. They inhabited the verdant tropical rain forest of Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is off the Indian Ocean mainland. They live a nomadic lifestyle where hunting and gathering is their daily activity. Meeting the Jarawa is a cultural shock to many (Corbey 342). These people have never been in contact with the outside world until very late. They still inclined to their traditional cultural practices and their contact with the outside world seems not to have been a blessing. The tribe almost became extinct due to pandemics and destruction of their livelihood.
The other four tribes that are facing distinction like the Jarawa are also found in the chain islands of Andamans and Nicobar. Most of the tribal islands Aborigines including Jawara are facing extinction due to external contact and destruction of forest which serves as the sole source of their livelihood. The Jarawa have completely avoided external contact as a tactical way of surviving.
Although the island is currently occupied by many people mainly from the Indian mainland, the tribal Aborigines like the Jarawa have maintained their culture. Until recently, the Jarawa were still walking half-naked. This indicates that they have not been assimilated into the island mainstream culture. Indeed, it is a cultural shock to anthropologist, researchers and tourists. Many anthropologists argue that the Jarawa have been culturally cut-off from the mainstream society yet remain to be a cultural interest. The reason is that they have persistently resisted the imposition of ethnocentric lifestyle considered insensitive and alien to them (Magubane 101)
Language and Religion
Basically, the language that is spoken in the Andaman Islands is completely different from those spoken in the mainland India. The Jarawa people have completely maintained their language though newcomers in the islands mainly speak Malayalam, Bengali Hindi and English. The Andamans and Nicobar blend all religions whether Hindu, Muslims Christians and Sikhs. In reality, they are being practiced together in a very harmonious way. Surprisingly, the Jarawa still practice their traditional religious rituals, lead a simple life and do not have gods. They believe that the remains of the dead body bring lack to hunters. That is why the Jarawa do not bury the dead. When one of them dies, the corpse is left under a tree until the remains turn into skeletons (Magubane 101). The skeletons are used for hunting rituals whereby men tie the born around their waist during hunting spree.
Food
The tribes in Andaman including Jarawa are largely hunters and depend entirely on what the forests provides (Corbey 352). This also explains why no particular cuisines have been developed in the island. Jarawa men hunt pigs and turtles while fruits and honey are gathered by women. These form the staple food for this tribal group. Settlers from all over India inhabiting the island added their own special taste and groceries. The main staple food available in the islands is rice. Rice is mainly brought into the island from the mainland since the islanders are not agriculturalists and the island soils are so poor to support agriculture. Furthermore, forests in the islands have already been depleted and cannot support the livelihoods of inhabitants. There is plenteous sea food in the island which is considered as an additional flavor for tribal inhabitants.
Culture and Craft
While the western ethnocentric might call these tribal island inhabitants primitive, they are not customarily influenced (Stocking 102). The recent Jarawa tribe contact with the modern civilization did little to change their practices. The contact however brought about the epidemic that almost swept away the population. Modern civilization destroyed their livelihood and turned the tribe into human zoos to attract western tourists (Bradford and Hervey 26). Jarawa was concerned with their ethnic identity such that they resorted to violent means against western influence to protect it.
Today, Jarawa is slowly giving in to other cultures due to increased contact with outside world. This mainly occurs through tourism. New cultural practices are being introduced though the acceptance seems to be slow. They are being enticed with food and money so as to accept certain things. Tribal based cultural practices such as the family and clan are still being observed (Bradford and Hervey 26). However, modern civilization is gradually being integrated into their socio-cultural structure. The socio-cultural fabric of Jarawa is woven around their economy, religion, family and the clan. Jarawa like any other aboriginal tribe in the Andaman are known for the love of music and dance.
The main Jarawa craft consists of crafted woods, palm marts and the natural beautiful shells ensuing from the sea. Most of these products are sold to the tourists visiting the islands. Due to eminent overexploitation of natural resources, most products are banned from trade and they include paduk and mother-of-pearl jewelry. The reason is that most of such artifacts are taken from naturally living organisms which also form the basis of the indigenous livelihood (Bradford and Hervey 27).
The Current Trends
Like any other aboriginal trends around the world, the Jarawa are facing cultural violation where the outside world uses enticement to belittle their practices (Segal 85). They are enclosed in their traditional settlements in false pretext of protection but are rather abused by the foreigners. Though modern modes of civilization such as schools and hospitals are yet to be introduced, they are not fully embraced by the local people. Besides, any population that is facing extinction but still stuck in their traditions would be detrimental to Jarawa in case it forces this tribe into new cultural ideals (Strong 81). What makes the situation even more difficult is being in contact with the outside world which makes the tribe more vulnerable to diseases that they earlier had immunity and cure. Some have even adopted detrimental ideals such as taking alcohol and tobacco.
The debate today is how well the remaining indigenous tribes and culture can be protected without putting them into a confinement that others describe as human zoos (Strong 81). As other anthropologists have suggested, Jarawa should be left into the jungle to live their lifestyles without any interaction with the outside world. Even their habitat should be left without any exploitation so as to avoid situations where the tribe is reduced to a dependency state. This follows the claim that if the Jarawa become in contact with the outside world, it would be a cultural shock to them just as the foreigners who have visited the jungle (Metcalf 62).
Aboriginal cultural traditions should be preserved as a cultural heritage and should be protected from the western exploitations as seen with the Jarawa tribe. The other argument is whether the tribes should be integrated into the mainstream society by providing them with all the facilities (Sleeper-Smith 47). However, there is the fear that this could lead this tribe into drifting out of history due to their vulnerability. They will lose their livelihood and become reduced to beggars or succumb to negative western ethnocentric activities such as drinking alcohol and sexual exploitation. To others, confining the tribe exposes them to western cultural vices that have over the centuries been used to exploit other indigenous cultures. Such kinds of cultures have been used by the western social scientists as a teaching aid in the western academia.
Works Cited
Bradford, Phillips and Hervey Blume. The Pygmy in the Zoo. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Print.
Corbey, Raymond. “Ethnographic Showcase 1870 – 1930”. Cultural Anthropology. 8.3 (1993): 338-369. Print.
Magubane, Zine. Postmodernism, Post-Coloniality and African Studies. Lawrenceville, New Jersey, NJ: Africa World Press, 2003. Print.
Metcalf, Peter. Anthropology: The Basics. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005. Print.
Segal, Daniel. “Western City and the Staging of History in American Higher Education”. The American Historical Review. 105.3 (2000): 770-805. Print.
Sleeper-Smith, Susan. Contesting Knowledge: Museums and Indigenous Perspectives. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2009. Print.
Stocking, George. Race, Culture, and Evolution: Essays in the History of Anthropology: With a New Preface. Midway Pleasance, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968. Print.
Strong, Turner P. “The Mascot Slot: Cultural Citizenship, Political Correctness and Pseudo-Indian Sports Symbols”. Journal of Sport and Social Issues. 28.79 (2004):79-88. Print.