Indigeneity is understood differently in different geographical locations around the world. The youth among the indigenous groups are experiencing multiple forms of indigeneity which intersects with their indigenous identity, depending on their context and location. This paper deals with intersectionality of youth (both women and men), indigeneity and identity among two large tribal groups (Saora and Kondh) in South Odisha. The politics of indigeneity continues to remain a discourse of both resistance and transformation that presents a fundamental challenge to the prevailing political and social order in many areas of Odisha.
The paper focusses in particular on performance and representation of the two tribal groups in religious practices and traditions such as rituals, traditions, arts and artefacts, food habits, assertion of a certain form of indigenous identity, relations with non-tribals and their struggles at integration with urban life. For example, the Hinduised tribal youth are now claiming their indigeneity for political and economic gains among both the tribal groups. For example, among the Saora, they could be belonging to traditional tribal, Christian, Hinduised, ‘Akshara Brahma’ groups in different locations of South Odisha. The problem of representation by youth as indigenous is complex for the Saora is such situations. The Kondhs, too have similar experiences and the youth are faced with same issues mentioned above along with encroachment of capital in their habitats for extraction based industrialisation.
Religious affiliation, socio-cultural traditions, location, level of hinduisation, level of urbanisation, gender forms the basis of construction of their indigenous identity. What this indigenous identity means to the Saora and Kondh youth today will be derived from the analysis. Further, the nature of implication for construction of indigenous identity among the Saora and Kondh, their collective and individual representation in the larger society and claims to benefits from the state, will also be discussed.
