Reviving the Forgotten Voices: Indigenous Oral Traditions and Identity Reclamation among Indian Tribes
Dr. Badavath Veeru1*
Abstract
Indigenous tribes across India possess vast reservoirs of oral knowledge that have shaped their cultural identities for centuries. These oral traditions comprising myths, songs, folklore, praise poetry, ritual expressions, and performance arts serve as the living archives through which communities remember their histories and articulate their worldviews. Yet, these traditions have been threatened by colonisation, linguistic displacement, and global cultural homogenisation, leading to widespread cultural erosion. This paper examines the contemporary movement of indigenous identity reclamation and explores how reviving oral traditions strengthens cultural pride, restores historical agency, and reinforces community cohesion. It argues that revitalising orature is not a nostalgic return to the past but an active, dynamic form of cultural resistance and self-determination.
Keywords:
Indigenous tribes, oral traditions, identity reclamation, orature, cultural memory
