MIGRATION, MARGINALIZATION, AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF ASSAM’S TEA TRIBES

Abstract

This chapter, through the lens of the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) framework, aims to understand the Indigenous knowledge system of the Tea Tribes of Assam based on secondary sources. It seeks to comprehend how their identity and cultural traditions have been formed by colonial-era displacement, continued exploitation, and economic hardships. Their history, everyday lives, and indigenous knowledge systems have frequently been disregarded. During the colonial rule, these people were brought to work in the tea gardens with the lure of improved prospects. This has led to a unique blend of people within the Tea estates of Assam. Even though they belong to different ethnic groups, they have now adopted a shared way of life. As a result, they were able to develop traditional practices that are engrained in their daily lives, including farming, medicine, and healing. Storytelling, habits, and rituals are the ways in which their knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation.