What is happening at Jenu Kuruba Digital Archive

Prepared by Rayson K. Alex

Prepared on 25 October, 2008

Foci of ResearchDocumentation/making of:1. Indigenous knowledge on elephants and

elephant-training2. Tree-house construction3. Oral history of displacement4. Dictionary of Jenu Kuruba words5. Medicinal plant garden6. Cultural aspects of Jenu Kurubar

Indigenous Knowledge on Elephants

• visited Murkal hamlet where Jenu Kurubar train elephants

• interviewed mahouts and members of the hamlet

• videographed the activities of mahouts and elephants

• documented Dasra festival in the perspective of Jenu Kuruba mahouts

A rogue elephant being trained by a Jenu Kuruba mahout

Angusha

Making of angusha

Agga

Metal chains used instead of agga

Food made for elephants

Raagi muddhe made for elephants

Wooden bowl where food is mixed

Cage for untamed elephants

Elephant in the pond

Elephants drinking water from the pond

Elephants decorated for Dasra

Decorated elephant in front of Mysore Palace

Two trees worshipped by Jenu Kurubar

A Jenu Kuruba talking to a wild elephant

Tree-houses are built to scare wild elephants out of hamlets and cultivated lands.

A tree-house built on a bamboo-cluster

Making of a tree-house

Dictionary making (220 words collected)

Strategies used in the making of dictionary:1. finding words relevant to the culture of Jenu Kurubar – began

with words denoting parts of body, things used at home and haadi, cultural institutions, family relations, animals and birds (domesticated as well as wild)

2. learning the pronunciation of the words – to find out the difference between Tamil/Malayalam and Jenu Kuruba – a new transliteration key to be made for Jenu Kuruba language for the pronunciation of some phonemes are entirely different from any other Dravidian language.

3. finding the meanings of words4. understanding the grammatical specifications of words5. recording the pronunciation of words using Sound Forge

Software

Jenu Kuruba words and their meaningsnitho stop kattu bunch baayi hole dammu breathing trouble (asthma) naatha fowl smell aalu2 tell bere another thappu wrong seri right koobi gun ithaakku left side athaagu right side inthaakku back munthaakku front aleethu old beeja testicle siitha (Adj) cold thannage (Adj) cold bili (Adj) white basiri (Adj) pregnant

kari (Adj) black osaathu (Adj) new neenga (Adj) you (plural) nee (Adj) you (singular) ona (Adj) dry alla (adv) down mele (adv) up aathu (adv) over guddappa (n) A person who invokes spirit (shaman) thenginaa (n) coconut athi (n) cotton agga (n) coir kooli (n) chicken guye (n) cave kattepoonja (n) centipede yajamaana (n) chieftain of a hamlet aadu (n) lamb banaakku (n) lamp

Field workers collecting medicinal plants from hamlets

Medicinal plants being planted in the office campus by elders

Medicinal plant garden

Documented Mini-Dasra festival at HD Kote

two art forms of Jenu Kurubar displayed

1. Kolaattam2. Puliyaattam

Puliyaattam

Kolaattam

Niralukaraivathu (niralu-shadow, karaivathu-calling)

Things used in ritual

Guddayya

A test to check the arrival of spirits

Ritual performed at the river-side

Fowl sacrificed during the ritual

Spirit came on a woman’s body

Chasing out of devil

Land being prepared for the ritual

Workshop done on “Digital Visualization” at Government

Hostel for College students, HD Kote

Workshop organized by Jenu Kuruba Digital Archive for students at the government hostel, HD Kote

Mr.Ksheerasagar translating Rajasekar (photograph taken by shailandra)

Process of Archiving1. Writing report of the field trip in SIL software2. Naming photographs3. Storing the materials collected (photographs and audio files) as

separate files on computer as per the dates on which they are taken4. Preparing log sheets for photographs audio files and video in English5. Preparing log sheets for photographs audio files and video in Jenu

Kuruba language (at the second stage of the project)6. Uploading report, photographs and other materials collected in Wiki(2900 Photographs, 12 hours of audio and 25 hours of video were

collected from various hamlets of Jenu Kurubar)

Report on Jenu Kuruba Digital Archive done on SIL Software

A model of Still-log sheet

1. Camera model used : Canon and Fugi2. Images stored at : NFSC Archive, Nungambakkam & Digital Community archive, H.D. Kote A] Date of collection : 01 October 2008

B] Name of the project : Project of the oral history of displacement at HD.Kote

C] Name of the place : H.D. Kote, Mysore

3. Field notes : Mini Dasra Festival at HD Kote

Sl. No. Photo name Photographer’s name1. A bull decorated Rayson

2. A bull decorated1 Rayson

3. a chieftain in a hamlet Rayson

4. A float in the procession Rayson

5. A float in the procession1 Rayson

6. A Jenu Kuruba Rayson

7. A leaf cap Rayson

8. a non-tribal group getting ready for their performance Rayson

9. artists Rayson

10. bear dancing in puliattam Rayson

11. Bear dress Rayson

12. Bearmask Rayson

13. face of the artist painted Rayson

14. Jenu Kuruba having food in the hotel Rayson

15. kodi kambam lifted Rayson

16. kolattam Rayson

17. kolattam1 Rayson

18. kolattam2 Rayson

19. Kolattam artists dressing up Rayson

20. Kolattam artists dressing up1 Rayson

Video log sheet – 01

1. Camera model used : Panasonic MD 1002. Images stored at : NFSC Archive,

Nungambakkam & Digital Community archive, H.D. Kote

A] Date of collection : 01 October 2008B] Name of the project : Project of the oral history

of displacement at HD.KoteC] Name of the cinematographer: S.RajasekarD] Name of the place : H.D. Kote, Mysore 4. Field description : At NFSC Digital Archive Office

Description of the place

Tape No Description of the shot

HD Kote 13 Kolattam and puliyaattam dressing before Mini Dasra

HD Kote 13 Dance in the procession

HD Kote 13 Ariel shots

HD Kote 13 Street shots of Dasra Festival

HD Kote 14 Public meeting of Mini Dasra Festival

HD Kote 14 Stage performance of Jenu Kurubar

HD Kote 14 Interview with Jenu Kurubar people

HD Kote 14 Exit shots

The Materials that are archived are uploaded on Wiki for a wider

access

Report uploaded on Wiki

Photograph uploaded on Wiki

Technical training for the field workers

Bamboo being sliced for making photo frames

Photos and things used by Jenu Kurubar displayed in the archive

Photographs being shown