“Tudi”

(Tribal Unity for Developmental Initiatives)

I have been here for nearly five months and yet there are times when I still can’t believe I am in India. December and January proved to be a bit challenging, as we were fairly warned that home away during the holiday’s is not particularly easy. As Thomas John Achen reminds us, “This year is not meant to be for joy alone. It is in the hard, challenging times in our lives that we really begin to grow spiritually.” And I believe he is right. Whenever I am feeling particularly lonely, frustrated, or angry at life I just remind myself, I am growing.
Our January “YAV” retreat in the mountains of North Kerela, a place called Wynard, came at a good time as I was feeling particularly down and out. I wasn’t connecting to my community the way I imagined I would be five months in and I was thinking far too much about going home in August and what I needed to be doing when I got back to the States. In short, I needed some spiritual rejuvenation bad. The mountains have always been a place where I can feel God. Being born and raised on a farm, I am a nature girl by heart. I know when I’ve been away from God’s natural beauty for too long, my mood begins to change for the worst. Needless to say, I was ready for a get away to the mountains. Not only was I thrilled about the aesthetic feature of our retreat (and the fact that I would be reunited with my fellow YAV’s for some major bonding), I was also excited because we were going to spend our time with one of the tribal communities in Wynard.
Wynard is densely populated with tribal (indigenous people of India) communities. These communities remind me of the Native American tribes in the U.S. The tribals (tribal people) were the original settlers of Kerela but were pushed to the periphery when other immigrants came to the area. And much like in the U.S. the people of the tribes carry a history of being disrespected, discriminated against, and cheated out of land. They know little about the modern world and depend greatly on the land and each other. But with much of their land and natural resources being taken away they are left in a state of poverty (physically, mentally, and spiritually). Many suffer from hunger and many suffer from a loss of dignity, turning to heavy drinking. Some tribals have been offered low paying jobs in bordering states, away from their family whom they cannot protect, and many of the women and children are abused and mistreated by outsiders. Because the tribal speak a different language many children in schools are at a great disadvantage and teachers and students alike treat them unequally, leading to a high number of dropouts. These communities face many heartbreaking hardships and not many people know or care to know about their situation.
One group that does care and who invited us to come and learn about the tribe communities is a Kerala Jesuit Society that leads a cultural movement called “Tudi”. (Tudi is the name of a musical instrument, similar to a drum, commonly used by tribes.) The Tudi team is made up of folklorists, anthropologists, social activists, teachers, farmers, doctors, and workers. Their vision is to promote nature-friendly, culture-friendly, and human-friendly societies among tribals and non-tribals by developing alternative social, economic, cultural, and educational conditions that nurture the cultural uniqueness and folklore. I have a particular interest in their communal way of living and especially in their closely tied relationship with the natural world. For tribals the earth is a very sacred place where they get all their necessities for survival. In their tribal celebrations, the importance of agriculture is depicted in some of their dancing. One of the nights we had the great privilege of joining in traditional song and dance with the youth of the tribal village, ages five to eighteen. They used sticks to demonstrate how they toil the land. Together we raised our voices, joined our hands, and danced around a center flame. It was one of the most amazingly spiritual moments of my life. I felt like I was connecting with the tribal people in their homeland, sharing our joy and love of God.
During the three days we were there I was able to get away a couple times by myself and venture into the natural setting, something I haven’t been able to do in Mavelikara (even in a village setting there are few places where one can find true privacy.) I walked down a hillside that led to a coconut grove and just beyond the grove were beautiful patty fields. There were pathways between the patty fields, on slightly higher ground, making it easier for one to walk from field to field. I found a spot in the middle of a pathway, sat down Indian style, and listened in silence. I felt my mind, filled with worries and frustrations, suddenly letting go of everything. I felt a peace wash over me and suddenly I realized, I am sitting in a patty field that belongs to a tribal village, in the mountains of Southern India, on the continent of Asia. With that change of perspective I allowed myself to forget all the “small things” that seemed to clutter my mind and I embraced the moment, fully, handing over complete trust to God. I found God as I often find God, in the silence, surrounded by nature.
After the long weekend I felt refreshed, re-inspired, and ready to re-enter my life in Mavelikara. I was left with a rejuvenated spirit and a deep appreciation for and connection with the tribals for they truly realize and live as though we are part of the earth and the earth is part of us. Like it says in the Bible, “God has given us dominion over of the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every tree and green plant for food and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1: 28-30.)

“How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land, the freshness of the air, the sparkle of the water? Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” – Chief Seattle (A quote given to us at our visit with Tudi).