An Ethnography of Cultural Disruption and Adaptive Resilience among the Paliyar Tribe in Tirunelveli

Abstract

This ethnographic study examines the profound cultural transition of the Paliyar, a formerly nomadic tribe in Tirunelveli, compelled by state policy and ecological pressure into decentralization. Through three months of immersive fieldwork in the Thalaiyanai hamlet, near Ambasamudram, this research documents the complex interaction between severe cultural disruption and the community’s resilient adaptations. The findings reveal a critical erosion of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and the breakdown of association-based social structures, directly resulting from the loss of forest access and nomadic lifeways. Concurrently, the study highlights strategic adaptations, including a risky shift to wage labor and nuanced religious integration, demonstrating the Paliyar’s agency in navigating their new reality. This study contends that while state-led development has provided essential infrastructure, its top-down approach has inadvertently accelerated cultural erosion by failing to integrate the Paliyar’s worldview and intrinsic strengths. Consequently, this paper advocates for a paradigm shift in tribal policy, from integration to co-design, promoting frameworks that actively preserve intangible heritage while facilitating sustainable and empowering adaptation, ensuring that development fosters dignity alongside material progress.