by Melani Manel Perera

The Vedda people want the government to respect their traditions and grant them part of the forest to hunt. They are the oldest indigenous group in Sri Lanka, direct descendants of communities that already lived on the island during the Neolithic.

Dambana (AsiaNews) - The Veddas ('people of the forests'), an indigenous people of Sri Lanka, are calling on the government to help them protect their cultural identity, language, religion and traditions. They made the demand on 9 August, International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, after gathering in the jungle village of Dambana (Mahiyangana District) to celebrate the event together.

The Veddas descend from communities who lived on the island during the Neolithic. Devoted to hunting and gathering, they had their own language and followed animist practices. As people from India repeatedly invaded the island, they were forced to move into the forests.

Over time, many Veddas were "assimilated" by the Tamil ​​and Sinhalese groups, blending traditions. Today communities that live inland follow a mixture of animism and Buddhism; those along the east coast follow a mixture of Hinduism and animism.

The civil war and the country's development, however, have hit the Veddas hard. They feel that their cultural identity is under threat. For this reason, the group organised for the first time a gathering without government funds, relying only on the financial support of the Dilmah Conservation.

"We prefer that the money be invested in development projects and education, not wasted in pompous ceremonies," said Vishva Keerthi Sri Vanaspathi Uru Varige Vannilaeththo, head of one of the communities in attendance, who spoke to AsiaNews.

"Increasingly, we clash with the government over land issues," he explained. "I would like an agreement that would allow us to use the forests, at least partially. For us, the forest is home, school, temple, hospital: everything. Here we hunt. If we are not allowed to do it, we do not know how to survive."

"Before I die," said Nallathambige Velaudhan, a community leader in Vakarai, "I would like the government to grant me one wish: allow 'Vedda' or 'indigenous person' on our birth certificates and identity papers ". So far, the Veddas can register only as Tamil or Sinhalese.

"It is very important," said Kamala Atharagalla, a Sinhala expert in indigenous communities, "that the government preserve the Veddas' cultural identity. Even their language should be preserved; at least, it should be taught in the schools their children attend."

According to the latest known data there are around 500,000 Veddas.

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