Ethnography

The aboriginals of Andaman are divided into two broad categories based upon their language and material culture- the Great Andaman group and the Little Andaman Group. The Jarawas are an offshoot of the Little Andaman group who occupies South Andaman, middle Andaman and Rutland Island. The Jarawas are physically short in stature, with round heads and frizzy, woolly, dark hair. They are very similar to the Negros.

 

The average height is 155.61cm (male) and 148.93cm (female). They are well built with no fat. They have almost no body hair except traces of moustache and beard in men. Heads are generally broad to round in shape; medium size and cheekbones are not prominent. Lips are thick; teeth are bright with no aberrations. The tongue is spotted with pinkish follicles and is capable of rolling. Eye slits are straight and nose wings are flattened. they usually decorate their faces and bodies with a grey clay called "ood".

 

They speak their own language but do not have a script. It is not similar to any mainland Indian languages but has some commonality with the other tribes of Andaman.

Some common words used by them :

Pela – soil, hoya- stream, thuha- fire, ing- water, pepe- leaf, oho-rain, chakte- tide

 

They are nomadic and carry their children and belongings with them from place to place. They do not practice agriculture or domesticate animals nor do they accumulate or store food. There are certain customs governing the rights of a group in its territory other groups are not allowed to forage or hunt there. Members of all three territorial groups know each other and marriages occur between them.

Jarawa man in traditional attire