Tools and Weapons
All tools and weapons are made out of materials available in the forests. Only iron is collected from wreckages of ships in the sea. Common household items are wooden buckets (uhu), cane baskets (taika) and torches (thuhuga). Wooden buckets are made from thaad wood (Pajanelia reheedii) and are used to collect and store honey or roast meat. Cane baskets are used for the collection of fruits, roots, tubers , flowers ,shells and fishes. To make torches they use the leaves of the salai patti (Liquala peltata), which are rolled and stuffed with a powdered resin, extracted from the Parishia insignis tree. They also use the salai patti leaves directly as umbrellas during rain.
Implements used for hunting and gathering such as the Bow or aav. The bow varies in size based on the user and is made from chooi tree wood( Sagarea elliptica). The wood is smoked and dried before it is carved with a knife or sharp stone. The bowstring betho is made from the fiber of climber plant called tigule.
The Jarawas have a variety of different arrows. They can be made entirely of wood (shaft and point) or wood and metal. These arrows are classified according to their shape, size and usage such as the Tochaluhe-tohag (hunting pigs), Tochaluhe-patang (hunting monitor lizards, people), Taheeya-patang (detachable arrow), Tochau-thulab (hunting birds) and Tochau-thom (fishing).
Only the Jarawa men work with iron to create weapons and tools. This because they do not have the practice of tempering the iron in fire to make it more pliable. They directly hammer it or sharpen it with rocks. Since this task requires greater physical strength the women do not indulge in it. Spear or towad is made aluminum or iron and shaft is made of wood and decorated with golden orchid fibers.
Various fishing tools are also used such as bows and arrows (by men) as well as handmade nets (by women). The mouth of the fishing net is made up of bamboo or cane. The nets are made by knitting together fine threads, which are prepared by drying bark fiber. The net is made to last long by using a mixture of resin and wax to polish it.
" when you take a man from his land, you take his spirit."
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