Veddahs in the limelight

The ninth of August (Wednesday) marked the Universal Indigenous Day, in commemoration of which was held, for the first, time a Conference of Indigenous Persons on the 8th of August at Kotakabakiniya, Dambana.

Lead by the chief of our local indigenous community, and also chief guest of the occasion, the conference saw the problems unique to the Veddahs being brought to the table and discussed with government officials in attendance. The current government imposed a ban on hunting wildlife and its destructive effect on the Veddah way of life was one of the main issues addressed.

The occasion saw the participation of all five Veddah tribes from the Dambana, Pollebedda, Heniyagala, Ratugala and Uhana areas, led by their respective tribal leaders, numbering over two hundred and fifty persons. A community centre of sorts was opened for the Veddah community in Dambana, with a small museum of history unveiled. With the help of old pictures and other visual aids, it presented the history of man leading up to the present period of the Veddahs.

Despite the purpose of the conference, however, it was obvious that the Veddah community is slowly but surely changing towards the contemporary. While the older generation wore their beards and hair long and carried cross bows and axes, the younger generation sat on new mats, wore t-shirts and would not have looked out of place living next door. However, except for a few older women, the kekules (girl/young woman) did not show up for the conference in keeping with the Veddah culture.

Rikaza