Guidance for Environmental Entrepreneurs

The tradition of clans is apt to play an important role in the social set-up of any community, a clan being an aggregation of particular families having the same ancestors. However, there are some controversies regarding the origin of clans among the tribal grouping of Madhya Pradesh, a state in Central India. The important tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh are the Gond, Bheel, Kol, Auranb, Kamar, and Sahariya. The Sahariya tribal members inhabit mainly the four northern districts of Madhya Pradesh. The people of this tribe are mostly illiterate and very poor. Collection of wild plants from forests is the main base of their economy. About 15 to 30 huts form a village-like unit called a 'Sahrana'. All of the huts of a 'Sahrana' are built facing towards the centre, where a place of worship is constructed. The head of the village is known as the Patel and settles all disputes. The staple food of Sahariyas is Sorghum {Sorghum vulgare), Maize (Zea mays), or sometimes wheat {Triticum spp.) which they take with salt or some leafy vegetables. Sahariyas believe in evil spirits and perform many rituals to appease them. The Sahariyas comprise about 50 clans, which are related to their paternal family. A marriage between persons of the same clan is strictly prohibited; they are supposed to be brothers and sisters. During the present investigation, it was observed that certain clans of Sahariyas are named after certain plants which occur in the neighbouring forests; but it was found that the Sahariyas do not even touch the plant to which their clan's name belongs. Table I shows the names of some such clans, the related plants, the local names, and the manner in which conservation of the plants is effected. The importance of the tradition of clans among Sahariyas in conservation of plants is evident and direct. Besides these clans based on plants, there are several clans which are related to animals. These clansmen do not eat the flesh of the related animals. There are a number of popular stories or legends about the origin and naming of particular clans or sub-clans. Similar observations have been made among Munda tribal units of Bihar State (Gupta, 1981), where the clans are named after plants. The faith of early Man in the conservation of plants and other biological resources has led to TABLE I