Question

How did the tribal people earn their livelihood?

Answer 1

Hint: Native peoples, aboriginal peoples, first nations, Adivasi, janajati, hunter-gatherers, or hill tribes are some of the national labels used to describe indigenous and tribal peoples. Given the multiplicity of peoples it seeks to protect, the Convention utilises the broad phrase "indigenous and tribal peoples" and accords both groups the same set of rights. Certain afro-descendent cultures in Latin America, for example, have been labelled "tribal."

Complete answer:
Agriculture was the indigenous people's primary occupation. There were also shepherds and hunter-gatherers. They frequently mixed these tasks in order to make the most of the natural resources available in the area where they resided. Some tribes were nomadic, meaning they moved from place to place. A tribal community shared management of land and pastures, which it divided among households according to its own norms.

The Khonds, who lived in Orissa's jungles, were one such community. They ate forest fruits and roots, utilised various forest shrubs and herbs for medical purposes, and traded forest products like wood and honey at local marketplaces. They also traded products from time to time, receiving what they needed in exchange for their prized forest output. However, as forest produce supplies dwindled, more indigenous people abandoned their woods and traditional ways of life in quest of jobs and a better life.

Tribal groups were forced to buy and sell in village markets in order to obtain items that were not produced locally, which led to an unhealthy reliance on traders and moneylenders.

Note: Traders came around with things for sale and sold the goods at high prices. Moneylenders gave loans with which the tribals met their cash needs, adding to what they earned. But the interest charged on the loans was usually very high. So for the tribals, market and commerce often meant debt and poverty. They, therefore, came to see the moneylender and trader as evil outsiders and the cause of their misery.