The Dongria Kondh community numbers approximately 8,000 people, inhabiting about 100 villages. The social structure among the community is adapted to the surroundings of Niyamgiri forested hill country, where they have lived for many generations.
Nomenclature The Dongria Kondh derive their name from
dongar, meaning ‘agricultural land on hill slopes’, and the name for themselves is Jharnia"protector of streams".
Language The people of Niyamgiri use
Kui language. Kui language is not written, but it is spoken among the people of Kondh community.
Beliefs The Dangaria Kandha worship Niyam Raja (Niyamraja), the supreme god of the Niyamgiri jungle, believing that Niyam Raja is the source of their essential resources. The deep reverence and respect that the Dongria have for their gods, hills, and streams pervades every aspect of their lives. Even their art reflects the mountains, in the triangular designs found on village shrines to the many gods of the village, farm and forests and their leader, Niyam Raja.
Division of clan The traditional Dongria Kondh society has always been based on a tightened family structure involving people from different generations and these were marked by geographically demarcated clans where each clan was identified by a male animal name. The identification of clan is further classified by surname basis where the surname of the eldest male member of the most powerful family of the clan is generally used to denote that particular clan. This system of classification of clans within the Dongria Kondh community is a process of clan division which is also similar to Native American society where there was a presence of dispersed clan distribution throughout the land. According to
anthropologist Robert H. Winthrop, these types of clans are formed without any kind of hierarchy where a complete egalitarian system is created by crosscutting any kind of social affiliation. This culture of clan division is undoubtedly an integrated system and primarily has its allegiance with the “
Kondh Pradhan". The Kondh community in the Niyamgiri hills is organized into many clans from which thirty-six clans are clearly identifiable where each clan possess their own customary territories which is locally also known as
padars (consisting several hills). The Dongria Kondh people have more than 300 settlements or hamlets within their clan territory which is also not a permanent establishment rather these communities abandon the other communities in search of new ones within their own habitat region. The reason behind abandoning their houses can be because of practising of slash and burn agriculture also locally known as
podu in which they leave one piece of land and move to another for further agricultural purposes.
Social customs and political structure The socio-political governing and decision-making body of the Dongria Kondh community is also known as the
Kutumba. To make the work of the then divided into two groups one which functions at the level of clan or
Kuda Kutumba and one at the level of settlement or
Nayu Kutumba. The management of each clan is then done according to a more root level division, in which a separate group of people are dedicated to address the religious and political matters of the Dongria Kondh hence four functional groups or
punjas are formed. The
punjas of the Dongria Kondhs are
jani,
pujari,
bismajhi and
mandal. The
kuda kutumba presides over the
matha mandal which manages the affairs of a particular clan in a cluster of villages. It presides and solves disputes related to inter-ethnic and inter-religious groups. The Dongria Kondh have adopted a system of imparting cultural and traditional values to the adolescents and youths in their villages through exclusive youth dormitories. The Dongria women are also given equal status in the society in matters such as widow remarriage, possessing property without the interference of their husbands and sons.
Marriage customs The Dongria Kondh family structure depends on which clan the person belongs to as clan exogamy is practised in this community which according to some people is a process of incest taboo prevalent among these communities in its customs. These exogamous clan group have resulted in existence of dominant clan groups which was due to a process of marriage and kinship which formed during a long period of time. ==Mining dispute==