An indigenous or aboriginal people, specifically referring to the tribal populations of India.
From Hindi 'ādivāsī,' combining 'ādi' (original, first) and 'vāsī' (dweller, inhabitant). The term was formalized during the Indian independence movement to refer to the original inhabitants of forested regions.
When India's constitution was being written in 1949, they specifically chose 'Adivasi' instead of the colonial term 'tribal' to restore dignity—it literally means 'original dwellers,' reclaiming the narrative of who was there first.
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