Conservation of Culture and Life Style of Indigenous People
Location :

Badulla – Mahiyangana
Moneragala – Madulla
Polonnaruwa – Dibulagala
Ampara – Mahaoya, Dehiyaththakandiya
Batticola – Wakarei

Approximate Cost : Rs. 50 Mn

Funding Agency : Government of Sri Lanka

Beneficiaries : Ancient Waddas People, Local and Foreign tourists, Researchers

Duration : 2009 - 2010

Implementing Agency : Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage

Objectives : Preserve ancient indegeneous people culture by preserving simple life style of waddas which was tightly connected with nature conserve cultural items such as ancient knowledge of medicines, customs, white magic, fork songs, literacy and artistic talents.

Expected Output :

  • Provide legal facilities to conduct their traditional routine work
  • Open Cultural Centres to provide knowledge of people
  • Conserve traditional white magic and
  • Make documentary Film
  • Maintain the exsisting ancient Folk Heritage Centre
  • Make documentary about stone caves related to Waddas
  • Establish Model Village of Ancient Waddas
  • Reorganize their Ancient Folk Heritage Centre as Museum

Introduction :

The settlements of indigenous people have been restricted to the provinces of Uva, North Central and East in Sri Lanka. Exceeding 16,000 in number, these people live in hamlets called Guru Kumbura Yaya, Kotabakinia, Nidangala Yaya, which form the village Dambana in Badulla district. Furthermore they have settlements in Dalukana in Polonnaruwa district and in Henanigala and Pollebedda in Ampara district. Their settlements are found in Vakare, Nilgala, Sorabora and Dimbulana in Batticaloa and Trincomalee district, too.

With the clearance of forest to set up villages and to execute mega development initiatives, these people, whose native place was the jungle, were compelled to mix with the ordinary society. As a result of it, they lost their native place, the forest. Apart from that, they had to face many difficulties in their routine activities such as hunting, chena cultivation, and gathering of various substances from the forest. Some of their positive cultural features are in danger of disappearance due to deviation occurred in their familiar life style and mixing with ordinary people.

With the intention of conserving and preserving their traditional cultural features including arts and crafts for the posterity and ensuring their simple life-style, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, in collaboration with other institution concerned, has designed a project. The main objective of this project is to conserve and preserve folk culture of indigenous people and to table a draft bill to safeguard their existence and rights.

Progress up to date :

The Ministry was provided Rs. 100,000/= each month to promote and maintain the Ancient Folk Heritage Centre and basic library facilities this centre. Although, estimates were prepared for traditional house of ancient people who are build in top of trees. The “Tisahami” Memorial Museum was prepared to commence in near future. This project has been approved by the Dept. of National Planning and the cabinet. Several meeting were held to discuss the implementation activities of the project with the participants of various stake holders.

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