Today (August 9) is ‘International Day of The World’s Indigenous People’. Sri Lanka can be proud of having many tribes of indigenous people. The most prominent tribe is concentrated in the wilds of Dambana, a village situated close to Mahiyangana. Dambana is dedicated to one clan of the indigenous people known as ‘Dambana Veddas’. There are Veddas living in other parts of the island and have their own identities, cultures and methods of surviving. 

The presence of Veddas goes on to show that Sri Lanka is multi-cultural. It also underscores the fact that despite Sri Lanka having a president elected through an election, a Vedda chief is also a leader in his own right. There have been opinions expressed that the present Vedda Chief, Uruwarige Wannila Aththo is not only suitable to lead his jungle tribe, but is also mentally and physically fit to hold a top ministerial post. Some people might stretch this thought and state that Wannila Aththo can even be the president of Sri Lanka. This fact was shown in no uncertain terms when Wannila Aththo appeared on a leading television channel and participated in a quiz; where the prize money now offered is to Rs 3 million. The audience was dumbfounded at the knowledge the Vedda Chief displayed. 

What amazes outsiders is the effort taken and alertness shown by the Veddas to preserve their lands and health. Very rarely would an elderly Vedda member eat anything that is offered to them and comes from outside their ‘bubble’. 

International organisations such as the United Nations (UN) has recognised the need to protect the lands and way of life of indigenous people. According to UN statistics, there are as many as 476 million indigenous people in the world spread across 90 countries. This special community comprises less than 6% of the world’s population. They speak the majority of the ‘world’s estimated 7000 languages and represent 5000 different cultures. 

Coming back to the Sri Lankan Veddas, this community’s existence has been threatened by development activities and the gazetting of certain laws. The Veddas complain that there are laws that prohibit them from hunting certain animals and that is a concern for them. According to the UN, activities like agriculture, mining, deforestation of their habitats and tourism have threatened their way of life. There was even an occasion when the present Vedda Chief filed a writ petition against the Mahaweli Authority for conducting deforestation activities near their habitat. The Dambana Village is situated on the border of the Maduru Oya Wildlife Reservation. 

There is some contamination of the Vedda society by the outside world. Now they use money printed by the Central Bank as payment when selling goods and products like bee honey, ornaments and weapons, like the bow and arrow. The one thousand rupee note is called ‘maha kola pojja ekamai’-in other words a single note of a currency of the highest denomination from a Vedda’s perspective. 

Veddas have often been critical of the ruling governments for not protecting their rights to living. They have also been critical of those serving parliament and said that they behave worse than buffaloes. 

This could be one reason why the Vedda leaders always discouraged members of their clan to mingle with the society at large. There was once a story where a member of the Vedda clan completed the Advanced Level Examination and qualified for university. This member of the Vedda clan graduated and took up employment as a teacher. One day, when this teacher returned to Dambana Village on a visit, he had already developed at least two non-communicable diseases. The Vedda Chief, at that time, was quick to defend his view of opposing his clan of having unwanted contact with the outside world. 

With the presidential elections fast approaching to find Sri Lanka’s next leader, we must roll back time and speak about the Vedda Chief who ruled before Wannila Aththo. He was Tissahami; a legend and a ruler of stature who ruled this community for over 100 years. A peep into this community reminds us that real chiefs aren’t defeated at elections; they just fade away.