Kisan tribe

Kisan Tribe in Orissa are found in Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, and Deogarh. They are traditional farmers and food gathering people. They speak the Kurukh language along with Kosli, Hindi and English. The Kisan call themselves Nagbansis, Nagesar and Nagesia.

The settlement of the Kisan is mainly on pat and forest portion of the region in which they are found. As they are settled tribes, their houses are made up of comparatively durable materials. Their houses stand on high plinth. Each house has a workshop, a store room, a kitchen, a sleeping room and a veranda. They have separate cattle shed and a pigsty. The Kishan villages can be approached on foot. Each family has own cattle wealth, agricultural weapons, war weapons, household utensils and agricultural land.

The Kisan erect houses with the help of mud, wood, bamboo, leaves, straw, rope and hand made fire baked tiles. The houses are single storey. Veranda is erected with wood poles, bamboos and tiles or leaves and straw. The household utensils consist of earthen pots, aluminium pots, bronze thali, lota, tumbler, iron knife, karahi, chholani, kalchhul. They have varieties of baskets of different sizes for storing and carrying forest produce, grains, loads etc. They prepare these baskets, brooms, mats and winnowing tray with the help of bamboo, local grasses and date leaves. They purchase household utensils from the local Haat. They have few cots, machia and sikia which they prepare from the ropes. They weave rope from the local grasses. They also prepare rope for selling and getting money.

The males wear dhoti, ganji, kurta, gamachha etc. The females use sari, saya, blouse etc. The children wear paint, ganji, shirts etc. They purchase clothes from the local market or Haat. Previously, they used to buy dresses from the chickbaraik tribe. Women are fond of ornaments of silver, steel thread, glass, lac etc. which they purchase from the Haat.

They have plough, kamaba or khanti, kudal, khurapi, sickles, axes, etc. for agricultural purposes. They have Lathi, Ber, Barchha, Bhala, as hunting and war weapons. Radio, watch and bicycles have reached among them. They purchase these items from the market situated at district or block headquarters.

The different social groups characterizing the society of the Kisan are family, lineage, tribe and the village. These social groups live together in the same village. Their affinal kins are found in different neighbouring villages. Different kin groups interact on different social, ceremonial worship and festive occasions. They do not have clan system or they have forgotten it.

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