<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">Hodi</span></i><span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">, a traditional craft of <i>Nicobari</i> tribe</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt" lang="EN-US">The <i>Nicobari</i> tribe is one among the six native tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI), who lives in Nicobar group of Islands. This tribe follows traditional fishing methods for the exploitation of marine fishery resources from time immemorial. The traditional crafts employed for exploitation of fish in Car Nicobar, the capital of Nicobar district where a significant proportion of this tribe inhabit, is commonly called as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hodi </i>and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">ap”</i> in <i>Nicobari</i> language. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hodi </i>is constructed either using trees locally available in the island or from nearby islands. The technical skill for the construction of <i>Hodi</i> is based on the traditional indigenous knowledge acquired by the Nicobarese from their forefathers. It takes few weeks to few months for the construction of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hodi</i>. Selection of tree for the construction requires specific experience and few selective elderly persons among <i>Nicobari</i> tribe is considered to be the experts for the construction of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Hodi</i>. During earlier days axe and sword sickle (<i>Fel)</i> have been used as construction tools. However, presently modern electrical and mechanical instruments are also used for the construction of this craft. This craft is used for many fishing practices such as spearing, harpooning, light fishing, hand lining, cast netting, shore seining and gill netting to catch seer fishes, carangids, sardines, parrot fishes, tuna, sail fish, barracuda, mullet, octopuses, crabs and turtles.

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