23and a heated wildlife conservation debate (see Sect. 1.7.10 for a more detailed
account). Certain aspects of Solega traditional knowledge have therefore been
presented in academic journals and in popular magazines, primarily as a means
of showcasing the benefi cial impacts of Solega agricultural activities on the for-
est ecosystem, or the potential for incorporating Solega traditional practices into
modern forest management regimes [ 88 ]. The Solega’s involvement in a partici-
patory resource monitoring programme [ 89 ] as well as in organic agriculture
and self-help projects [ 90 ] have also been reported. Many practical issues being
faced by modern Solega have also drawn the attention of researchers. These
include the effect on Lantana on the livelihoods of forest-dwelling Solega [ 91 ],
low crop yields [ 92 ] and the interactions between traditional and modern health-
care systems [ 93 ].
1.7.3 Governance
Solega society is arranged into fi ve exogamous clans or kula , which are arranged
in an informal hierarchy. Within each Solega village, one man from each clan is
elected to join a council that is responsible for settling disputes and maintaining
law and order. Each member of the council has a formal title, and is responsible
for a set role (Table 1.1 ). This is one of the few instances when the clan hierarchy
manifests itself in a concrete fashion, as the representative of the tene:ru clan,
the paṭṭaga:rã , is always the head of the council, while the ejama:na , elected
from the seḷikiru clan, is considered his deputy. There appears to be a minor
hereditary component in the election of a council member, in that a position
seems to be regularly fi lled by members of a single nuclear family. Nevertheless,
a person is elected to council only through the consensus of the inhabitants of a
village, and he can also lose his position if public opinion turns against him.
Solega society is currently far more egalitarian than it once was. Council mem-
bers used to command a considerable amount of prestige and authority, and peo-
ple would move aside to let them pass, while women would avert their gaze out
of respect. They were also the sole judicial mechanism that ordinary Solega had
recourse to, and had the power to mete out, and enforce, punishments as severe
as the complete ostracism of serious offenders from all social contact for long
Table 1.1 Titles of the Solega elders, the clans they are elected from and their offi cial responsibilities
Title Clan Responsibility
p aṭṭaga:rã tene:ru The most senior of the elders, head of the council
ejama:na seḷikiru Deputy to the paṭṭaga:rã
m aṇega:rã ha:laru Passing of judgements for punishing crimes
salava:di su:rru Administrative roles, including the role of sheriff
koluka:rã beḷḷuru Arresting criminals and meting out physical
punishments; also gives names to newborns1.7 Ethnographic Sketch