The unspoilt children of the nature                                  

Sri Lanka's indigenous Wanniya-laeto (People of the Forest), also known as the Veddha, Archaeological evidence suggests their Neolithic ancestors inhabited this island 10,000 years ago or more.

Historically, for the past twenty-five centuries or more Sri Lanka's indigenous community has been buffeted by successive waves of immigration and colonization that began with the arrival of the Sinhalese from North India in the 5th century BC.

Consequently, the Wanniyalaeto have repeatedly been forced to choose between two alternative survival strategies: either to be assimilated into other cultures or to retreat ever further into a shrinking forest habitat.

Veddhas, are truly a fascinating people. Descended from the country's stone age inhabitants, these primitive folk cling tenaciously to their age-old life-style by living off the hunt and gathering the fruit of the land, despite the ongoing process of industrialization and modernization. The Veddhas are proud of their distinct sylvan heritage and call themselves Vanniyalette, Those of the forest.

Traditionally, the Wanniyalaeto practiced shifting cultivation (chena). Men and women gathered meat, eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, and honey. Women gathered a greater proportion of the family's daily food supply. Men made offerings to animal spirits and composed songs for them before hunting. With the exception of pots and iron knives, almost all of their supplies were made from materials harvested from the forest.

Today, however, many Veddhas are Buddhists like their Sinhalese neighbors. The Veddha marriage ceremony is a very simple affair. The ritual consists of the bride tying a bark rope (diya lanuva) of her own twisting, around the waist of the bridegroom. This is the essence of the Veddha marriage and is symbolic of the bride s acceptance of the man as her mate and life partner. Although marriage between cross-cousins was the norm until recently, this has changed significantly, with Veddha women even contracting marriages with their Sinhalese and Moor neighbours.In Veddha society, woman is in many respects man s equal. She is entitled to similar inheritance. Descent is also reckoned through the female line. Monogamy is the general rule, though a widow would be frequently married by her husband s brother as a means of support and consolation. Divorce hardly ever takes place. The women are said to make faithful wives and affectionate mothers.

Today only a few remaining Wanniya-laeto still manage to preserve their cultural identity and traditional lifestyle despite relentless pressure from the surrounding dominant communities.

Dambana, a Veddha settlement about six miles from Mahiyangana is the last bastion of Veddha culture.

The basic right of self-determination should be reason enough to give them justice. However, as with many other such groups around the world, they have valuable knowledge to offer modern society; clues to the development of ancient cultures, indigenous philosophy, knowledge of the local ecology, and more.