Onge people

The Onge are an ethnic group on the belonging to India 's Andaman.

Until the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, the Community Onge counted 98 members who lived on the island of Little Andaman. At least 73 have survived the flood.

After the Ongo around two hundred years ago, colonized the entire island, its present distribution is limited to the settlements Dugong Creek on the north east coast and South Bay in the south of Little Andaman. These settlements are reserved for the Onge since 1957.

The Onge are small, very dark-skinned and curly haired ( Negritos ). Traditionally, they live as hunter-gatherers in the tropical rain forests. You make a bow and arrow hunting wild boar, reptiles and birds. With nets catch fish, crabs and shrimp in the shallow waters of the rivers and the coastal sea. In addition, they collect fruits and other plant parts.

The Onge of the three surviving ethnic groups of the Andamans most contact with immigrants from India, but rather what they are at risk, as it suits them.

Population decline

The number of Onge fell after the colonization of their islands and the contact with strangers dramatically from 672 in 1901 to less than 100 to date.

The Onge speak their own language, which is related to the languages ​​of the other indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands.