Saharia

Saharia is a little-known tribe in India. The Saharias are found mainly in Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan. They live in the Khair, Kardhai and Babool forests of the valleys of the Kuno, Parbati, Sindh, and Kali Sindh rivers. Their agricultural income is marginal but they get substantial additional income from working in the forests and collecting minor forest produce such as honey, edible gums, manufacture of kattha, collection of chironji, tapping Salai trees etc. They also find employment in large grass reserves of the Kuno valley.

The Saharias are good huntsmen. The leader, called the Keshav of the tribe, uses primitive hand languages and signs to communicate with the hunters of the tribe during a hunt. The hunting tactics used by the Saharias are similar to those used by Native Americans.