ABSTRACT
The territorial affiliations of most tribes in India have undergone major changes, especially in the last one hundred years, through increasing contact with other communities and with the State and its agencies. Traditional tribal property rights have also been heavily tampered with in the colonial and post-colonial eras. The entire Cholanaickan community identifies itself with the area which it inhabits. The quantity of minor forest produce obtained from the tsenmam also varies. The inhabitants of a tsenmam always try to stay together in one cave or in an open space for a few days; then, especially when resources are nearing depletion, they move on to other places within their own tsenmam. The Cholanaickan obtain both plant and animal food through direct subsistence activities. The plant food is arranged by them in a hierarchy of desirability, and takes into account taste, abundance and ease of collecting.
