The Gadaba tribe with a listing found primarily in Odisha, also encompasses slices from a viewpoint of deep agriculture and traditional craftsmanship. Everyday use resource tools of the Gadaba tribe include the sickle, which is primarily used in agriculture and foraging.
It has two main parts: iron blade and long cylindrical wooden handle. The crescent-shaped blade is configured with an acute angle that allows for precise cutting, ensuring a clean harvest of the crops, grass, and wood. The tang end is smaller, flat, and almost circular, thus locking tightly into the handle. The butt end of this handle is circular so one could get a comfortable grip with it over a long period of time. Its design is an apt model of Primordial Cutting with minimum effort, expressing its presence as an indispensable tool for the Gadaba community in day-to-day life.
Used mainly for harvesting crops, clearing bushes and preparing fodder for livestock, this sickle also stands for the Gadaba community's self-sustaining and self-sufficient existence. The craft behind such an instrument has flown from generation to generation, speculatively guarded by indigenous wisdom and skills.
Actually, acknowledging and promoting such a traditional artifact has a contributory role in preserving the tribal heritage and for sustainable agricultural development. The other testimony for sustainable practices of the Gadaba is the use of locally available materials .