Veddas - aboriginal People of Sri Lanka

Do you know who are aboriginal people of Sri Lanka? The Veddas - it i small tribal community in Sri Lanka, the island (formerly called Ceylon) that lies in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of India. Physically, the Veddas are of Proto-Australoid stock, associated with the earliest strata of population identifiable in South Asia. Genetic studies suggest they are related to the tribes of Malaysia. Modern Veddas are believed to be descended from the island’s earliest aboriginal inhabitants, though clearly they have been exposed to genetic mixing with later groups. The name “Vedda“ is a Dravidian word meaning “one who uses bows and arrows,“ and Veddas traditionally lived by hunting and gathering in the forests of Sri Lanka. However, the Veddas call themselves Vanniyalato or “people of the forest.“ The Vedda minority in Sri Lanka may become completely assimilated. The Vedda language is becoming extinct, even if some elders still speak it, especially in Dambana, which is to some extent the “Vedda capital“ of the island.