Environment and the aging experience among South Indian hunter-gatherers

There has been much discussion on aging and peoples’ concerns for old age. However, few studies have been done on the aging experience from an emic perspective. This geroanthropological paper makes an attempt to understand the aging experiences of hunter-gatherers viz., the Cholanaickan and the Aranadan, living in the distinct ecosystem of Nilambur Valley of Kerala, South India. The paper suggests a cross-cultural perspective with the theoretical underpinning of ecological model of aging. By examining the aging experiences of tribal elders in their changing environments (physical, socio-cultural and spiritual), this paper portrays how different components of their environments move from supportive towards challenging or unsupportive, making their aging experiences more or less positive.