an ad ▁and ▁K ann ur ▁districts ▁of ▁Ker ala , ▁India . ▁Kur ichi y ans ▁are ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Sch eduled ▁Trib es ▁of ▁Ker ala ▁pract icing ▁agricult ure . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁name ▁Kur ichi yan ▁was ▁given ▁by ▁the ▁K ott ay am ▁R aja ▁to ▁this ▁class ▁of ▁people ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁ade pts ▁in ▁arch ery . ▁The ▁word ▁Kur ichi yan ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁two ▁words ▁k uri ▁( target ) ▁and ▁chi yan ▁( people ). ▁ ▁Society ▁and ▁culture ▁Gener ally ▁their ▁houses ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁clusters ▁and ▁cluster ▁of ▁houses ▁in ▁one ▁settlement ▁is ▁called ▁Mitt om ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Th ar av adu . ▁A ▁line age ▁head ▁called ▁Kar an av ar ▁heads ▁a ▁Mitt om . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Kar an avan , ▁Kur ichi ya ▁society ▁includes ▁medicine ▁man , ▁and ▁other ▁social ▁function aries ▁such ▁as ▁Pitt an . ▁J oint ▁family ▁system ▁is ▁common ▁among ▁the ▁Kur ichi yan . ▁Society ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁line ages ▁head ed ▁by ▁line age ▁heads . ▁A ▁female ▁init iation ▁rit ual ▁called ▁the ▁p andal ▁p att u ▁is ▁performed ▁before ▁a ▁girl ’ s ▁men ar che ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁ear ▁b oring ▁ceremony ▁among ▁the ▁tribe . ▁▁ ▁W ives ▁stay ▁with ▁the ▁husband , ▁but ▁children ▁only ▁until ▁ 5 - 6 ▁years , ▁then ▁they ▁go ▁to ▁their ▁mother ' s ▁house . ▁▁ ▁W ives ▁stay ▁Among ▁the ▁Kur ichi y