Q: Black Draupadi?

[RAH]

While I have heard of a (highly argued over) Black Athena, I only today 
read of a Black Draupadi. It occurs on p. ix of _Imaginary Maps_, which 
is a translation of three stories by Mahasweta Devi, translated from the 
Bengali by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and published by Routledge USA and 
Thema Calcutta in 1995. The stories are preceded by a section called "The 
Author in 
Conversation". Here is where Mahasweta Devi mentions that Draupadi was 
black. She says, "Remember, Draupadi in the _Mahabharata_ is a black 
woman. She must have been a tribal." 

I haven't finished reading the _Mahabharata_ yet, and I don't remember 
everything I have read of it, but I don't recall Draupadi being black 
or a tribal. Does anyone else?

Gratefully,
Bob Hueckstedt 

Robert A. Hueckstedt, Associate Professor of Indic Languages
Asian Studies Centre, 328 Fletcher Argue, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/asian_studies
fax 1 204-261-4483 phones 1 204-474-8964, 1 204-488-4797