The Naga Tribes

An Assignment In Individual and Society SYBBA Submitted By: Group 1 Melina Colaso Maria Fernandez Vishal Gaonkar Heloise Monteiro Rincy Johnson Karishma Surlakar Mohammad Ayaz R-11-04 R-11-13 R-11-16 R-11-21 R-11-31 R-11-34 R-11-36

Department of Business Administration Rosary College of Commerce and Arts 2011-2014

The Naga Tribes

In Hindu myth, nagas are a primeval race of divine serpent-people that play an important part in religion. They are half human and half snake, and are still worshipped as the bringers of fertility, especially in southern India. Nagas are believed to live in palaces (Patala) in the underground city Bhogavati. They are considered the protectors of springs, wells and rivers. They bring rain, and thus fertility, but are also thought to bring disasters such as floods and drought. Their ruler is Sesha. Some of the nagas are: Ananta (symbol of eternity), Vasuki, Manasa (fertility goddess and protector against snake-bites), and Mucilinda. The Nagas are an ethnic group of people inhabiting the North Eastern part of India and northwestern Myanmar. They are a conglomeration of many tribes with similar cultures and traditions. Besides forming the majority ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland, they are spread in the hills of Manipur, parts of Assam as well as Arunachal Pradesh. The population of the naga tribes is around 2 million. Nagas are people with great hard work, sturdy, with a high standard of integrity and strong sense of self respect. The most important quality of Naga tribes is their hospitality and cheerfulness to greet people with a smiling face while travelling on the roads is the common experience for everyone who notices them.

Origin of Naga Tribes

The word Naga is used for tribes living in Nagaland and in some parts of Assam. Originally Nagas were not known as tribes. The Naga tribes are linked with tribes in Assam and Myanmar. From 1816 invasion onwards Assam came under the rule of Myanmar. Naga tribes belonged to Indo-Mongoloid Family. On the basis of language Nagas can be classified as a cross breed of Tibeto-Chinese, Burmese and Aryan. Many Naga languages show Austric linguistic characteristics. The Naga tribes were roughly classified into four categories - the Southern Nagas, the Western Nagas, the Central Nagas and the Eastern Nagas. The Naga also belongs to the Indo mongoloid race. The Naga groups share common cultural features like the youth dormitory system, house pattern, disposal of dead, betel chewing habit, marriage pattern, life cycle rituals, traditional political organization and clan system.

Tribes and Festivals in Nagaland

TRIBES 1. 2. 3. 4. Angami Ao Chakhesang Chang FESTIVALS Sekrenyi Moatsu Skrnye Naknyulum PERIOD Feb last week May 1st week Jan 3rd week July 2nd week

5. Kachari 6. Khiamniungan 7. Konyak 8. Kuki 9. Kyong 10. Phom 11. Pochury 12. Rengma 13. Sangtam 14. Sumi 15. Yimchunger 16. Zeliang

Bushu Tsokum Aoling Monyu Mimkut Tokhu Emong Monyu Jemsha Ngada Amongmong Tuluni Metemneo Nga-Ngai

Jan last week Oct 1st week April 1st week Jan 3rd week Nov 1st week April 1st week Oct 1st week Nov last week Sept 1st week July 2nd week Aug 2nd week Dec last week

Society of Naga Tribes

Nagas build their villages on hill tops and receives sufficient amount of rainfall. Naga village has been regarded as a small republic as every Naga village has existed as an independent village state or a small republic. The Naga built their granaries around their villages. Joint family is the traditional form though nuclear family has become a new trend. Agriculture is the main system which regulates the soil practice of the Naga tribes. Shifting cultivation and terrace cultivation are practiced. Agriculture is the main occupation of the Nagas. The practice is done in two ways-first for paddy cultivation and second for growing vegetable like millet, maize, oil seeds, , chilies, pumpkin, gourd, potato, brinjal, mustard, cucumber, beans, ginger and garlic. They also collect honey, resin, seeds, barks from the jungle and sell them in the market. One of the major contributions of the Christian Church has been to liberate the Nagas from the fear of evil spirits and evils of head hunting and continuous warfare. Head-hunting inspired the weaving of special textiles of choice, colours and designs for use as shawls by the head-hunter to identify his heroism. Strong and vigorous figures are carved in bold out of wood and fixed to the baskets of the warriors, indicating the number of heads taken. Such wooden figures were also kept in houses as prized trophies.

Religious Life of Naga Tribes

The Nagas followed their traditional practices until they converted to Christianity. The traditional Nagas believed in various malevolent and benevolent spirits. They are polytheist or animist. By offering gifts and sacrifices these spirits are worshipped. The traditional religion of the Nagas is entirely social and individual in character. It is practical and revolves round the needs of the people. The Nagas do not care so much for life after death.

Classification of Naga Folk-lore

The Naga folk-lore may be classified according to the area of the diffusion The folk-literature which are shared by more than one tribe Folk-lore of the particular tribe Village based Folk-lore

Festival of Naga Tribes

Tribes of Nagaland are well-known for their festivals which are an integral part of the land. All the tribes celebrate different seasonal festivals with a pageantry of colour and local music. Their festivals are related with their religion which is associated with their economic vocations, social and cultural ethos. They celebrate festivals in relation with different stages of agricultural activity. Gan Ngai is a post harvesting festival. This festival is also known as festival of lights. In this festival, a farewell feast is celebrated for the spirit of those people who died in the previous year. Rih-Ngai is a war festival held for purifying village. Nanu is children`s ear boring festival. The ears of all children who were born during previous year in the village are pierced on this day. Gantham is a spring festival where they worship all the deities by offering animals. Napko or Napao is celebrated by the villagers as a whole. Ginkimei is a religious festival which is celebrated to please the goddess of wealth.

Culture of Naga Tribes

The people of Nagaland are distinctly marked by their looks which are usually marked by medium height, with low facial features, straight hair and brownish skin. These are some of the typical tends of mongoloid race which is visible in the Naga tribes. The men are muscular and full of stamina. The nose is flattened but some are sharp in their mongoloid features. The women are short but stout. The eyes of women are deep set with bulged eye sockets. Women are fairer in complexion. The tribes of Nagaland are separately marked by indigenous traditions, customs, language and dresses. Traditional songs and dance forms are an integral part and parcel of the rich culture of the tribes of Nagaland. The Naga have been able to preserve their culture language, identity, traditions and customs through the songs and dances. The costumes of tribes of Nagaland are completely different and colourful. Interestingly, some of their dresses are designed as per the different occasions. Tribal dances are performed during the celebration of the festivals and marriage ceremonies. They also wear colourful jewelleries. Every woman is supposed to weave the cloths for her family and carry on the activities like spinning, dyeing and weaving. The Naga shawls are the most famous ones which come in bright

colour and various patterns. Colorful ornaments are worn by both men & women which are made of ivory, these ornaments include the bangles and bracelets. The tribe is very much fond of ornaments. Some old men grow hair long and arranged in tangled knots. The babbed hair is the fashion for the young Naga girl. Tattooing is customary for Naga tribes only in North and East.

Art and Crafts of Naga Tribes

The Naga tribes are expert craftsmen. Their dwellings are made of wood and straw and these are ornately carved and arranged. Each tribe has a unique way of constructing their huts. A common practice among all the tribes is decorating the entrances of their dwellings with the heads of buffaloes. The Naga people love colour and this is evident in their colorfully designed shawls and headgear. The designs on the costumes are unique to each tribe. They use beads with variety, profusion and complexity in their jewellery, along with a wide range of materials, including glass, shell, stone, teeth or tusk, claws, horns, metal, bone, wood, seeds, hair, and fibre. The arts and crafts of this group of tribes reflect their self-sufficient lifestyle - they have made their own cloth, their own hats and rain-coats; they have prepared their own medicines, their own cooking-vessels, their own substitutes for crockery." The various kinds of craft-work done by the people include basketry, weaving, wood carving, metalwork, jewellery-making and bead-work. The Nagas also produce a variety of wooden articles such as utensils, rice pounding tables, smoking pipes, musical instruments, cups and plates of various shapes and size. Nagas excel in making mats and earthen pots by hand alone. Weaving of colorful woolen and cotton shawls is a central activity for women of all Naga tribes. One of the common features of Naga shawls is that three pieces are woven separately and stitched together. Weaving is an intricate and time consuming work and each shawl takes at least a few days to complete. Designs for shawls and wraparound garments (commonly called mekhala) are different for men and women. Among many tribes the design of the shawl denotes the social status of the wearer. Some of the more known shawls include Tsungkotepsu and Rongsu of the Ao tribe; Sutam, Ethasu, Longpensu of the Lothas; Supong of the Sangtams, Rongkhim and Tsungrem Khim of the Yimchungers; and the Angami Lohe shawls with thick embroidered animal motifs.

Languages of Naga Tribes

All the major Naga tribes have their own language. In actual practice, the language, even within one tribal area, varies from village to village. There are about thirty languages. The multiplicity of Naga languages is mainly because of the living condition in the past, when villages were isolated and there was little of friendly inter-communication between them.

Naga languages in the Tibeto-Burman family is divided into three groups; the western sub-group, the central sub-group and the eastern sub-group. The western sub-group comprises Angami, Sema, Rengma and Chakhesang languages; the central sub-group include Ao, Lotha and Phom languages; while the eastern sub-groups is made up of among others, Chang and Konyak languages. The tribal groups, who do not understand one another's language, converse in NagaAssamese or Nagamese. It is a hybrid mixture of Assamese and Naga languages but serve as the lingua franca of the Naga people. Hindi is well understood in Nagaland - even in the interior areas. The state Assembly, in a resolution adopted on18 September 1967, recommended that English be used for all official purposes within the state of Nagaland indefinitely, and that English be included as one of the languages in the VIII schedule of the constitution. But, only a fraction of the population in the state speaks or writes English with some degree of accuracy.

Food and Drink of Naga Tribes

The staple food of the Naga tribes is rice. It is generally taken with fish, meat or vegetables. The Nagas are very fond of chilies and the Semas eat them with the greatest delight. Sometimes the meat is smoke dried and preserved for a long time. Meat and vegetables are usually cooked together. The food is generally boiled. Certain items are considered taboo by the Nagas either because they are not clean or because they are suspected to transmit their qualities to the consumer. Rice beer is the main drink. It is generally of three kinds, Zutho, Ruhi, and Dzutse and may be taken at any time. It is nutritive in content and if hygienically prepared is a desirable drink. It is taken by all, including the very young.