Subject: Tribal Theology

Unit III: Tribal Epistemology

1. Consciousness of Tribal Identity
1.1. Definition: Identity refers most basically to human experience of who we are and where we belong. It
is about identifying as well as aligning ourselves with a distinctive way of life and the people, who share
the values of that way of life. Generally, the identity of tribal is honest, simple, unambitious and
straightforward and also they treat the forest as their ancestral home, since the forest has been permanent
about for them.

1.2. Traditional Identity of Tribals

J J Roy Burman says that, a traditional identity held by those still living in intact communities, attempting
to still live by traditional values of self-sufficiency, a high degree of self-governance, keeping their
cultivated field and relationship with the forest intact. According to Margaret Kalaiselvi, singing and
dancing with traditional drums is one of the most important tribal identity. People sing when they are
happy, they also sing when they are in grief, lonely and sorrow. Most of the tribals in North-East India
have used traditional drums while singing and celebrating special occasions. In tribal culture, when the
community is dancing together, the steps, the thythm and the song help the people to overcome their
problems.

1.3. Land and Nature

Wati Longchar mentions that most of the tribals have myths which says that they are born out of the earth.
Many Naga tribes, the Mizos and Garos says that forefathers emerged from stones and some tribes have
myths which speak of their forefathers emerged from stones and some tribes have myths which speak of
their forefathers emerging from the big hole of the earth. All these myths symbolically tell that the and is
mother, tribals are born out of the earth. He further points out that land, forest, rivers, mountains and entire
cosmic universe are inseparably related to tribal identity. The land is not just a source of life and unity, but
it is also the symbol of identity.

1.4. Culture Identities

1.4.1. Ways of livelihood
Bishnu Charan Barik mentions that tribals are mostly found in hill regions. They are associated with
various types of economic activities like food gathering, hunting, shifting/jhuming cultivation, pastoralism,
wage earning communal worship, strong bond of kinship and lineage, barter system, production-
consumption oriented economy, emphasis on family and exchange labor etc.

1.4.2. Youth Training Centre

Most of the tribals have practiced the morung by Nagas tribes, zawlbuk by Mizo and other sub tribes,
Nokpantes, Mora etc where young men of the same exogamous clan slept before they married. This
institution was the center of learning, moral and spiritual training, dancing, singing and marital training for
the young men. (M Rongsen)

1.4.3. Philanthropic Works

Tlawmngaihna to Mizo and Sobaliba to Ao Naga is another culture identity practiced by most of the tribals
in North East India. Both characterize the traditional etiquette, social manner, honesty, integrity, virtue and
much more than that.

1.5. Tribal Identity Crisis

1.5.1. Ethno Nationalism and Regionalism
Lalsangkima Pachuau proposed two factors for the cause of identity crisis for the people of Northeast India.
i. Ethno Natinalism: It is a phenomenon of political movements launched on the basis of ethnic identity
which is characterized by regional or sub national reactions and resistance to what is seen as an over-
centralized and hegemonic state.

ii. Regionalism: F.S. Downs says that, Unfortunately Northeast India is a region situated between the two
great traditions of the Indic-Asia and the Mongoloid-Asia. This geographical cultural condition of “in-
betweenness” is an important factor for the crisis of identity. Lalsangkima Pachuau points out that they are
politically Indian; however, they are racially and culturally mongoloid.

1.5.2. Missionaries and Tribal Culture

According to Woba James, Western Christian missions and missionaries in North East India contributed to
the erosion of the native cultures by replacing it with the western culture, which imbalances the true nature
of the gospel and slows down the progress of the gospel. Walter Fernandes comments that the missionaries
probably did very little to protect their culture.

1.5.3. The British Colonization

Under the colonial administration, the tribal territory was divided, a division of territory generally known
as ‘Pemberton Imaginary lines’ into three different countries -India, Myanmar and Bangaldesh. This led the
people became minority groups in their own land. This division also created trans-border identity problems.
Depending on which side of the border one lives, they are now Indian, Burmese or Bangladeshis.

1.5.4. Government
The status ‘Scheduled Tribe’ has provided certain benefits such as quota for education, jobs, and so forth
but it has also led to further disintegration of and confusion among the people. For example, the ST life of
Manipur in 1951 includes: Any Kuki Tribe, any Naga Tribe and any Lushei Tribe. With a huge change in
its modification order in 1956, Manipur increases its tribe list from three to twenty-nine tribes and this led
to the disintegration of the Naga, Kuki and Lushei Tribe.
2. Developing Worldview
2.1. Definitions
2.1.1. Epistemology: It is the theory of the nature and ground of knowledge especially with reference to its
limits and validity. It is the awareness and understanding of particular aspects of reality. The study of
epistemology focuses on acquiring knowledge and how to differentiate between truth and falsehood.

2.1.2. Tribal Epistemology: The peoples cognitive and wise legacy as a result of their interaction with
nature in a common territory. It is also an established knowledge which includes their worldviews, and the
customs and traditions that direct them. (Mahendra Mishra)

2.1.3. Worldview: Originated form German word ‘weltanschauung’, meaning ‘a look on the world’. A
worldview is a theory of the world, through which an individual interprets the world and interacts in it. A
world view is a mental model of reality; a framework of ideas & attitudes about the world, ourselves and
life.

2.1.4. Tribal Worldview: It is a mental lens that are rooted ways of perceiving the world by the tribal
towards their environment. It is the ‘form of life’ which focuses the way of reasoning about the conceptual,
moral, practical and spiritual insights. (Nancy Ekka)

2.2. Sources of Tribal Worldview

2.2.1. Indigenous Knowledge: Tribal worldview practices are always integrated with indigenous
knowledge. In tribal worldview knowledge is holistic, cyclic, and dependent upon relationships and
connections to supreme being, people, nature, non-living beings and entities. Such knowledge provides the
tribal ‘a stable and abstract picture’ of their own world.

2.2.2. Land/space: A. Wati Lonchar mentions that the indigenous people perceive the land as sacred and
co-creator with God. It is the land that owns people and gives them an identity. Tribal people always
understand themselves as an integral part of nature.

2.2.3. Animistic Belief: A tribal worldview may be characterized as animistic. A tribal person simply
knows that his/her existence is possible only in relation to his/her community including the ancestor and
the created world, the tress, animals etc. as well as God and spirits. (Hormila Zingkhai)

2.2.4. Organic Worldview: Perceives the whole reality as one whole. Neglects nothing and values
everything.
2.2.5. Cosmological Narratives: The narratives have been orally transmitted from one generation to the
next and continue to apply to the everyday experiences of tribal people in their respective communities.
Therefore, it continues to shape practices and beliefs in tribal societies. The cosmological narratives, orally
transmitted through the generation contain messages of the tribal world view of power relations.

2.2.6. Culture and Tradition: Kathy Absolon mentions that the Indigenous worldview is rooted intimately
within indigenous cultures and traditions. The culture and tradition show multi-layered, which
encompasses the spiritual and social elements of tribal life.

2.2.7. Folklore: Myths, legends, tales, oral epics, proverbs, riddles, rites and rituals represent the sacred
worldview of tribal people.

2.3. Limitations of the Existing Tribal Worldview

i. Formulated mainly through oral traditions and observations of life and nature surrounding the people.
The oral tradition consists of storage of knowledge but is committed to memory itself.
ii. It is apparent that there is absence of doctrines, abstractions and elaborate theological and philosophical
formulations in tribal traditions. Hence, such vacuum in the tribal worldview needs to be identified
correctly within the existing oral tradition.
iii. Cultures are not static. It is always moving towards assimilating hybrid cultures.

2.4. Towards Developing A Tribal Worldview

i. Like all eco-spheres around the globe the Tribal world also faces challenges via globalization,
consumerism, commercialization, neo-capitalism, ecological destruction etc. So, the tribal world and its
epistemological framework that sustains Tribal life are also threatened. (Wati Longchar)

ii. The present survival crisis of the tribal people is a product of modern development ideology. Since the
whole concept of development is rooted in the uni-linear concept of history and philosophy. The modern
western industrial society is projected as the goal to be reached and followed. In this race, the criteria of
measuring human society are economic and the presence of industries. The denunciation of the land-
centred tribal life and culture as “uncivilized” and “primitive” have to be reclaimed and reaffirmed in order
to challenge the one-sided development ideology. (Barnes L. Mawrie)

iii. Inter-tribal and intra-tribal rivalries too act as an integral part of the degradation that the existing Tribal
worldview faces and is associated closely with modernity. The increase of urbanization as well as laxities
within the political gamut has created problems of space among the people leading to various uprising
movemnts and ethnic conflicts between various tribes. The fear of loss of their identity and rights adds to
the struggle of Tribal people. (Barnes L. Mawrie)
Dominant Christian traditions have remained inadequate to respond to tribal people’s problem. Hence
worldview of tribals needs to be enhanced.