NAGA TRIBAL COMMUNITY

SOCIOLOGY
NAME : HANISHA. R
USN NO. 1NS19AT021
SEM – V B. ARCH
 NAGA TRIBAL COMMUNITY - INTRODUCTION
▪ NAGAS ARE VARIOUS ETHNIC GROUPS NATIVE TO NORTHEASTERN INDIA AND
NORTHWESTERN MYANMAR.

▪ THE GROUPS HAVE SIMILAR CULTURES AND TRADITIONS, AND FORM THE MAJORITY OF
POPULATION IN THE INDIAN STATE OF NAGALAND AND NAGA SELF-ADMINISTERED ZONE
OF MYANMAR; WITH SIGNIFICANT POPULATIONS IN MANIPUR, ARUNACHAL PRADESH
AND ASSAM IN INDIA; SAGAING DIVISION AND KACHIN STATE IN MYANMAR.

• ANIMISM IS THE BELIEF THAT OBJECTS, PLACES, AND CREATURES ALL POSSESS A DISTINCT SPIRITUAL ESSENCE. ANIMISM PERCEIVES
ALL THINGS—ANIMALS, PLANTS, ROCKS, RIVERS, WEATHER SYSTEMS, HUMAN HANDIWORK, AND PERHAPS EVEN WORDS—AS
ANIMATED AND ALIVE.
• THE HERAKA RELIGION IS A PRIMORDIAL RELIGION EXISTING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, ANCIENT AND ETERNAL. IT IS TRIBAL
RELIGION HAVING ANIMISM WHICH MEANS BELIEF IN SPIRITUAL BEINGS, THE SPIRITS, GHOSTS AND DEMONS.
GROUPS IN NAGA TRIBAL COMMUNITY

NAGALAND HAS MAIN 16 RECOGNISED TRIBES —

ANGAMI, AO, CHAKHESANG, CHANG, DIMASA KACHARI,
KHIAMNIUNGAN, KONYAK, KUKI, LOTHA, PHOM,
POCHURY, RENGMA, SANGTAM, SUMI, YIMCHUNGRÜ
AND ZELIANG.
 LIANGMAI NAGA
YOUTHS PERFORMING
TANGSA NAGA
THEIR FOLK DANCE
A KONYAK CHIEF IN
HIS TRADITIONAL TANGHKUL NAGA
ANGAMI WOMEN OUTFIT

ALL THE NAGA TRIBE PEOPLE WEAR A

UNIQUE HEAD GEAR WITH THEIR
TRADITIONAL OUTFIT ALONG WITH
THEIR UNIQUE BEADED JEWELLERY
AND SCARFS

RONGMEIS NAGA OF ANGAMI NAGA

MANIPUR AO WOMAN GROUPS OF NAGA COMMUNITY
OF NAGA
 NAGA TRIBE ARCHITECTURE
▪ THEIR DWELLINGS ARE MADE OF WOOD AND STRAW AND THESE ARE ORNATELY CARVED AND
ARRANGED

▪ BAMBOO IS A VERY IMPORTANT MATERIAL ALONG WITH WOOD AND STRAW IN NAGA ARCHITECTURE

▪ THE DWELLINGS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS OF THE NAGA TRIBE HAVE VARIATIONS IN THE DESIGN OF
THEIR DWELLINGS BUT ARE ALMOST SIMILAR

▪ ALMOST EVERY NAGA TRADITIONAL HUT HAVE AS SLIGHTLY ARCHED ROOF. MOST NAGAS USE A
KIND OF TALL GRASS FOUND IN THE WILD FOR THE ROOF AND WALLS ARE MOSTLY THATCHED WITH
BAMBOO.

▪ AMONG THE NAGA TRIBES, KHIAMNIUNGAN'S TRADITIONAL HUTS ARE ONE OF A KIND -
KHIAMNIUNGANS USE SLATED STONE FOR MAKING THE ROOF.

▪ IN THOSE DAYS AND EVEN NOW IN REMOTE VILLAGES, ONE WOULD FIND SKULLS OF HUNTED
ANIMALS HUNG IN AND AROUND THE HUTS. MOSTLY, THE SKULLS ARE OF DEER, MONKEYS, WILD
BOAR ETC. IN SOME PLACES, ONE WOULD EVEN FIND HUMAN SKULLS FROM THE HEAD HUNTING
ERA.

▪ THEY HAVE ADOPTED SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE WITH MINIMAL USE OF ENERGY AND SIMPLE
LIVING

▪ THEY DWELL IN CLUSTERED GROUPS OR SCATTERED WITH FENCE IN THEIR VILLAGES

• HOMES VARY SOMEWHAT FROM TRIBE TO TRIBE
• . A TYPICAL AGAMI HOUSE IS A ONE STORY
STRUCTURE ON THE GROUND. ROUGHLY 10 TO 20
METERS LONG AND 6 TO 12 METES WIDE, IT HAS A
DIRT FLOOR AND THREE COMPARTMENTS
SEPARATED BY BLANK PARTITIONS:
• 1) A FRONT ROOM, WHERE RICE AND OTHER GOODS
ARE STORED IN BUCKETS;
• 2) A ROOM WITH THE BEDS, RAISED A HALF A METER
TO A METER OFF THE GROUND, AND A HEARTH,
WHICH USUALLY CONSISTS OF THREE STONES
EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND TO FORM A STAND FOR
COOKING CONTAINERS; AND
• 3) A ONE-METER-WIDE COMPARTMENTS THAT
EXTENDS THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE HOUSE, WHICH
IS WHERE LIQUOR VATS ARE STORED.
• TYPICALLY NO MORE THAN FIVE PEOPLE LIVE IN A
SINGLE HOUSE AND SOCIAL STATUS IS REFLECTED IN
THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE.
• THE HOMES OF POOR ARE ROOFED WITH THATCHING
GRASS. SLIGHTLY BETTER ONES HAVE BARGE
BOARDS. BETTER ONES STILL HAVE BARGE BOARDS
AND KIKA (HOUSE HORNS). THE BEST HOUSES HAVE
WOODEN SHINGLES AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF KIKA
CULTURE - ART
▪ THE NAGA TRIBES ARE EXPERT CRAFTSMEN

▪ THEY ARE SPECIALISED IN WOOD CARVING, WEAVING OF STRAWS AND

ORNAMENTATION

▪ WEAVING OF COLOURFUL WOOLLEN AND COTTON SHAWLS IS A CENTRAL

ACTIVITY FOR WOMEN OF ALL NAGA TRIBES

▪ NAGA JEWELLERY IS AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT PART OF IDENTITY, WITH THE

ENTIRE TRIBE WEARING SIMILAR BEAD JEWELLERY. THEY USE BEADS IN
VARIETY, PROFUSION AND COMPLEXITY IN THEIR JEWELRY, ALONG WITH A
WIDE RANGE OF MATERIALS INCLUDING GLASS, SHELL, STONE, TEETH OR TUSK,
CLAWS, HORNS, METAL, BONE, WOOD, SEEDS, HAIR, AND FIBER.

▪ THEY SPECIALIZE IN MAKING UNIQUE HEADGEARS FOR BOTH MEN AND

WOMEN

▪ WOVEN CLOTHES WITH CLOTHING PATTERN DIFFERING IN EACH GROUP

▪ THESE GROUPS MADE ALL THE GOODS THEY USED, AS WAS ONCE COMMON IN
MANY TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES: "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."
CRAFTWORK INCLUDES THE MAKING OF BASKETS, WEAVING OF CLOTH, WOOD
CARVING, POTTERY, METALWORK, JEWELER-MAKING AND BEAD-WORK.

▪ THEY HAVE THICK EMBODIED ANIMAL MOTIFS ON ALL THEIR CRAFTS AND
CLOTHES AND USED ANIMAL BONES FOR THEIR ACCESSORIES
 CULTURE – FESTIVALS, FOLK MUSIC AND DANCES

▪ THE VARIOUS NAGA TRIBES HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCT FESTIVALS

▪ TO PROMOTE INTER – TRIBE INTERACTION, THE HORNBILL FESTIVAL( ALSO CALLED THE FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS) IS CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE
MAIN FESTIVAL OF THE NAGA TRIBE WITH SO MANY OTHER FESTIVALS WHICH DIFFER AMONG THE GROUPS OF THE NAGA TRIBE BUT ARE ALL
SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS

▪ TROUPES FROME VARIOUS NAGA TRIBES COME TO FESTIVAL N PARTICIPATE IN THE WEEK LONG FESTIVAL AND FAIRS.

▪ FESTIVALS AND FAIRS BRING ALL THE NAGA TRIBES TOGETHER WHERE THEY SPREAD JOY TOGETHER

▪ THEY PERFORM TRADITIONAL DANCES, PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, SING FOLK SONGS, AND PLAY VARIETY OF SPORTS AND GAMES

▪ FOLK DANCES AND SONGS ARE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF THE TRADITIONAL NAGA CULTURE.

▪ THE ORAL TRADITION IS KEPT ALIVE THROUGH THE MEDIA OF FOLK TAKES AND SONGS

▪ FOLK DANCES OF THE TRIBES ARE MOSTLY PERFORMED IN GROUPS IN SYNCHRONISED FASHION, BY BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, DEPENDING ON
THE TYPE OF DANCE. DANCES ARE USUALLY PERFORMED AT FESTIVALS AND RELIGIOUS OCCASIONS.

▪ WAR DANCES ARE PERFORMED MOSTLY BY MEN, AND ARE ATHLETIC AND MARTIAL IN STYLE.

▪ ALL DANCES ARE ACCOMPANIED BY SONGS AND WAR CRIES BY THE DANCERS
 SOCIETY
• NAGA TRIBES HAVE AN EGALITARIAN (NO CLASS DISTINCTION) SOCIETY.
• THE VILLAGE IS A CLOSELY KNIT UNIT OF INTERMARRIED HOUSEHOLDS OF DIFFERENT CLANS.
• NAG TRADITIONALLY LIVE IN VILLAGES AND THE VILLAGES WERE DIVIDED INTO CERTAIN NUMBER OF CLAN TERRITORIES OR KHELS.
• THE VILLAGE IS A WELL-DEFINED ENTITY WITH DISTINCT LAND DEMARCATION FROM NEIGHBORING VILLAGES
• EACH HAS A DIALECT ( PARTICULAR LANGUAGE PECULIAR TO SPECIFIED REGION OR SOCIAL GROUP), WHICH FOSTERS A STRONG SENSE OF
SOCIAL SOLITARY WITHIN THE VILLAGE
• THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE ARE HELD TOGETHER BY SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND RITUAL TIES
• THE VILLAGES HAVE THEIR OWN IDENTITIES, BUT NOT IN ISOLATION, AS THERE ARE INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH
NEIGHBORING VILLAGES
• EACH VILLAGE HAS AN ELDERLY CHIEF WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS AND HAS ALL THE POLITICAL POWER.
• THE ELDERS AND KIDS OF THE VILLAGE ARE TAKEN CARE BY THE VILLAGE
• WOMEN

• THE FAMILY IS THE BASIC UNIT OF THE VILLAGE AND THERE IS STRONG UNISON BETWEEN ALL THE FAMILIES IN THE VILLAGE
• THE FAMILY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTION OF SOCIAL EDUCATION AND SOCIAL CONTROL
• THERE IS A DEEP RESPECT FOR PARENTS AND ELDERS IN THE NAGA SOCIETY.
• MATERIAL INHERITANCE, SUCH AS LAND, CATTLE, ETC. IS PASSED ONTO THE MALE OFFSPRING, WITH THE ELDEST SON RECEIVING THE
LARGEST SHARE
• WOMEN ARE NOT TREATED EQUALLY AS MEN AND ARE EXPECTED TO BE OBEDIENT AND HUMBLE AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE DECISION –
MAKING PROCESS OF THE CLAN OR THE VILLAGES WHILE MALES ARE GIVEN ALL THE POWER
• WOMEN SUPPLEMENTS THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY WEAVING AND SELLING COLORFUL SHAWLS, AN ACTIVITY DONE EXCLUSIVELY BY
WOMEN
 SOCIAL LIFE
▪ THE COMMUNITY LIFE OF NAGAS HAS A UNIQUE FEATURE. THEY WORK IN GROUP, EAT IN GROUP, SLEEP IN GROUP, AND WOOING IN GROUP

▪ THERE IS NO INDIVIDUAL CULTIVATION, HARVESTING, PROFIT, ETC.

▪ EVERY WORK SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE STIPULATED TIME. IF A FAMILY COULD NOT COMPLETE A WORK IN TIME DUE TO SICKNESS,
THERE THE WHOLE GROUP WILL COME TO HELP

▪ THE PHILOSOPHIES OF THE NAGAS WERE VERY CLOSE TO COMMUNIST PRINCIPLE “HE WHO DOES NOT WORK, NEITHER SHALL HE EAT” IS A NAGA
PRINCIPLE TOO. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR IDLE MAN IN A NAGA COMMUNITY.

▪ MORUNGS WERE THE EARLY SCHOOLS WHERE THE YOUTHS WERE MOULDED AND IMPARTED WITH EDUCATION, PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT,
CHARACTER BUILDING, AND LEARN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES, TACTICS OF GAMES AND SPORTS, THE SKILL OF HUNTING, AGRICULTURE, BUILDING OF
HOUSES, CRAFTS AND LOOMS, ETC.

▪ MAN IS VALUED MORE AND GIVEN MORE RESPECT AS THE STATUS OF THE MAN IN THE SOCIETY IS VERY HIGH. TO BE BORN AS A MALE IN THE
SOCIETY IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE BUT ON THE OTHER HAND HE HAS GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES.

▪ THE MAIN OCCUPATION OF NAGAS ARE AGRICULTURE/IRRIGATION AND LIVESTOCK REARING. THEY ALSO ARE HUNTSMEN, CRAFTSMEN, ARTISANS

▪ THE NAGAS ARE VERY ATTACHED TO THEIR LAND, FAMILY, CLAN AND KHEL(VILLAGE)

▪ NAGA WOMEN WEAR TATTOOS. THEY IDEALLY HELP THE OTHER WOMEN FROM BEING KIDNAPPED. MEN TRADITIONALLY COULD ONLY WEAR
TATTOOS ON THEIR FACE IF THEY KILLED A MAN. OLD TIMERS HAVE PIERCED EARLOBES THAT DANGLE FROM THEIR EARS
THANK YOU