Documenting the Intangible Heritage of the Khiamniungan-Nagas
The INTACH Nagaland Chapter conducted a project in 2017 aimed at documenting the intangible heritage of the Khiamniungan-Nagas. This project was authored by Sentila Y. Yanger, the State Convenor of the INTACH Nagaland Chapter.
The Khiamniungan-Nagas are one of the sixteen tribes of Nagaland, residing in the sub-divisional headquarters of Noklak within the Tuensang District. Interestingly, Noklak is a name derived from the colonial era; the tribespeople originally referred to the area as Thangyukiam. This small community is spread across only 42 villages in Nagaland, while a significantly larger population of the tribe lives in Myanmar, with 165 villages there. The shared histories and cultural connections with their counterparts in Myanmar are evident through ongoing cross-border trade, cultural exchanges, matrimonial alliances, and friendships that persist to this day.
The origin story of the Khiamniungan tribe remains unclear and difficult to trace due to a lack of written records. Most of the information available has been collected from oral traditions, folklore, and myths. The name Khiamniungan translates to “sources of great waters,” derived from Khiam (water), niu (big) gan (source). According to these oral traditions, only the Tsui and Lam clans existed when the tribe migrated from the mythical Khiamniungan. Today, there are four major clans: Tshui, Lam, Chio, and Meya. Various origin stories exist within the tribe; one claims that a great flood forced the people to seek shelter in the higher hills, while another myth states that the early ancestors emerged from a large opening in the ground, and upon reaching the surface, they declared that they were destined to be ‘above the open ground’.
The Khiamniungan dialect belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language. The Thang dialect, spoken in Noklak village, serves as the lingua franca for communication among the tribespeople. Before Christianization, the community practiced animism. Interestingly, the spread of Christianity has contributed to the Thang dialect’s current status. The conversion to Christianity began in 1947, and early efforts included translating the Bible into Thang. The language is also taught as a vernacular language in schools. Five other dialects share similarities with Thang, except for the distinct dialect of the Wuivillage.
The Morung-Kam serves as a distinctive space in the Khiamniungan villages. Access is restricted to males, specifically responsible adults, and women are strictly forbidden from entering. The Kam functioned as a command centre for strategic planning, where senior warriors taught tactics related to warfare and head-hunting to novices. It also served as a venue for disseminating administration, oral traditions, craft skills, and various subjects important to their lives. Similarly, the Pou Hoi functioned as a male dormitory, which women could enter only on special occasions when invited to dance. Boys typically entered the dormitory at age 15 and would remain until they married. However, the tradition of male dormitory culture no longer exists.
The marriage customs of the Khiamniungan tribes prohibit unions within the same clan or its subdivisions, as such relationships are considered incestuous. Intermarriage between the four major clans is allowed, although historically, marriages between the Shiu and Meya clans were restricted. Traditionally, weddings were simple affairs; a chicken would be prepared for the couple to share, and they would invite family and friends to celebrate. Today, marriages follow Christian rituals, but invitations are still extended to all friends and even casual acquaintances, a practice that remains unchanged. The role of shamans has diminished significantly due to Christianization, with only a subtle presence remaining today. In the past, shamans included both men and women, with male shamans referred to as Aepo or Musonand female shamans as Ainn or Aeniu. Shamanism and witchcraft practices were hereditary, passed down from father to son and mother to daughter.
Weaving is a skill exclusively practiced by women and is considered taboo for men. In the past, cotton was commonly used for weaving textiles, but the introduction of coloured yarn has largely replaced the traditional practice of growing cotton. Textiles are woven using backstrap looms or loin looms and are inspired by narratives that help identify the wearer’s origins, along with other indicators such as gender, social status achieved through merit feasts, and textiles for commoners. The Nokhu, Pathso and Pesu range of groups are recognised by the blue horizontal-colored bands in the male shawl and with white horizontal bands in the Tang and Pangsha groups. However, these traditional textiles are primarily worn during cultural events. The jewelry and ornaments worn by Khiamniungan women beautifully complement their traditional textiles. Women adorn themselves with multiple strands of yellow and orange glass beads of varying lengths, and they creatively incorporate natural elements like seeds, iridescent insect wings, and shells into their ornaments.
The tribe has lost many of its festivals due to the Christianization of the area, as some of its rituals were not in alignment with Christian doctrines. Nevertheless, a few festivals are still celebrated, including the Khaolsaose-Hoka festival, a post-harvest celebration held in January; the Miu festival in April, which signals the upcoming paddy sowing season; and the Yahpong Laang festival in June, where the two main khels (sectors) of the Shui and Lam clans take turns observing festivities at the village outskirts, leading to the new jhum fields.
