‘Can Nagas as indigenous people offer answers the world is seeking?’

‘Can Nagas as indigenous people offer answers the world is seeking?’

‘Can Nagas as indigenous people offer answers the world is seeking?’

Daso Paphino speaking at the 70th annual literary cum cultural day of the Southern Angami Students’ Union held at Sakhabama Village on January 25. (Morung Photo) 
 

SASU 70th annual literary cum cultural day explores ‘Indigenization’

Morung Express News
Kohima | January 25


“Massive bushfires in Australia, unprecedented change of climate everywhere in the world, and unimaginable forms of sicknesses and diseases; the world has desperately been seeking for answers from the indigenous people and their worldview. What can us as Nagas offer as answers to these problems? Do we have anything to offer,” Rtd. Director, Treasuries and Accounts, Government of Nagaland, Daso Paphino underscored these questions during Southern Angami Students' Union meet today. 


The 70th annual literary cum cultural day of the Southern Angami Students’ Union (SASU) under the theme “Indigenization” was held on January 25 at Sakhabama Village. 


 ‘Indigenization recognizes validity of indigenous worldviews’


He said that so many indigenous peoples in the world today suffer from the loss of their culture, and language due to the coming of Christianity and were unfortunate to have had missionaries imposed their western culture and called it a Christian way of life on the people they went to convert. 


He however said that “one of the reasons of how, we Nagas managed to keep many of our forefather’s traditions is due to the similarity of our cultural and traditional heritage with the practices of the old testament, and the religious believe of the jewish people.”


The term “indigenization,” as he explored, is becoming a common phenomena because the western world is beginning to recognize the damages their culture has done to native or indigenous peoples. “We know this from countries in South America, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand to name a few. Indigenization recognizes validity of indigenous worldviews, knowledge and perspectives,” he pointed. 


Practices and worldviews as he observed, had their own set of worldviews for instance, the Tenyimias have belief strongly in ‘Penie’ ‘Kenyü’ and ‘Menga’ – where as others don't seem to have that in their worldview. 


“Indigenization requires non-Indigenous people to be aware of indigenous worldview and to respect that those worldviews are equal to other views,” he underscored. He further said indigenization is becoming fast critical. 

 

‘Nagas at risk of losing our language, traditional habits and even culture’
Referring to Nagas, he said that today we Nagas are at a crossroad. Some who feels very privileged and blessed to see development taking place rapidly in all forms and shapes. The others who feel very unsettled because we are at risk of losing our language, traditional habits and even culture. 


For instance, he said our shawls and other attires have become a commodity for display during special occasions; becoming more inconvenient and less useable.  


Towards this he suggested some key areas to practice despite many pressing challenges of western or outsiders influence. 


On language, the speaker expounded on the importance of enabling oneself to speak our “mother tongue fluently and without shame. And then you must be able to speak the common dialect ‘Tenyidie”. “Without language you lose your indigenous heritage,” he said while stating that without speaking ones dialect and language, you lose your indigenous worldview.” 


While commending that Naga food is one of the healthiest food in the world, the speaker, however lamented that our ‘own’ is becoming less ‘popular’ and what is introduced from outside is becoming more attractive and sought after. Stressing on music, he noted the significance of songs on harvest, seasons, love, poetry in our language and traditional tunes. “Sohi mozho Sono diyole-  ‘Welo hole lohele azho. They are unique and they are special. We must preserve our music and to do that we must keep creating new music.”

 

‘We must keep our village life alive’ 
Paphino viewed that “Tenyimias more than any other Nagas are attracted to village life and have an emotional bond with our village. Towards this, he commented that southern Angamis are so fortunate that all the villages are easily accessible, therefore, spends more time in our own villages more than most other people living in Kohima, other than Kohima village. 


“We must cherish this opportunities. We must keep our village life alive. When we are spending time in our villages, we are mostly eating our traditional food more often, we are most likely engaging in creating music and of course in our own village dialect. So spending time in your village means you are keeping all the other above necessities,” these advantages he put to the attendance present. 

 

Sustain indigenous way of life 
Other elements that he explored as elements of indigenous were weaving, basket making, wood carvings, firewood collections, paddy fields, tree plantations, collective feasting and celebrations.


Making a comparison of the past and the present, Paphino also pointed that natural things were used for packaging and carriers yet today our towns and villages are flooded with plastic bags and plastic bottles and our rivers and forest are clogged with plastics making our drinking water and food unsafe. 


These, he referred as not environmental friendly but moving also away from our indigenous way of life. “When we go back to our traditional life, all these challenges will natural get the attention and be done away with.”


He told the young generation that they are in a position where they can learn from them, and reverse those wrongs and take the best from both the new found culture and the culture the forefathers gave, and make them co-exist for the best of our society. 


“You must appreciate the opportunity given to you to claim the whole world and become one with the world family, and at the same time you can take full pride in your indigenous culture and use it to benefit the world,” he suggestions he placed to the students. He also spoke on the history of the Angamis. 


Virato Naleo, President SASU delivered the presidential address. In the evening session, Southern Angami Cultural Society exhorted the student gathering.


The event featured cultural competitions like tati (Duet), War Cry, Folktale and other literary competitions like essay, story writing, painting and photography based on the theme ‘Indigenization.’
Mr & Miss SASU, 2020 title was also held where Onokü and Diezeno Chüzho were crowned respectively.