In need of Revival
By - Dr. Asangba Tzudir
Looking at Naga ‘life-world’ today, the patterns of growth ushered in through rapid modernization, globalization, and more so educational homogenization, indigenous knowledge systems starting with language finds overshadowed or even dismissed. Among these, the traditional epistemology which is the seat of values of the Naga people finds deeply rooted in their oral memory and transmission, community experiences, and deep reverence for nature and the cosmos, continue to stand as a very powerful yet underappreciated philosophy of being and knowing. These values are not about cultural artefacts but values that encompass a holistic worldview and which challenges dominant Western epistemology or enforced narratives and also offers meaningful narratives for sustainable ethical living, governance, and community values.
At the heart of Naga traditional epistemology lies relational knowledge which is not abstract or detached but emerges and built through relationships between humans, the land, the spirits, and the community at large. Naga epistemology is experiential, communal, and participatory, and where truth is not something that is proven in isolation, rather it is lived, practiced, and verified through shared experience. Thus, storytelling, folktales, and rituals play such a vital role in knowledge preservation. They are not just cultural performances but forms of pedagogy, ethics, and memory.
In a society where writing was historically absent, orality was central to Naga epistemology, and it became the repository of law, history, genealogy, cosmology, and moral codes. Forefathers and elders who passed on this memory down the generations and ages, were not just information holders but wisdom keepers, not because they had academic degrees but for their lived experience, integrity, and ability to guide the community through their performative act of teaching and remembering.
A key value of epistemology is the way in which knowledge was validated through communal validation. Knowledge is not held or created by the individual in isolation but is considered legitimate when affirmed by the community. As such, in their everyday life and living, consensus and dialogue were essential to the validation of truth. In today’s world, the idea of ‘expertise’ often excludes indigenous voices on the basis of formal qualifications or scientific proof.
Another very profound value is the respect for the natural world, and which continue to teach, especially the man and nature relationship. The land is not just a resource to be exploited but a sacred partner in the life cycle. Naga epistemology teaches that one learns from nature through observation, seasonal activities, and ritual performances. This ecological consciousness is much relevant today, as climate change and environmental degradation threaten the very fabric of life. The indigenous principle and value of taking only what is needed, which also preserving reflects a deeply ethical relation with the land and the environment. Traditional Naga epistemology also advocates intergenerational learning. Young people by virtue of having attained a certain age and entry into Morung were made to socialize thereby encounter with the various knowledge systems through participation while watching elders, performing tasks, listening to stories, and engaging in collective work. IN this way education was imparted and also integrated into everyday life in consonance with cultural identity.
With the coming of Christianity, the spread of formal education systems that prioritize rote learning, textbook knowledge, and English medium instruction has led to the erosion of oral memory and indigenous languages. Globalization has also greatly fostered cultural dislocation among the younger generations, many of whom struggle to connect with their own language or traditional practices which are often dismissed as ‘backward’ or ‘unscientific’ leading to marginalization.
Today, considering the way in which patterns of value system is evolving and which has led the younger generation into a moral crisis, reviving Naga traditional epistemic values becomes pertinent. It calls for rebalancing and revaluing indigenous ways of knowing and learning through a process of decolonization of the knowledge systems, and where Naga youth are encouraged to engage with their roots while navigating modern realities.
To generate such a process requires a shift in educational policies by way of incorporating indigenous perspectives, languages, and methods into the curricula. As the world struggles in the pursuit of sustenance of ethics and morality and inclusive value based frameworks, Naga epistemology offers a ray to rebuild humanity. It is only through a rediscovery and revitalization of these indigenous values that Nagas can reclaim not just a heritage, but a future build on mutual respect and thereby build a community with a sense of indigenous identity and belongingness.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
