Tribal Cultural Mosaic 2023: ‘Our culture is our identity’

Our Correspondent
Kohima | December 6

As part of 24th Hornbill Festival 2023, the Department of Tribal Affairs, Nagaland today organized a cultural extravaganza billed as ‘Tribal Cultural Mosaic 2023’ at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima.

Gracing the occasion as the special guest, Nagaland Agriculture Advisor Mhathung Yanthan thanked Department of Tribal Affairs, Nagaland for organizing such cultural events. “It is through such events we exhibit and popularize our rich culture,” he said.

He also expressed happiness to the tribal cultural troupes for coming together to exhibit their talents and exhibit the rich culture, and also understanding and appreciating our culture. This kind of event builds us together and celebrate together the rich & diverse cultural heritage of the Nagas, he said.

“We are well known for our rich culture and traditions and we are all proud of that,” he said. We are recognized worldwide because of our rich culture, he said and stressed on the need to preserve & promote the same.

Our culture is our identity. If we lose our culture, if we lose our traditions, we will be losing our identity, he said.

Through Hornbill Festival- the festival of festivals, he said, we are being able to really exhibit and popularize our culture, adding that “And now there is a mad rush people across the world to come and attend Hornbill Festival that we have been seeing each year.”

We are also getting a lot of tourist because of our festivals, he said adding that it enable to build the state economy.

‘Carry forward our unique culture and rich heritage’

Angelina Tajen, secretary, Tribal Affairs department, Nagaland said that today’s event is organized by Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Department of Tribal Affairs, Nagaland and funded by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI.

She said that today’s event is among the many activities organized by the Tribal Affairs Department during this ongoing Hornbill Festival.

She said that the department has always aspire to promote and create awareness about the rich cultural heritage and also encourage the tribal indigenous games as such it had organized competitions for six indigenous games during the last few days.

“To culminate our activities, we have organized this Tribal Cultural Mosaic3,” Tajen said and hoped that this event will “help us appreciate one another, and also inspire us to carry forward our unique culture and rich heritage.”

Besides the performance of cultural troupes from Angami, Ao, Lotha, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Tikhir, Yimkhiung, Zeliang, Konyak, Khiamniungan, Phom and Chang tribes in this cultural mosaic, Angap Ngapang and Pauloi also rendered special performance. Vote of thanks was proposed by I. Sino Phom, Director, Tribal Affairs, Nagaland.