Who Are the Naga?
The Naga are a collection of approximately 60 distinct ethnic groups inhabiting the highlands of Northeast India (Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam) and northwestern Myanmar. Numbering approximately 2.5-3 million, they speak diverse Tibeto-Burman languages, many mutually unintelligible. Major tribes include Ao, Angami, Sema, Konyak, Tangkhul, and many others, each with distinctive languages, customs, and traditional territories. The Naga were historically famous as fierce warriors and headhunters, living in fortified hilltop villages with elaborate wood carving traditions. British colonization, followed by an extended insurgency seeking Naga independence, has shaped their modern political situation.
Traditional Culture
Traditional Naga society was village-based, with each village functioning as an autonomous political unit often at war with neighbors. Headhunting was widespread—taking enemy heads brought spiritual power to the individual and community, with head-taken skulls displayed and celebrated. Elaborate rituals, feasts, and tattoos marked successful headhunters. Villages featured massive log drums (used for communication and ceremony), carved wooden posts commemorating feasts of merit, and morung (dormitories where youth lived, learned, and were initiated). Terraced rice cultivation sustained populations in the steep terrain. Animist beliefs centered on spirits of nature and ancestors. This warrior culture was dramatically transformed by Christian conversion beginning in the late 19th century.
Christianity and Change
American Baptist missionaries arrived in Naga territory in the 1870s, beginning a transformation that made the Naga one of Asia's most Christianized peoples—today over 90% are Christian, predominantly Baptist. Headhunting ended, traditional religious practices were largely abandoned, and Western education spread. Yet Christianity was adapted to Naga contexts, and many cultural practices (sans headhunting) continue—feasts of merit, traditional dress and ornaments at festivals, and some elements of traditional governance. The annual Hornbill Festival celebrates Naga cultural diversity. Christianity also facilitated pan-Naga identity, as missionary-introduced English and Baptist institutions crossed tribal boundaries.
Contemporary Naga
Modern Naga navigate between Indian citizenship, insurgent claims for independence, and traditional tribal identities. The Naga insurgency, beginning in 1947 (before Indian independence was complete), is one of the world's longest-running conflicts. Various factions have fought for independence or autonomy; ceasefires and peace negotiations continue. This conflict has shaped all aspects of Naga life for seven decades. Development challenges persist—infrastructure is limited, economic opportunities are few, and the militarized environment affects daily life. Yet Naga cultures remain vibrant—languages persist, traditional arts including weaving and wood carving flourish, and festivals celebrate tribal heritage. The Naga demonstrate both the costs of protracted conflict and the resilience of indigenous identity.
References
- Mills, J. P. (1926). The Ao Nagas
- FĂĽrer-Haimendorf, C. von (1939). The Naked Nagas
- Longkumer, A. (2010). Reform, Identity and Narratives of Belonging: The Heraka Movement in Northeast India