27-531: The Lothas , also known as Kyongs are a major Naga ethnic group native to Wokha District in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland . Scholars have presented several theories about the migration of the Lothas and the other Naga people, based on vocal explanations passed on from one generation to another. According to this theory mentioned by Hokishe Sema , the Lothas started moving out from
54-740: A number of factors including the quest for upward mobility in the society of Nagaland, and the desire to establish a common purpose of resistance against dominance by other groups. In this way, the "Naga" identity has not always been fixed. Nagas population are spread across all Northeast Indian States except Tripura and are listed as scheduled tribes in 6 Northeastern States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Nagas in Myanmar are mostly found in Sagaing Division and Kachin state . The Naga territory in Myanmar
81-559: A particular agricultural cycle. The early Western missionaries opposed the use of folk songs by Naga Christians as they were perceived to be associated with spirit worship, war, and immorality. As a result, translated versions of Western hymns were introduced, leading to the slow disappearance of indigenous music from the Naga hills. Folk dances of the Nagas are mostly performed in groups in synchronized fashion, by both men and women, depending on
108-559: Is Opvüram and Longpensü for men. Like many Nagas, the Lothas practiced headhunting in the older days. After the arrival of Christianity , they gave up this practice. Though the majority of the Lothas are Baptist , there exist a moderate amount of other forms of Christianity like the Catholics . Catholics are concentrated more in Wokha than in other parts of Nagaland. Tokhü Emong
135-706: Is celebrated on 7 November. The Tokhü Emong is the harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas. It is celebrated in the 1st week of November every year and it stretches over to 9 days. Earlier, no particular date was fixed. However, in order to carve unity and uniformity among the ranges, Wokha elders decided to celebrate it on a fixed date. Following this Tokhü Emong is celebrated on 7 November, every year. Naga people Nagas ( Burmese : နာဂလူမျိုး ) are various Southeast Asian Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups native to northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar . The groups have similar cultures and traditions, and form
162-588: Is highly populated by the considered lost tribes ( Red Shans ). But Kukis , Burmese , Chinese and Indians are also found there. Hkamti township is populated altogether by all the Naga tribes majority and with a number of Burmese, Shans , Chinese and Indians. Tanai in Kachin state of Myanmar is inhabited by the Tangshang Nagas among the Kachin people . The Naga languages are either classified under
189-595: Is marked by Kabaw valley in the south bordering to the Chin state , the Kachin on the north and the Burmese on the east. The Major Naga ethnic groups in Myanmar are : Some other minor Naga groups are Anāl , Lamkang , Moyon , Koka (sometimes spelt as Goga or Koki), Longphuri , Paung Nyuan (Makhyam), etc The townships which are inhabited by the Nagas are : Anāl and Moyon are mainly found in Tamu township on
216-780: The Assamese language , is a widely spoken language. Every community has its own mother tongue but communicates with other communities in either Nagamese or English . However, English is the predominant spoken and written language in Nagaland. Hindi is also taught along with English in most schools and most Nagas prefer to use Hindi to communicate with the migrant workers of the state, that primarily comes from Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh. Since 2022, Hindi in Northeastern India has been taught in school until class 10. Ahom kingdom Too Many Requests If you report this error to
243-656: The Chin-Naga languages or the Sal languages . Nagas have more language diversity than any other ethnic group or states in India. Naga people speak over 89 languages and dialects, mostly unintelligible with each other. However, there are many similarities among the languages spoken by them. The diversity of languages and traditions of the Nagas results most likely from the multiple cultural absorptions that occurred during their successive migrations. According to legend, before settling in
270-510: The Lothas migrated from Manchuria , passing through the foothills of the Himalayas and reached Manipur via Burma . From Manipur , they moved out and settled at the present day place. There are multiple versions of this theory: Local traditions mention that the Rengmas and the Lothas were once part of a single ethnic groups. There are also oral records of a mighty struggle between
297-556: The 19th century, the British attempted to subjugate the Naga tribes and abolish traditional Naga practices such as headhunting and intertribal violence. After India became independent from British rule in 1947, the Naga became Indian citizens , though an ongoing ethnic conflict exists in the region since 1958. According to the Burmese chronicles Tagung Yazawin , the first Chaopha of Mongkawng Samlongpha (1150–1201 CE) with
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#1732782602245324-517: The Eastern part of China , passing through Malaysia , Indonesia and Burma en route. After many long years of movement, they reached a place called Khezakhenoma located between Manipur and Chakhesang (the present-day Phek ), where they settled for a short period of time. From Khezakhenoma they moved towards the present day settlement of the Lothas i.e. Wokha where they finally settled. This theory, mentioned by T. Phillips , says that
351-527: The Geographical Registry of India for Geographical Indication . Naga cuisine is characterized by smoked and fermented foods. Folk songs and dances are essential ingredients of the traditional Naga culture. The oral tradition is kept alive through the media of folk tales and songs. Naga folk songs are both romantic and historical, with songs narrating entire stories of famous ancestors and incidents. Seasonal songs describe activities done in
378-469: The Government of Nagaland has organized the annual Hornbill Festival since 2000. Another inter-ethnic festival is Lui Ngai Ni . The group-specific festivals include: The word Naga originated as an exonym . Today, it covers a number of ethnic groups that reside in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states of India, and also in Myanmar. Before the arrival of the British, the term "Naga"
405-525: The combined Rengma villages, and the Lotha village of Phiro . Beyond Wokha District, there are also sizable Lotha inhabitants in Kohima , Chümoukedima , Dimapur and Medziphema . Wokha District is the traditional home of the Lotha Nagas. The Lothas are renowned for their colorful dances and folk songs. The male members wear shawls indicating their social status. The prestigious social shawl for women
432-400: The common features of Naga shawls is that three pieces are woven separately and stitched together. Weaving is an intricate and time consuming work and each shawl takes at least a few days to complete. Designs for shawls and wraparound garments (commonly called mekhala ) are different for men and women. Among many groups the design of the shawl denotes the social status of the wearer. Some of
459-641: The commonly accepted nomenclature, and was also used by the British. According to the Burma Gazetteer, the term 'Naga' is of doubtful origin and is used to describe hill tribes that occupy the country between the Chins in the south and Kachins ( Singphos ) in the Northeast. Aside from developing contacts with the Ahom kingdom , the Nagas generally lived an isolated existence from the outside world. During
486-417: The headgear that both sexes design. Clothing patterns are traditional to each group, and the cloths are woven by the women. They use beads in variety, profusion and complexity in their jewelry, along with a wide range of materials including glass, shell, stone, teeth or tusk, claws, horns, metal, bone, wood, seeds, hair, and fibre. According to Dr. Verrier Elwin , these groups made all the goods they used, as
513-631: The main town in Mogaung captured Naga country in the early 1200s. In the chronicle Naga country is named as "Khang Se". In Yan-aung-myin Pagoda inscription found in Pinya of Myanmar mentions that the Kingdom of Ava under Minkhaung I (1400–1421) in the early 1400s extended till the territories of the Nagas. The Naga people love colour, as is evident in the shawls designed and woven by women, and in
540-629: The majority of population in the Indian state of Nagaland and Naga Self-Administered Zone of Myanmar (Burma); with significant populations in Manipur , Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India ; Sagaing Region and Kachin State in Myanmar. The Nagas are divided into various Naga ethnic groups whose numbers and populations are unclear. They each speak distinct Naga languages often unintelligible to
567-747: The more known shawls include Tsüngkotepsü and Rongsü of the Aos; Sütam, Ethasü, Longpensü of the Lothas; Süpong of the Sangtams, Rongkhim and Tsüngrem Khim of the Yimkhiungs; and the Angami Lohe shawls with thick embroidered animal motifs. Naga jewelry is an equally important part of identity, with the entire community wearing similar bead jewelry, specifically the necklace. The Indian Chamber of Commerce has filed an application seeking registration of traditional Naga shawls made in Nagaland with
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#1732782602245594-422: The others, but all are loosely connected to each other. The present day Naga people have historically been referred to by many names, like "Noga" or "Naka" by the inhabitants of the Ahom kingdom in what is now considered as Assam which means "people with pierced ears", "Hao" by Meitei people of Imphal Valley and "Nakas" by Burmese of what is now considered as Myanmar . However, over time "Naga" became
621-473: The region, these groups moved over vast zones, and in the process, some clans were absorbed into one or more other groups. Therefore, until recent times, absorptions were a source of many interclan conflicts. In 1967, the Nagaland Assembly proclaimed English as the official language of Nagaland and it is the medium for education in Nagaland. Other than English, Nagamese , a creole language form of
648-556: The south and a few Somra Nagas are also found in and around Tamu bordering to Layshi jurisdiction. Makury , Para and Somra tribes are mainly found in Layshi township. Makury Nagas and a few Somra Nagas are also found in Homalin township . Lahe is highly populated by Konyak , Nokko , Lainong and Makury tribes. Nanyun on the north is the home of Tangshang tribe which comprises more than 54 sub-dialect groups. Homlin township
675-485: The type of dance. Dances are usually performed at festivals and religious occasions. War dances are performed mostly by men and are athletic and martial in style. All dances are accompanied by songs and war cries by the dancers. Indigenous musical instruments made and used by the people are tati , bamboo mouth organs, bamboo flutes, trumpets, drums made of cattle skin and log drums. The various Naga groups have their own distinct festivals. To promote inter-group interaction,
702-442: Was once common in many traditional societies: they have made their own cloth, their own hats and rain-coats; they have prepared their own medicines, their own cooking-vessels, their own substitutes for crockery. Craftwork includes the making of baskets, weaving of cloth, wood carving, pottery, metalwork, jewellery-making and bead-work. Weaving of colorful woolen and cotton shawls is a central activity for women of all Nagas. One of
729-418: Was used by Assamese to refer to certain isolated ethnic groups. The British adopted this term for a number of ethnic groups in the surrounding area, based on loose linguistic and cultural associations. The number of groups classified as "Naga" grew significantly in the 20th century: as of December 2015, 89 groups are classified as Naga by the various sources. This expansion in the "Naga" identity has been due to
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