Padam tribe

Diorama of Adi Padam people in Jawaharlal Nehru Museum, Itanagar.

The Padam are one of the major tribes of the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh. Rich in both cultural and oral tradition, the Padams are known for fiercely guarding their Democratic Society.

The Padam reside in the hills and the valleys of East Siang, Upper Siang and Lower Dibang Valley Districts. Famous for their community strength and feared for their war tactics.

Damro is one of the most important ancestral places of the Padams. Its importance is passed down in oral recitation and daily beliefs and because many of the generations remember it as the place from where their forefathers migrated. Damro in true Adi Style(which is typical of Adi linguistic practises) Stands or is made out of two basic words, Padam and Aro. Padam is the name of the group. Aro means real or original. Dambuk, Silluk, Kiyit, Ngopok, Ayeng and Bolung are some well known Padam villages with interesting ancestry.

Each village has a village Head under whom all the proceedings of the Kebangs (meetings) are held. These Kebangs are held to settle sny disputes among local villagers

The Padam are adherents of Donyi-Polo. Donyi Poloism is the practice of praying to the almighty Sun goddess and The Moon God. A thing to be noticed is that the Adis might be among the few people in the world who practise a religion where Sun is the Goddess and Moon the God. Donyi and Polo are the visible forms of the omnipresent Gods Bo and Bomong.

Names

Surnames used by Padams are based on family lineaga.

The following is a list of surnames used by them: Gretchen, Megu, Pertin, Perme, Lego, Saring, Tayeng, Borang, Yirang and Ratan. Padams bearing each surname are further subdivided into several clans. For example, the Pertins have the following clans: Tinte, Tintung, Tinbang, Jomat, Jotan and Jongkeng.

While Tayengs are further subdivided into: Kibing, Kirang, Kidang, Sapkom, Sapno, Tonkir and Tonmuk

And the PERME were subdivided into 3(three) main clan:

MEIYI MEKOP MEBANG

BORANG are also subdivided into different clans like LINYONG, LISI, LITUNG, LIBAL, LITIN

          The BORANG clan was the most powerful in padams. They are the eldest son of "YAYI KEPANG", who is regarded as the father of ALL.

Festivals

The festivals celebrated by the Padam are very similar to those of other Adi tribes, including:

References

• Ethnologue profile
• Photo of a Padam Adi
• Encyclopaedic Ethnography of the Himalayan Tribes/edited by N.S. Bisht and T.S. Bankoti.