Apatani people

Apatani

Diorama of Apatani people in Jawaharlal Nehru Museum, Itanagar.
Total population
(20,000 (2001))
Regions with significant populations
Arunachal Pradesh, India:
   60,000
Languages
Apatani (Tanii), English , Hindi common surnames= Nending, Hage, Pura, Nani, Nada,K hoda, Padi, Mudang
Religion
Donyi-Polo, Christianity , Animism,
Related ethnic groups
Nyishi, Hill Miri , Adi

The Apatani, or Tanw, also known by Apa and Apa Tani, are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in India.[1]

Customs and lifestyle

An Apatani woman with a basket going to field

Their wet rice cultivation system and their agriculture system are extensive even without the use of any farm animals or machines. So is their sustainable social forestry system. UNESCO has proposed the Apatani valley for inclusion as a World Heritage Site for its "extremely high productivity" and "unique" way of preserving the ecology.[2] They have two major festival- Dree and Myoko.In July, the agricultural festival of Dree is celebrated with prayers for a bumper harvest and prosperity of all humankind. Pakhu-Itu, Daminda, Pree dance, etc., are the main cultural programmes performed in the festival.[3] Myoko is festival to celebrate the friendship similar to modern friendship day but unlike the latter which last only for a day, it is celebrated for almost a month long from march end to april end. Apatanis trace their descent patrilineally.

The Apatanis, one of the major ethnic groups of eastern Himalayas, have a distinct civilization with systematic land use practices and rich traditional ecological knowledge of natural resources management and conservation, acquired over the centuries through informal experimentation. The tribe is known for their colorful culture with various festivals, intricate handloom designs, skills in cane and bamboo crafts, and vibrant traditional village councils called bulyañ. This has made Ziro Valley a good example of a living cultural landscape where man and environment have harmoniously existed together in a state of interdependence even through changing times, such co-existence being nurtured by the traditional customs and spiritual belief systems.[4]

  

References

  1. ↑ Blackburn, Stuart H. (2016-01-01). Into the Hidden Valley: A Novel. ISBN 9789385288906.
  2. ↑ "Unique Apatani impresses Unesco", Rajeev Bhattacharyya, The Telegraph, 17 June 2005. URL last accessed 21 October 2006.
  3. ↑ NEZCC - North East Zone Cultural Centre Archived 12 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Apatani Cultural Landscape - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
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Further reading

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