The People

Naga Tribes

Physical Features | Dress & Ornaments | Profession | Houses | Food | Games | Customs

Profession

Nagas are expert  and bow fight, spear  throwing and in the use of Dao. All tribes keep Dao. It is made of iron blade which is set in a wooden handle. It is very useful and is kept always by men. It  is used for clearing the way in thick forest. In the slash-and-burn  method  of agriculture  the Lao plays  an important  role. The arrows are poisoned  with the help of  a herb extract called Acronite. These are used only on war or in hunting of big animals. Buffalo hide of oblong, round shapes are used for making shields for use during hunting and wars.

Basket making and other kind of bamboo work is done in every house. Cultivation is done by the slash-and-burn system called 'jhum' or dry cultivation. This is also termed as shifting cultivation. Their main hobby is hunting. Fishing is also done in hill streams, ponds and ditches . Both fishing are prohibited during cultivating seasons.

Houses

The Naga village is always situated on a ridge in the hills especially at a convenient place where water is in the land or near by. There houses are constructed on wooden  poles. The walls are made of spilt bamboo. In Urkhrul area where wood is in plenty the walls are made of wooden planks. The roofs is thatched with grass and on each side given  a slope, the eves of which are kept  slightly above the ground. Their houses are well suited for the climatic conditions. For storing  food grains, they construct granaries at a certain distance from the cluster of the village houses. It is done to protect them  from the accidental fire breaking from out in the village. The granary is raised from the ground and its walls are stronger  than the ordinary house. The house of the Naga chiefs in a village will be distinct by the size and strength of the material  used. The horns of the animals are displayed in front of the house. In each house the loom is installed for weaving. The thread  used for making  cloth is cotton or synthetics.

Food

Rice is the staple food. It is cooked in earthen or metal pots or in bamboo tubes. The young bamboo shoots are collected during the summer season and then peeled off, dried and then  used with rice. Dried fish is eaten by all groups. All kinds of domestic animals  are  eaten except the cat. They also eat locusts, dog, snakes, all kinds of birds and frogs. Their common drink is 'Zu', the rice beer. On all ceremonial occasions it is served to the guests.

Games

Kang is the popular game among the Nagas. It is played with the round seed of creeper which is like horse-chestnut. Another game they play is Tiger and the Men. Wrestling, long jump, spear throwing and stone lifting are commonly played in villages.