People of north east india

The tribal people have a knack of celebrating festivals with a mounting crescendo of activity. Generally these festivals are connected with deaths, marriages and sowing and harvesting of crops. The mompas of Kameng celebrate the Losar festival which is a kind of new year`s festival on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The Adis celebrate Arua and Mopin festivals for a good harvest. The Khamptis and Singphos celebrate Buddhist festivals. But the tribes of Tirap usually celebrate the settlement of dispute with feast and drinks.

Individual dances are practically unknown among North-East Frontier tribes; but community dances are also unknown among the Nishis, Apa Tanis and Mishmis. The Mompas and Sherdukpens of Kameng are most skillful dancers. People in colourful make-up and gorgeous costumes perform dances representing the world theatre in various religious functions to teach moral lessons to the people. The Adis and Hill Miris of Siang and the Wanchos and Noctes of Tirap perform community dances or folk dances during community fests. During these occasions, people drink liquor in large quantities so as to become intoxicated.

The staple food of the people in the North-East Frontier consists of rice, millet and wheat which are supplemented by vegetables and forest produce. Fish and meat are consumed by all tribes, whether followers of Buddhism or of a tribal religion. Even Buddhist monks eat fish and meat but they do not catch and kill any fish or animal.

Tribal houses are made of bamboo, timber, leaves and grass. Stones and mud are used extensively in Kameng where houses are comparatively small. In other parts, the houses are long and are raised on posts of cleft timber. The Adi houses are raised about 5 feet from the ground and posts are not used. Four or five pieces of wood at an angle resting on the surface take the place of a post. Houses are constructed indiscriminately either on the tip or side of hills, but the levels of the floors are maintained. The floors are of split bamboo not woven and walls are made of rough planks. For the roofs, palm thatch and wild plantain leaves are used. Roofs of the houses come down so low that externally the wall is not seen. But division of a house into compartments depends on social customs of the tribes and there is no distinction between individuals. The Wanchos and Noctes have two rooms in each house, one for the men and the other for women, the Mishmis have as many rooms as the number of wives of the master of the house, the Apa Tanis and Hill Miris have only one long room. The houses of the tribes are 18 to 20 feet wide and 100 feet long; the interior is divided into chambers for private use and reception, and at the front there is an open balcony, a prolongation of the floors beyond the eaves providing for an airy place for the family to sit or work or lounge in (this is not so in the case of the Khanptis, whose chiefs possess tow houses contiguous to each other). Every house at the rear is provided with a veranda with a hole in the floor where the domestic stock is accommodated and these serve as scavengers. There are no sweepers and scavengers among the Frontier tribes.