Apatani
Encyclopedia
The Apatani, or Tanii, are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri
district of Arunachal Pradesh
India
. However more Apatanis live outside this valley, making the total population approximately 26,000 all over the state. Their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family (see Tani languages
).
system of running the society. The village council is known as the Bulyang.
One of their oral accounts speaks of their migration from the extreme north of Subansiri and Siang areas following the rivers of Kurung and Kumey. These oral accounts are usually presented in the form of folk tales such as the miji and migung. These accounts on many occasions are supported by landmarks which still exist on the migratory paths of the Apatanis. At the small village of Yangte in Kurung Kumey district, for example, is a stone beside which the Apatanis held a high-jump competition on their way to the present habitat. Therefore, these oral accounts have substance but need corroboration by anthropological and scientific evidence.
The miji is a collection of religious chants performed by priests who preside over the sacrifices of mithun
s, cows, chickens and pigs during various rituals. A religious song, which may be sung from ten minutes to twelve hours, accompanies all these ritual performances which describes the previous interactions with the spirits or gods, locally known as wui, the content of which explains the origin of the myths among others. The migung is more realistic; it is narrated in prose, and the stories within it explain the origins of the Apatani people.
These folk tales include legendary places as well as recent events, such as the downfall of a 19th-century ne'er-do-well. In these two folk tales, both the ritual chants and the prose narrations speak of Abotani
, who is reputed to be the original ancestor of the Apatani and the other tribes in central Arunachal Pradesh
. These tribes encompass the Tani group, comprising the Apatanis, Nyishis, Sulungs or Puroiks, Hill Miris, Tagins, Adis and Mishmis.
The first contact with the Europeans occurred in 1897, when British
officials came to stay in the valley for two days; six similar brief visits were later held between the 1920s and 1930s. In 1944, after a temporary government outpost was set up by an anthropologist-administrator, the Apatani came in contact with minimal government presence for the first time. When a second, permanent outpost was constructed by the Assam Rifles
in 1948, stationed there to protect the land, the Apatanis attacked. The officer in charge retaliated by burning two of their villages.
Most Apatanis are loyal followers of the Danyi-Piilo faith, who pray to the Sun (Ayo Danyi) and the Moon (Atoh Piilo). Abotani is revered as the sole ancestor of all Apatani and other tribes in the surrounding regions. When a misfortune occurs, they believe that it is caused by certain evil spirits, and thus they make appeasement by sacrificing chickens, cows and other domestic animals. Myoko, the festival of friendship and prosperity, is celebrated in a grand manner lasting for all of March each year. Dree Festival
, celebrated in July, is the main agricultural festival of the Apatanis.
The dress of the Apatanis is elaborate and colorful, yet simple in style. Jilañ, the traditional dress of the priests has recently been made into a five rupee Indian postal stamp. Tattoo
ing (Tiipe) and the stuffing of large nose
plug
s (yaping hullo) were once popular among the women, although this practice has gradually fallen into decline in recent years. This practice is believed to have started because the women wanted to look unattractive to males from neighboring tribes. Apatani women were considered to be the most beautiful ones among all the Arunachal tribes. Younger members of this community have stopped this traditional practice.
Traditionally, the men tie their hair in a knot just above the forehead (locally called piiding) using a brass rod (piiding khotu) measuring 12 inches, placed horizontally. Strips of fine cane belt painted in red (yari) and bent into the shape of a horse-collar with an elongated end were also worn. These strips of cane are loosely fastened together, with the loop of the horse-collar being tied round the waist. The men also tattoo (tiippe) their chin in the shape of a 'T' under the lower lip. The women tattoo themselves with broad blue lines from the forehead to the tip of the nose and five vertical stripes under the lower lip in the chin. The women bundle up their tresses, which are rolled into a ball (dilling) on the top of the head. A brass skewer (ading akh) may then be inserted horizontally.
Apatani women carry out the household chores of gathering both wild and kitchen garden vegetables, cooking, fetching water, pounding rice, cleaning houses, washing clothes and utensils, nursing, looking after infants and children, ginning (clothes) and spinning of cotton, and other jobs associated with the household. In the field, the Apatani woman carries out the tasks that include gardening, seeding, transplanting of paddy
and millet
, weeding of fields, and other activities. At home, the internal family income is controlled by a woman. But the man also has his part of duty in looking after cultivation activities, and acts as the head of family in society.
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 named the Apatani valley a World Heritage Site
for its "extremely high productivity" and "unique" way of preserving the ecology. 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 Dree Festival
.
The Apatanis have had an intricated irrigation system of canals and channels from the time they started wet rice cultivation. It is impressive to note that the only (small) river in Ziro valley irrigates the whole wet rice fields of Ziro. A relatively modern development of paddy-cum-fish culture was introduced in the 80s with great success. This practice is unique in Arunachal Pradesh and is known to enhances ecological sustainability.
The Apatanis, who inhabit Ziro valley,practice wet rice cultivation. The tribes in the surrounding areas - the Nyishis, Hills Miris, and Tagins, practice terrace and shifting cultivation
.
.
.
The Apatani have incorporated many ways of the modern world, but the traditional culture and customs still retain their significance. Many of them are high-level government employees, doctors, and engineers and are working far away from their native villages around Ziro. Even so, they make it a point to return to their villages during important festivals, notable among which are Myoko in March and Murung
in January every year. Dree Festival
, another important festival of the Apatanis are celebrated in all the major towns in Arunachal Pradesh and in some cities outside the state. As in any other developing countries, teenagers have been influenced by Western culture, but the traditional lifestyles are still maintained.
*
Lower Subansiri
Lower Subansiri district is one of the 16 administrative districts of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.-History:The district was formed when Subansiri district was bifurcated into Upper and Lower Subansiri districts in 1987...
district of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. However more Apatanis live outside this valley, making the total population approximately 26,000 all over the state. Their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family (see Tani languages
Tani languages
Tani, Miric, Adi–Galo–Mishing–Nishi , or Abor–Miri–Dafla is a compact family of Tibeto-Burman languages situated at the eastern end of the Himalayas, in an area skirted on four sides by Tibet, Assam, Bhutan, and Burma....
).
History
There are no known written records of the history of the Apatani tribes, but throughout their history the Apatani have had a democraticDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
system of running the society. The village council is known as the Bulyang.
One of their oral accounts speaks of their migration from the extreme north of Subansiri and Siang areas following the rivers of Kurung and Kumey. These oral accounts are usually presented in the form of folk tales such as the miji and migung. These accounts on many occasions are supported by landmarks which still exist on the migratory paths of the Apatanis. At the small village of Yangte in Kurung Kumey district, for example, is a stone beside which the Apatanis held a high-jump competition on their way to the present habitat. Therefore, these oral accounts have substance but need corroboration by anthropological and scientific evidence.
The miji is a collection of religious chants performed by priests who preside over the sacrifices of mithun
Mithun
Mithun, Midhun, Mithen can refer to:* Methun, another name for gayal, the domesticated form of the gaur cattle species* Methun, one of the names of the Hindu god Krishna* Methun, a month in the Hindu calendar* Methun, means patient in Sanskrit...
s, cows, chickens and pigs during various rituals. A religious song, which may be sung from ten minutes to twelve hours, accompanies all these ritual performances which describes the previous interactions with the spirits or gods, locally known as wui, the content of which explains the origin of the myths among others. The migung is more realistic; it is narrated in prose, and the stories within it explain the origins of the Apatani people.
These folk tales include legendary places as well as recent events, such as the downfall of a 19th-century ne'er-do-well. In these two folk tales, both the ritual chants and the prose narrations speak of Abotani
Abotani
Abotani is considered the primal ancestor of the Tani group of people in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh - Apatani, Nyishi, Adi, Galo, Tagin, Hill Miri,[Mising]...
, who is reputed to be the original ancestor of the Apatani and the other tribes in central Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
. These tribes encompass the Tani group, comprising the Apatanis, Nyishis, Sulungs or Puroiks, Hill Miris, Tagins, Adis and Mishmis.
The first contact with the Europeans occurred in 1897, when British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
officials came to stay in the valley for two days; six similar brief visits were later held between the 1920s and 1930s. In 1944, after a temporary government outpost was set up by an anthropologist-administrator, the Apatani came in contact with minimal government presence for the first time. When a second, permanent outpost was constructed by the Assam Rifles
Assam Rifles
The Assam Rifles are one of the Paramilitary forces of India. The unit can trace its lineage back to a paramilitary police force that was formed under the British in 1835 called Cachar Levy. Since then the Assam Rifles have undergone a number of name changes before the name Assam Rifles was finally...
in 1948, stationed there to protect the land, the Apatanis attacked. The officer in charge retaliated by burning two of their villages.
Religion
Dree Festival
The Dree Festival is an Apatani agricultural rite. It involves the sacrifice of fowls, eggs and animals to the Gods - Tamu, Metii and Danyi Pilo. The purpose of the festival is to appease these Gods so that famine could be avoided. This rite is observed by the Apatanis in Arunachal Pradesh, India...
, celebrated in July, is the main agricultural festival of the Apatanis.
Dress
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ing (Tiipe) and the stuffing of large nose
Human nose
The visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils...
plug
Plug (jewellery)
A plug , in the context of body modification, is a short, cylindrical piece of jewellery commonly worn in larger-gauge body piercings. Because of their size—which is often substantially thicker than a standard wire earring—plugs can be made out of almost any material...
s (yaping hullo) were once popular among the women, although this practice has gradually fallen into decline in recent years. This practice is believed to have started because the women wanted to look unattractive to males from neighboring tribes. Apatani women were considered to be the most beautiful ones among all the Arunachal tribes. Younger members of this community have stopped this traditional practice.
Traditionally, the men tie their hair in a knot just above the forehead (locally called piiding) using a brass rod (piiding khotu) measuring 12 inches, placed horizontally. Strips of fine cane belt painted in red (yari) and bent into the shape of a horse-collar with an elongated end were also worn. These strips of cane are loosely fastened together, with the loop of the horse-collar being tied round the waist. The men also tattoo (tiippe) their chin in the shape of a 'T' under the lower lip. The women tattoo themselves with broad blue lines from the forehead to the tip of the nose and five vertical stripes under the lower lip in the chin. The women bundle up their tresses, which are rolled into a ball (dilling) on the top of the head. A brass skewer (ading akh) may then be inserted horizontally.
Customs and lifestyle
Apatanis trace their descent patrilineally. While the status of men is considered higher than that of women, the sexes share responsibilities in the house and the family.Apatani women carry out the household chores of gathering both wild and kitchen garden vegetables, cooking, fetching water, pounding rice, cleaning houses, washing clothes and utensils, nursing, looking after infants and children, ginning (clothes) and spinning of cotton, and other jobs associated with the household. In the field, the Apatani woman carries out the tasks that include gardening, seeding, transplanting of paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
, weeding of fields, and other activities. At home, the internal family income is controlled by a woman. But the man also has his part of duty in looking after cultivation activities, and acts as the head of family in society.
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
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
has named the Apatani valley a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
for its "extremely high productivity" and "unique" way of preserving the ecology. 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 Dree Festival
Dree Festival
The Dree Festival is an Apatani agricultural rite. It involves the sacrifice of fowls, eggs and animals to the Gods - Tamu, Metii and Danyi Pilo. The purpose of the festival is to appease these Gods so that famine could be avoided. This rite is observed by the Apatanis in Arunachal Pradesh, India...
.
Bulyang
Bulyang is the traditional council of the Apatanis. There are three categories of Bulyang: Akha Bulyang, Yapa Bulyang, and Ajang Bulyang. The institution still exists, but its functions have been diluted by other similar institutions like Gaon Buras and Panchayati Raj.Agriculture
The agricultural system of Apatanis is unique of its own, where resources are used judiciously to gain maximum production. For example, every inches of arable land available in the valley is use for cultivation, even the agricultural plot bunds are use for millet cultivation, and limited water resources is use for irrigating all the agricultural plot. The Apatanis are known for the meticulous care they take of their agricultural fields. For example, after the transplantation of paddy seedlings they repeat three cycles of weeding to ensure a weed-free field and healthy crop.The Apatanis have had an intricated irrigation system of canals and channels from the time they started wet rice cultivation. It is impressive to note that the only (small) river in Ziro valley irrigates the whole wet rice fields of Ziro. A relatively modern development of paddy-cum-fish culture was introduced in the 80s with great success. This practice is unique in Arunachal Pradesh and is known to enhances ecological sustainability.
The Apatanis, who inhabit Ziro valley,practice wet rice cultivation. The tribes in the surrounding areas - the Nyishis, Hills Miris, and Tagins, practice terrace and shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming, until the soil loses fertility...
.
Unique Identity
Although sharing a common base Tani language and the Tani religion of Donyi Polo, the Apatani have been known to be distinct in their customs and practices compared to their neighboring Tani tribes. Some of the uniquely identifying features of the Apatani are:Closely located permanent settlements
The Apatanis live in very closely constructed houses in the villages. Apart from the advantages of living close by, this arrangement has a great disadvantage during fire accidents.Permanent wet rice cultivation
The Apatanis are one of the few tribes in Arunachal Pradesh who practice ownership of land and cultivate on them, year after year. Most notable of cultivation practice is their wet rice cultivation. While their neighboring tribes practice shifting cultivation, the Apatanis practice wet rice cultivation with an intricated irrigation and channel system in the field as well as across the network of fields.Housing structure
A traditional Aptani house is identified by its use of tall vertical wooden stilts, tight weave of the walls and the floors, and bamboo roofing. Different parts of the house use bamboos of different sizes and preparations.Land ownership
An Apatani may have one or more of these land types.- Balu (Kitchen garden)
- Aji (Wet rice field)
- Yorlu (Kitchen garden located away from the village)
- Bije (Bamboo garden usually located near the village)
- Saadi (Plot of woodland located away from the village mainly growing pine trees)
- Morey (A large plot of woodland located farther away than a saadi
- Hari, Bulla, Tajang, Diibo, Hong and Hija are the main villages of apatani people.
Plot demarcation
The Apatanis employ unique fencing techniques for land demarcation involving fences made of elaborate structures and living shrubs. Their plot demarcation system is remarkably different from the other tribes in terms of height and density - the Apatanis have very tall and tight fences while their neighboring tribes have short and sparse fences.Facial tattoo and modification
The Apatanis used to practice facial tattooing and modification until the 1970s. The females used to have two sets of tattoos: one running from the forehead to the tip of the nose, and another set on the chin. The males used to have a less elaborate tattoo on the chin in the shape of a "T". The females were the only one practicing facial modification with the use of a nose plugs, called yaping hurlo in the local language. It was done since old times, to make the women look ugly, in order to protect them from invaders.The babo and the lapang
The babo is an elaborately structured wooden pole erected in the village as well as in every home of the Apatani.The babo is erected during the festival of Myoko. The lapang is a village platform constructed out of huge wooden planks measuring from one to two meters in width and five to seven meters in length. The village babo is erected close to the lapang. The babo and lapang are reconstructed every alternative four years during the festival of Myoko. The babo and lapang are regarded as sacred; many of the Apatani rituals are associated with them. The lapang also serves as a traditional congregation platform. Aerial acrobatics and daredevilry on the babo were very common till the 70s.Tapyo, the indigenous salt
Prepared from the ashes of certain plants in Ziro, tapyo is an indigenous salt developed by the Apatanis. Tapyo is used in the preparation of many traditional dishes, and also used as an alternative salt. The Apatanis have been using tapyo long before they were introduced to the sea salt or the iodized salt. The chemical composition of the tapyo is not known but many believe it to be the reason why the Apatanis were free from goitreGoitre
A goitre or goiter , is a swelling in the thyroid gland, which can lead to a swelling of the neck or larynx...
.
Sangkhang
The Apatanis use sangkhang, a kind of rubber derivative to create water-tight storage vessels.Shape of carriage baskets
The Apatani carriage baskets are cuboidal, where as other tribes' are conical. These days the cuboidal structure is widely adapted by Nyishis around ZiroZiro
Ziro is a census town in Lower Subansiri district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.-Geography:Ziro is the district headquarter of Lower Subansiri district and is one of the oldest towns in Arunachal Pradesh. It was the headquarters of the undivided Subansiri district comprising the present...
.
The Apatani today
Much of the information regarding the Apatani tribe currently available in books or on the Internet is known to be fairly outdated. It is generally based on observations made by Professor Christopher von Furer-Haimendorf in the 1940s.The Apatani have incorporated many ways of the modern world, but the traditional culture and customs still retain their significance. Many of them are high-level government employees, doctors, and engineers and are working far away from their native villages around Ziro. Even so, they make it a point to return to their villages during important festivals, notable among which are Myoko in March and Murung
Murung
Murung is the Festival of Prosperity, celebrated by the Apatanis of Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Though an individual festival, whole villages and indeed the whole of the Apatani people get involved in the festival. It is celebrated in the Month of January or Murung piilo...
in January every year. Dree Festival
Dree Festival
The Dree Festival is an Apatani agricultural rite. It involves the sacrifice of fowls, eggs and animals to the Gods - Tamu, Metii and Danyi Pilo. The purpose of the festival is to appease these Gods so that famine could be avoided. This rite is observed by the Apatanis in Arunachal Pradesh, India...
, another important festival of the Apatanis are celebrated in all the major towns in Arunachal Pradesh and in some cities outside the state. As in any other developing countries, teenagers have been influenced by Western culture, but the traditional lifestyles are still maintained.
External links
- Apatani Script
- Apatani Career Guidance Forum
- http://www.arunachaldiary.com/search/label/Apatani%20Society
- http://friends-of-ziro.blogspot.com/
- http://savetanii.blogspot.com
- http://learntanii.blogspot.com
- http://www.speakapatani.blospot.com
- Colonia contact in the "hidden land"
- http://www.pcedindia.com/peoplescomm/tribes_10b.htm
- Fürer-Haimendorf's Apa Tani films
- Anthropological articles of the Apa Tani
- Ethnologue profile
- "Illicit Staple"
- Photographs of the Myoko Festival
- Selected pictures of Apatani people
*