DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22466#0016
Six
January 12,. 1968
THE HILL TRIBES OF ASSAM
BY GABRIELLE BERTRAND
In this article Qabrielle Bertrand discueaca about the hill tribea of Aaaam. Aa is known tht
Government of India have recently introduced an enlightened policy regarding this tribal area. Theee
areas are vital aa they are on the frontier of this country and have a strategic importance of their own.
Sandwiched between tribal areas The 'North- an Austro-Asiatio tongue
East Pakistan, Tibet and East Frontier Agency'— related to the same lin-
Burma, Assam is the its official title—is oharged guistio group as the Man-
easternmost state oi India. not only with the task da language spoken in the
It includes the broad of organizing the tribes, North-East of the Ueooan
valley of the Brahmaputra, but also of exploring the and to languages of the
bounded to the north by little-known area between Mol peoples of Indochina,
the foothills of the Hima- the Brahmaputra and the in Eastern Assam>
lavas and to the south frontiers of Tibet. the Naga Hills on the
and south-east by hills The tagk of tbe new borders of Burma are in-
named from their peoples Bgen0y will not be easy. habited by a people of
—the Garo, Khasi and During th«» past few years. the same name who for-
Naga Hills, the highest several Indian geographi- merly proceed head-
point of which is the oal and ethnographical hunting Their group in-
Shillong peak Much of expeditions to these parts dudes several tribes. They
this area h covered with were wiped out by the .inhabit a vast area of
jungles inhabited by .a Abor9 a fitrce prirnitive hills and forests stretching
hotchpotch of wild hill tribe living in the foot- from the mountains popu-
tnbes related, for the most hms along tne North-East lated by the Mikir—a tribe
part, to the Tibeto Bur- frontior. related to tbe Garo but
man ethnic group. much more peaoefui_weu
The different tribal . ..„ As .ffr.a' known, the 0ver the border into Burma,
areas are approximately " dl"frent tribal areas are as
known. But it i. difficult follows: to the South-West, Mosaic of Tribes
to take a census of the between the valley of the In the North of Asiam
people living in dense SftKV° mountain country of
jungles cut off from the ^I'Sl^L^l^S ">e Himalayan foothill, i.
outside world, with inde- M a *P9 « head- peopled from East to West
pendent political status t ° STfe ■ A* by a mosaic of tribes:
since they are governed *Zr£lkAl& Mishmis, the fierce
according to their own °j the. world " .olde8t Pf0' Abors, the Apa-Tani,- the
tribal laws. who worsh.p a snake- Miria, Dafals, Akas, and
g*o, and nave never mo- i ' ,
NKFA £d from their original other8 P"haP'- . v,ho"
Recently the Govern habitat, the desolate Khasi nam,s are ™»b»«>w»-
ment of India set up a Hills. A mystery still In earliest times, Neg-
new agency in Shillong, surrounds this primitive rito tribes inhabited the
capital of the state of people: they are of Mon- Brahmaputra valley. Later
Assam, to administer the gol stock yet they speak came Austro-Asiatio peo-
January 12,. 1968
THE HILL TRIBES OF ASSAM
BY GABRIELLE BERTRAND
In this article Qabrielle Bertrand discueaca about the hill tribea of Aaaam. Aa is known tht
Government of India have recently introduced an enlightened policy regarding this tribal area. Theee
areas are vital aa they are on the frontier of this country and have a strategic importance of their own.
Sandwiched between tribal areas The 'North- an Austro-Asiatio tongue
East Pakistan, Tibet and East Frontier Agency'— related to the same lin-
Burma, Assam is the its official title—is oharged guistio group as the Man-
easternmost state oi India. not only with the task da language spoken in the
It includes the broad of organizing the tribes, North-East of the Ueooan
valley of the Brahmaputra, but also of exploring the and to languages of the
bounded to the north by little-known area between Mol peoples of Indochina,
the foothills of the Hima- the Brahmaputra and the in Eastern Assam>
lavas and to the south frontiers of Tibet. the Naga Hills on the
and south-east by hills The tagk of tbe new borders of Burma are in-
named from their peoples Bgen0y will not be easy. habited by a people of
—the Garo, Khasi and During th«» past few years. the same name who for-
Naga Hills, the highest several Indian geographi- merly proceed head-
point of which is the oal and ethnographical hunting Their group in-
Shillong peak Much of expeditions to these parts dudes several tribes. They
this area h covered with were wiped out by the .inhabit a vast area of
jungles inhabited by .a Abor9 a fitrce prirnitive hills and forests stretching
hotchpotch of wild hill tribe living in the foot- from the mountains popu-
tnbes related, for the most hms along tne North-East lated by the Mikir—a tribe
part, to the Tibeto Bur- frontior. related to tbe Garo but
man ethnic group. much more peaoefui_weu
The different tribal . ..„ As .ffr.a' known, the 0ver the border into Burma,
areas are approximately " dl"frent tribal areas are as
known. But it i. difficult follows: to the South-West, Mosaic of Tribes
to take a census of the between the valley of the In the North of Asiam
people living in dense SftKV° mountain country of
jungles cut off from the ^I'Sl^L^l^S ">e Himalayan foothill, i.
outside world, with inde- M a *P9 « head- peopled from East to West
pendent political status t ° STfe ■ A* by a mosaic of tribes:
since they are governed *Zr£lkAl& Mishmis, the fierce
according to their own °j the. world " .olde8t Pf0' Abors, the Apa-Tani,- the
tribal laws. who worsh.p a snake- Miria, Dafals, Akas, and
g*o, and nave never mo- i ' ,
NKFA £d from their original other8 P"haP'- . v,ho"
Recently the Govern habitat, the desolate Khasi nam,s are ™»b»«>w»-
ment of India set up a Hills. A mystery still In earliest times, Neg-
new agency in Shillong, surrounds this primitive rito tribes inhabited the
capital of the state of people: they are of Mon- Brahmaputra valley. Later
Assam, to administer the gol stock yet they speak came Austro-Asiatio peo-