Voices from St John College
Life in My Village
Life in my village is simple, peaceful, and closer to nature. It is very different from the busy and noisy life of cities. Every morning, the fresh air, green fields, and the beautiful sunrise makes village life a pleasant and healthy place to live in. The primary source of livelihood for most of the people in my village is agriculture, and therefore we work hard in the fields to grow our crops such as rice, vegetable, fruits and all other plants. Since farming is the dominant occupation, villagers wake up early in the morning and sometimes even before the sunrise, to begin their work. Their hard work not only supports their family but also contributes to the entire community. The environment in my village is calm and beautiful. There are many trees, open fields, and small rivers surrounding the village. This natural habitat attracts all kinds of singing birds and cool breeze, which makes our morning beautiful.
People in my village share strong social relationships with one another. The sociologist, Emile Durkheim described this kind of social bonding as mechanical solidarity, where people are united by shared values, traditions and a strong sense of collective conscience. This spirit is translated into helping one another and supporting one another in times of need like members of a large extended family. Festivals and cultural events are also an important part of the village. During these occasions, people celebrate together with great joy and enthusiasm. Such celebrations further strengthen the bond among the villagers.
Although life in my village has some disadvantages as compared to towns and cities because of the unequal distribution of resources, such as limited facilities, transportation, and medical services, I love and cherish my village.
Yiguiwangle Daime, 4th Semester Sociology
_________________________________
The Changki Pottery
I belong to the beautiful Changki village of Mokokchung. My village is known for a host of things but one thing that stands out among everything else is its unique art of pottery making. For the people of Changki, pottery making has always been a women centred craft. Whenever I visit my village on holidays, I hear elders often telling us stories about how Changki pots have played a crucial role in maintaining peace with rival villages in the times of warfare and headhunting. Thus Changki pottery became a tool for survival for its citizens and an opportunity to live in peace. Neighbouring villages depended on pottery from Changki for essential cooking pots. Because of this dependence, attacking Changki would have disturbed their own daily life.
Today, pottery making in Changki continues to have a profound impact on the village. It acts as a socio-economic pillar for the community. This woman-led craft now serves as a source of income and economic independence as well as a symbol of cultural identity, and a means of fostering unity for the women of the village.
Just like our oral traditions, the art of pottery is also passed down from generation to generation. Daughters learn from mothers and mothers from grandmothers. This ensures continuation of the craft from one generation to next. The labour intensive process of Changki pottery making begins with collecting a special type of clay found in a specific location deep into the forest. The clay is then beaten on a flat wooden surface, then struck with a wooden stick to form its shape, and finally dried and baked in a furnace to eventually produce the famous Changki Pot. The process requires physical strength, patience, skills and community participation.
The art of pottery making in Changki continues to survive in its essential feminine form as a woman’s profession within the inherited ethos of modern patriarchal social systems.
Lendiyala, 4th Semester Sociology
_________________________________
Galho: A Traditional Naga Porridge
Nagaland is known for its rich and diverse culture, beautiful landscapes, and unique food traditions. Among the many Naga dishes, Galho stands at the top for me. It is mostly popular among the Angami and Chakhesang tribes of Nagaland. It is a warm, comforting, Naga-style porridge of rice, vegetables, and meat that reflects the traditional lifestyle and culinary heritage of the Naga people.
The recipe for preparing Galho includes Rice, Axone(Dzacie), seasonal vegetables, dried king chilli, salt, and Roselle/Roselle leaves.
The steps for preparation are as follows:
1. Cook the rice and axone(Dzacie) together in a pot
2. Add vegetables and pieces of beef or pork.
3. Add roselle or roselle leaves.
4. Season with salt and king chilli.
5. Cook until the mixture becomes soft and soupy.
Galho is often prepared during festivals, weddings, and community gatherings. People share the dish together, which helps strengthen relationships and creates a sense of unity among the community. In sociology, eating together is often called commensality. This is far more than a biological necessity. It signifies Building Social Bonds, reinforcing group identity, Communication and Socialization.
Galho is thus more than a traditional meal. It represents the culture, unity, and food heritage of the people of Nagaland. Just as Galho is a mixture of varieties of vegetables, rice and meat, Naga society is a diverse blend of different tribes. And just as the different ingredients in Galho together create a delicious dish, different Naga tribes blend together into one beautiful nation.
Metevinu Kintso, 4th Semester Sociology
_________________________________
Kinship system of the Chang Tribe
The Chang tribe of Nagaland is a patrilineal society, where descent, inheritance, and authority are traced through the male line. Naturally, lineage, descent, land, immovable property, and positions of authority are inherited by male members of the community.
An important principle governing Chang society is the rules of exogamy and endogamy where marriage within one’s own clan is strictly prohibited. The Chang term for marriage as an institution is called Chümkanbü and it is through this institution that the rules of exogamy and endogamy are regulated. The term for Clan is called Phang, and is the basic unit of stratification. These are Ung, Lomou, Kangshou, and Hongang. Rules of marriage are followed based on one’s phang thereby broadening the kinship network.
Kinship terminology in Chang society is based on one’s age and gender. Father is called Abou and mother Anyu. Interestingly, paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents have the same terminology: grandfather is Abibou and grandmother Abinyu. My elder brother is called Ajai and elder sister Anou, while my younger brother is Nabeibou and younger sister Nabeinyu. My maternal uncle is addressed as Akou and maternal aunt (mother’s sister) as Amma. A paternal uncle is called Abou: the same term for father, and paternal aunt as Anyi.
Among the Chang, there is no different term for paternal or maternal parallel or cross cousins. Cousins are called by names if they are younger and Ajai (brother) and Anou (sister) if they are older. This suggests that one’s age takes precedence over one’s lineage and descent in Chang society in this context.
Yemsentola Chang, 4th Semester Sociology