In a border area between India and Myanmar lives an ancient and proud people who, despite several foreign invasions and colonization, had little contact with the outside world, at least until a few years ago. The people of Nagas consists of about forty Indo-Mongolian tribes, most of whom live in a remote mountain region of India, called Nagaland. Other tribes live in villages in the far north of Myanmar, along the Indian border, in the Chindwin River Basin. The area inhabited by the Nagas in Myanmar is self-administered (at least formally) since 2008. The 40 tribes speak 36 different languages and some dialects, but they have many common traditions, such as the type of clothing, eating habits, the traditional laws. But what most they have in common with each other is the warrior tradition.
From their villages in the hills the Nagas did frequent armed incursions into those of the plains below, and could be distinguished from other ethnic groups for their ritual practice of “head hunting”, and were headhunters until the early 70s of last century. The heads of slain enemies were then exposed out of the hunter’s hut. Distinctive menswear is a conical hats in red color, decorated with boar tusks and black and white bird’s feathers. The Nagas of Myanmar are about 120,000, and their economy is based on hunting and on subsistence agriculture, although in recent years many things are changing, and younger people tend to abandon some traditional costumes. But every year, in January, all the tribes of the Naga people gather to celebrate the New Year, and on this occasion all wear traditional dress, singing and dancing according to ancient customs.
This man, who claims to be 100 years old, wears a hat decorated with boar tusks.
Children are playing between the houses in the village of Yansi, Myanmar.
A Naga man is wrapped in a blanket, along with his child, an early morning at the village of Yansi. In this mountainous region the night temperatures can drop to 3°C, and during the day reaches 10°C.
A house decorated with animal skulls at the village of Yansi. All houses exhibit the skulls of animals killed during the hunting expeditions.
The hunters begin their expedition to hunt deer and wild boar, to get food for Christmas celebration, because Nagas are predominantly Christians. Hunting expeditions usually include three to ten people.
The men of the village of Upper Harwar gather for a hunting expedition of deer and wild boar.
A man operating a bamboo raft. Traditionally, the Nagas fished with nets or throwing mashed poisonous leaves that kills fish, which are then collected when floating on the water, but today someone throws it in the river home-made explosives, stunning the fish.
A Naga man collects the fish, after having stunned them with explosives.
Naga men crossing a river during a hunting expedition.
Naga men prepared dinner at their Base Camp, during a hunting expedition. Their traditional dish includes opium poppy leaves and mustard. A man uses a walkie-talkies, because there is no phone reception in this remote area.
Naga men cook raw opium, to prepare the dough used for opium smoking.
Men smoke opium from traditional bamboo pipes. Opium is harvested from the poppy fields nearby, and it is mostly used for local consumption, while part is exchanged with clothing or household items. Women do not smoke opium, but most of the men in the area has this habit.
Naga men sit around a fire, waiting for the hunters will return to base camp. While only a few men are hunting, others move forward to bring the game already killed to the village. Some smoke opium as they wait, others are sleeping or telling traditional stories.
A Naga woman weaves with a traditional method in the village of Yansi.
A Naga boy is wrapped in a blanket
“Unwilling” source: Vanilla Magazine