Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge

Vol 20(1), January 2021, pp 277-283

Indigenous artifacts of Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh: Are they waning amidst the
waves of globalization?
D K Pandeya, P Adhigurub,*,† & T Ribac
a
College of Horticulture & Forestry, CAU (I), Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh 791 102, India
b
Agricultural Extension Division, KAB-I, ICAR, New Delhi 110 012
c
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, East Siang, Arunachal Pradesh 791 102, India
E- mail: †p.adhiguru@gmail.com

Received 02 October 2019; revised 01 April 2020

The tribals lead the life with natural simplicity relying on primal truths reinforced by eternal values. The strength of the
tribes is that they are able to successfully cling to the primal skills and natural simplicity. Their creations speak of evolutions
over time, and the arts and crafts created by them have timeless appeal. The primal instinct in all of us is evoked whenever
we come across the crudest tribal handicrafts. The present case study was conducted during August and September 2019 and
the study included combination of methods such as research viz., household survey of 44 Adi families, followed by a
focused group discussion was adopted and also documented the artifacts of Adi tribe in East Siang district of Arunachal
Pradesh, India. Further, the study also aimed at unearthing the kinds of possible threats that arise due to globalization which
may affect traditional craftsmanship. Multitudinal sets of traditional artifacts created out of indigenous wisdom have been
documented which affirm that the life of the Adi is intertwined with the forest products especially bamboo, canes and their
products. However, the prevailing trend of globalization, with characteristics of immense, unexpected emphasis on capital,
labour and information, is having growing influence on material culture and in this scenario, especially new generation
prefers more of plastic products in their day to day lifestyle. On the contrary, traditional artifacts of Adi could offer
innovative and sustainable solutions which can act as alternatives to plastic products.

Keywords: Bamboo articles, Cane crafts, Objects, Plastic, Traditional craftsmanship

IPC Code: Int. Cl.21: B65G 47/57, C13B 5/04, G02B 21/02, B24B 9/20, A61K 36/00

Northeast India is home to many tribal and sub-tribal “mountain top”3. Adi tribal communities are well
groups. The tribes dwelling in Arunachal Pradesh of versed with artworks and they make handicrafts out of
Northeast India have a tradition of making wide range cane and bamboo for domestic use4. Some popular
of crafts, and every tribe excels at craftsmanship. handicraft items are trays, baskets, haversacks, hats,
Whatever craft products are made by them, the mats and headgears with artistic designs. The tribal
acumen and creativity of tribes are expressed in the women possess appreciable expertise in handloom
quality of such craft products. Carpets, painted wood weaving5, and they weave wide range of craft items
vessels masks, bamboo products, cane crafts, wood like jackets, coats, skirts, bags blankets and shawls.
carvings, weaving, jewelry and other kinds of crafts As the Arunachal Pradesh is abundant with cane and
are made by the Adi tribe1,2. In the Himalayan hills of bamboo, the state is popular for cane and bamboo
Nyingchi Prefecture, a major collective tribe called as handicraft articles like colourful basket mats, cane
Adi, or Bangni-Bokar Lhoba people are living, and belts, attractive smoking pipes and even jewelry6,7.
they dwell in the temperate and sub-tropical regions Also the tribal population uses bamboo and canes
within the districts of East Siang, Upper Siang, West for house construction, household utensils, furniture,
Siang and Dibang Valley. Abor is the older term tools and implements like dibbles, hunting and fishing
derived from Assamese meaning ‘uncontrol’. Some of traps and weapons like bows and arrows, spears and
these tribes live in Southern Tibet (a little more north armour. Shaakhsaazi communities in Kashmir make
than South Tibet), in surrounding areas of the Indian basket and furniture using wicker handicraft
border. The term Adi literally means “hill” or technique from seven plant species8. A study of
—————— handicraft fair of Rajasthan documented 45 plants and
*Corresponding author 7 animals based creative items having aesthetic,
278 INDIAN J TRADIT KNOW, JANUARY 2021

domestic and personal utility value9. Rajasthan is also protecting this kind of cultural heritage is voiced out
famous for one of traditional handicrafts called by several cultural heritage experts18 not only to
‘Namdas’ one kind of coarse variety of felted wool maintain the identity of the community but also to
used for traditional floor covering10. Tribal women of realize their economic advantage and other values19-21.
Jeypore district of Odisha use wetland plant called In this context, the UNESCO had started “Living
Bena for making around two hundred varieties of Human Treasure” Program to officially recognize the
craft items which are used in socio-religious rituals talented tradition bearers and practitioners including
and as modern life style accessories11. Even in fishery artisans and prevailed upon its member state countries
sector a study12 revealed that the Nicobari tribe of for adoption of this program22. Thus, with this
Andaman and Nicobar Islands uses traditional crafts background, in view of the relevancy and importance
called Hodi which is built using indigenous trees especially in northeast region of India, the present
available in island for exploitation of fish and the craft study looked into nature and kinds of indigenous and
is used for 18 types of fishing practices such as traditional objects used by Adi tribe of East Siang
spearing, light fishing, cast netting etc. Kom tribe of district of Arunachal Pradesh, India and also paid
Manipur is good at making traditional crafts out of attention in documenting the possible threats which
eight plant species, which are used in weaving may hinder traditional craftsmanship in the era of
handloom. However, the tribes are experiencing globalization.
constraints in making indigenous artistic works due
challenges posed modernization and open markets13. Study area
In spite of emerging challenges, still, the traditional The present study was carried out in East Siang
handicrafts are thriving at various parts of the globe. district of Arunachal Pradesh during August and
For instance, in Balkan countries i.e., Greece, September 2019. The district is located at 28.07°N
Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, rump 95.33°E in the central part of Arunachal Pradesh
Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and Bosnia (Fig. 1) and the district is a part of the Middle
Herzegovina, also, more than 11 plant species are Himalayas and the Siwalik ranges. The Adi people are
being used for making mats, wood articles, rugs and one of the most populous groups of indigenous
basketry14. In Southern Spain, a study15 has revealed, peoples in the state. Their faiths and beliefs and their
a well-preserved collection of 138 basketry items material culture are linked with surrounding natural
were made exclusively from olive tree by a local bio-resources23. The Pasighat town is the oldest town
craftsman. Thus, both national and international in Arunachal Pradesh – established in 1911 A.D and
studies reveals the potentials of indigenous craft items is the headquarter of the East Siang District. In June
in contributing to socio-economy and cultural heritage 2017, Pasighat became one of the cities under Smart
of the indigenous people. Cities Mission development scheme of the
In fact, the value and significance of such Government of India. The purposively selected
intangible cultural heritage of worldwide tribal village Runne inhibited by Adi tribe is situated about
community is recognized by the UNESCO and 13 Km away from Pasighat town. Based on primary
subsequently passed a convention in 2003 to protect data complied during the study, the village has a
intangible cultural heritage i.e., “the practices, geographical area of 208 ha with a total population of
representations, expressions, knowledge, skills—as 308 persons. About 91% of villagers primarily
well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural dependent on agriculture and allied activities and 40%
spaces associated therewith—that communities and of its total area is covered by the forest. In this village,
groups16. The purpose of that convention is to create the population comprised of 176 females compared to
awareness about the importance of such indigenous only 132 males. Out of the total (44) households
products and the respect and mutual appreciation of (HH), Radio sets were possessed by 40 HH, and
the associated people and their culture17. There is a television sets were found in 33 HH while all the HH
need to identify this kind of heritage and protect them had mobile phones.
especially in an era of globalization coupled with
tremendous unprecedented economic change, failing Methodology
which such heritage may likely to disappear slowly The term ‘material culture’, in widespread
but surely. In view of its importance, the need for scholarly usage is generally referred as any material
 PANDEY et al.: INDIGENOUS ARTIFACTS OF ADI TRIBE 279

object (e.g. bamboo baskets, cane furniture etc.) or

group of material objects that can be touched, handled
and used for carrying out social activities by the
people. The primary concern of the studies on
material culture is focused on the mutual relations
between people and the object and more specifically
such studies deal with how the objects are put to use
by the people and in other words what various objects
do for, and to the people24,25. Thus, material culture is
commonly implied by objects and traditionally
referred to portable smaller objects. The present study
focused on the kind of usage of indigenous and
traditional objects by Adi tribe of East Siang district
of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Further, the study also
looked into identifying the potential threats that may
affect traditional craftsmanship in the era of
globalization i.e., various advances in transportation
and communication technology have given impetus
for the process of enhanced interaction among people,
companies and governments worldwide which in
other words comprehensively called as globalization.
Multi - methods research viz., household survey of
44 Adi families and a focused group discussion with
village elders (16 participants) of Runne village in
East Siang district was adopted in the study. We had
discussion with the community for Prior Informed
Consent (PIC) agreement and later their
representatives signed the agreement.
Results and Discussion
Documentation of indigenous and traditional
artifacts used by the Adi tribe was done using
structured survey schedule designed for the study.
List of the domestic and agricultural objects along
with corresponding vernacular names which were
documented during the household survey are
presented in Table 1 and Fig. 1).
The present study has documented 30 indigenous
and traditional artifacts used by Adi tribe of Runne
village in Belong circle-II of East Siang district. The
study revealed that most of them are made out of
bamboo and cane. Cane and bamboo products are
extensively used in the complete material culture of
Arunachal Pradesh. The objects made of basketry-
technique have social significance and also possess
many symbolic values in the culture of the people.
The symbolic value may be for instance (i) basketry
as item of dress and (ii) basketry as an object of
political tribute. Objects of basketry technique are
used for constructing different religious structures like
Fig. 1 — Traditional artifacts use by the Adi tribe/ Domestic and altars, effigies which are used in performance of
agricultural objects
280 INDIAN J TRADIT KNOW, JANUARY 2021

Table 1 — List of the documented artifacts and their usage

Representing Vernacular name of Indigenous Material Uses
figure No. & traditional artefacts
1 Kaedeng/Dekam Paeki*** Clay Storage object (earthen pot) mainly used for storage of dry
food items
2 Bilan * Bamboo Hanging object for storing food items for protecting from
rats and other animals
3 Pekak* Bamboo Grain/liquid measuring object
4 Geri* Dried bottle gourd Object for storing water and is used for carrying drinking
shell water to the field
5 Bilan * Bamboo/Cane Object for storing meat
6 Petok** Bamboo/Cane For making & storing of local rice beer (Apong)
7 Dore*** Bamboo Dining table for keeping rice plate and other edibles
8 Tali*** Bamboo/Cane Traditional bag use by men folk
9 Bilan* Bamboo/Cane Basket for storing meat,/fish
10 Borjung* Bamboo/Cane For making & storage of local rice beer known as Apong.
11 Kiro* Bamboo/Cane For carrying firewood by women folk
12 Papur* Bamboo/Cane Dustbin
13 Pejung* Bamboo/Cane Object for storing water and is used as mug
14 Ebong** Bamboo/Cane/ Traditional/local umbrella
Tokopatta
15 Petir Bamboo/Cane For keeping and carrying birds (poultry)
16 Danggi* Bamboo Walking stick
17 EyokSobuk* Bamboo/Cane For carrying Dao by male-folk
18 Penyo*** Bamboo Spoon for cooking & serving food
19 Apo* Bamboo/Cane For threshing of rice
20 Megaap** Bamboo Use in fire place for holding firewood, coal and utensil
21 Perap** Bamboo Hanging case for drying rice/meat
22 Lakli** Bamboo Mini bag for carrying small objects
23 Tage* Bamboo Cloth weaving tools
24 Gale Sumkeng* Bamboo
25 Ugari* Bamboo Thread spinning tool
26 Eppop* Bamboo Mini carpet for drying food grains
27 Kurpek** Leaf Big carpet for sleeping and sitting
28 Koret** Wood A thread spinning machine for separating cotton
29 Moi* Bamboo For leveling of wet paddy field
30 Kumsung* Bamboo &Tokopatta Constructed a few meters (10-15 m) away from the main
(Livistona village for storage of rice and other food grains and
jenkinsiana) protection against fire
The number of Asterisk (*) indicates the intensity of waning of particular object as perceived by the community.

religious ceremonies and rituals and other associated material) is not static in nature and always changing
decorations. Apatanis, Nyishis, Adis tribes make though, the speed of change may differ from community
effigies representing deities and spirits which are to community. The desirable change is ever anticipated
made out of split bamboo in basket work26. The rich by the society. Strong bonding of the indigenous people
material culture of the tribe and their self-reliance can with their culture and sturdy sense of place could
be gauged by the observation that traditionally they safeguard and sustain their tradition amidst the waves of
have been using these artefacts with high intensity in change, but nobody knows ‘how long’ the tradition can
their day to day life. Although many objects were be sustained and obviously it depends upon the velocity
reported in a study4 which had been carried out a of wind, i.e., the intensity of globalization.
decade ago, the present work carries forward it by
investigating additional dimension of the threats Potential threats of material culture and craftsmanship
which is working against the rich material culture of The focused group discussion conducted in the
indigenous people. Indeed, culture (material and non- study area revealed that various plastic products are
 PANDEY et al.: INDIGENOUS ARTIFACTS OF ADI TRIBE 281

replacing the traditional household objects which are North East including Nampong through Pangsu Pass
made out of bio-resources, especially from bamboo in Arunachal Pradesh. A report revealed that the trend
and canes. Though the rich, traditional artifacts of the of consumer preferences in India is many times
tribes have potentials for providing innovative towards Chinese products including plastic products
solutions that can act as alternatives to plastic due to the fact that such products are comparatively
products, the majority of the people especially cheaper (around 60%) than that of branded products28
youngsters now prefer plastic for everything (Fig. 2). or indigenously made craft items though sometimes
The usage of various plastic products is easily the quality of the former products are not up to the
noticeable in the rural area of the district, as in the rest mark. Various Chinese consumer products which are
of India in spite of the fact that there is growing making inroads into Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and
literature which exposes the fact of toxic effects of other parts of North East India includes domestic
plastic especially the thermoplastics on human health furniture, electronic goods, paper products, packing
and environment27. Consumer preferences towards products, pictures, frames, paintings, jewelry, jade
handicraft products are declining due to the carvings, bone carvings, toys, home decorations,
availability of sophisticated industrial products festival, party and religious decorations. This scenario
including plastics products due to globalization of of shift in consumer preferences has also influenced
markets and trade. Indeed, Northeast India is the artisans of various handicraft products to close
strategically located from the geopolitical perspective their business and migrate to the cities for better job
and is having boundary with several neighboring opportunities and enhanced income. Owing to such an
countries, i.e., Bangladesh, China Bhutan and upside-down scenario, several traditional crafting
Myanmar Economic Corridor. skills and techniques are started disappearing from the
Arunachal Pradesh has borders with the states of society which is compounded by the fact that fewer
Assam and Nagaland to the south and shares younger generations is interested in learning such
international borders with Bhutan in the west and traditional business skills29-33. As a result, over the
Myanmar in the east. Chinese products enter India years - especially in recent past, there is substantial
through Myanmar and other border points in the decline in usage of handicrafts articles and thus such
indigenous products are losing its place in the society
while there is a steady growth of usage of industrial
products possibly these products have relatively
longer durability (though they are non-
biodegradable), variety in terms of size, shape, colour
as well as comparative economical value34,35. As
another major contributing factor for declining of the
traditional handicraft business, most of the young
people are not expressing interest to inherit the
traditional bamboo and cane craftsmanship mainly
due to the fact that process of making handicraft is
relatively lengthy and also complicated.
Moreover, there are difficulties to find a good
teacher/master/mentor with adequate skills in
craftsmanship who is willing to teach especially when
they are constrained in case the members of family
especially youngsters are reluctant to learn and in this
kind of changing scenario, such traditional knowledge
may get vanished over the time36. In fact, from North
East India perspective, globalization poses significant
challenges to the survival of the traditional
craftsmanship, a domain of intangible cultural
heritage and ultimately this situation is leading the
Fig. 2 — Plastic objects on sale at local shop in weekly haat at traditional heritage vulnerable. The effects of these
Solung ground, Pasighat
282 INDIAN J TRADIT KNOW, JANUARY 2021

challenges would have adverse impact on the people’s Artifacts. Authors are also grateful for the insightful
livelihood and can be more noticeable especially in comments offered by the anonymous peer reviewers
the case of small indigenous groups, for whom such of this manuscript.
indigenous handicraft business is basic livelihood
option35,36. Conflict of Interests
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Conclusion
Author Contributions
Adi tribe is engaged in the material culture which is
DKP conceptualized the study, complied primary
predominantly made out of the product of natural bio-
data and prepared first draft of the manuscript. PA &
resources-wood, bamboo, palm leaves, cane, etc. drawn
TR reviewed and edited the manuscript.
from a nearby forest. There is a need for cautious
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