THE NAGAS MEMORIES OF HEADHUNTERS
Subtitle: Indo-Burmese Borderlands vol. 1
Publisher: White Lotus; White Lotus Press
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 267
ISBN-13: 9782954511221
Description: USA BEST BOOK AWARDS FINALIST 

Seven years of expeditions and research. More than 50 former headhunters and families interviewed. 6000 photographs taken in the fieldwork, 270 selected. Witnessing festivals and rituals, trying to understand how deeply a belief may mark a culture and how taboos influence society. Exploring the mechanisms of wealth distribution and what role institutions play. Exploring the richness of carvings, village doors, log drums and much more. THE NAGAS MEMORIES OF HEADHUNTERS it is not only about the Nagas, it is also about you, about our roots, the power of our believes and our capacity to adapt to deep cultural transformations.

THE NAGAS MEMORIES OF HEADHUNTERS – Indo-Burmese Borderlands vol. 1 gives voice to the last protagonists of an almost vanished world. For the first time, former Naga headhunters and families talk extensively about their past, their fears and their hopes. Based on fieldwork and in-depth interviews conducted in Myanmar and on the Indian states of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, this book gives a unique insight into the world of the Naga tribes and illustrates one of the last living examples of traditional culture. The mountain ranges situated between the far north-eastern part of India and the extreme northeast of Myanmar (Burma) house an incredible people of Tibeto-Burman origin, the Nagas. The number of tribes comprising the Nagas may vary among different scholars, but they are believed to include between 12 and 30 groups, with the major ones being the Angami, Ao, Lotha, Chakhesang, Konyak, Rengma, Sangtam, Yimchungru, Zeliangrong, Nocte, Phom, Khiamniungan, Pochuri,Tangkhul and Sema. These groups inhabit both sides of the Indo-Burmese borders in the Naga Hills, a sub-Himalayan region characterized by thick jungles and rugged mountains, known as 'the last mystery of Asia'. Until the middle of the 20,h century the men of these tribes were recognized as frightening headhunters, but despite their reputation, the Nagas were and are primarily farmers. Thus, it is not surprising that 'fertility' was seen as a 'power' that should be continually increased, secured and channeled towards the community. How deeply has this belief and the quest for fertility marked the culture of these tribes? To answer this question, the authors explore some flagship themes of the social sciences: the mechanisms of wealth distribution, how taboos influence society, what role institutions play, and how a culture can adapt to deep transformations.