India

My People: Tradition and resilience among the Naga

Naga men in tradtional dress for a ceremony. Traditions in Nagaland are still very much intact compared to most other parts of t

My people, the Nagas, have a continuing high regard for the past, and throughout our life we are taught by example and observation that it is through the knowledge gained over time that our people have managed to survive.

We Naga are taught that all things stem from and continue to be tied to the past, and that it must continue to be respected and preserved. In our land, it is necessary to hand down from generation to generation the knowledge and the skills to ensure survival.

Tibetan Buddhism is an important factor in Lepcha lives, and the Mangan monastery pictured here is central to them.

Because the Lepcha homeland is increasingly being occupied by other peoples, Lepcha culture is at risk.

A typical Lepcha house overlooks a valley. Photo by Pushpak Banerjee

Khecopalri Lake is one of the most sacred sites for Lepcha people.

The Dwellers of the Valley: A community profile from West Bengal

I come from a peasant family, and my forefathers were farmers. I was born and grew up in a hilly jungle hamlet hemmed in by bamboo, ferns, and tall deb daru (conifer) trees that change colors throughout the day. Our Lepcha village, called Lower Bom (“Bom” means “flower bud” in the Lepcha language), lies about 10 miles from the hill towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in India’s West Bengal state. In the far distance, the landscape blurs into the mist over Mount Kanchenjunga—the great peak that forms a backdrop for our tribal villages.