A Journey into the World of the Naga People

The world about us is diverse to say the least. It’s a magnificent tapestry of interesting faces and incredible places, of awe-inspiring beauty and of inconceivable mysteries just waiting to be discovered. Many of us go about our daily lives without even contemplating the magnitude of life. We begin our conventional mornings with mugs of coffee and hot showers before heading off to work or to school. Then we come home to watch the TV while wishing we had the guts to go do something else instead. The truth is, none of us know how lucky we are. We take for granted all that has been given to us and we think all seven billion of us live just as we do.
It’s easy to become complacent and very few of us are truly free of the chains of modern society. There are other worlds within this world though, battles being fought, lands being lost, people suffering great injustices. In fact, truth is stranger than fiction and any great fantasy writer knows all too well that reality is the bases of fiction.
Today I want to bring to your intention the story of the naga people. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are probably sitting there reading my words, wondering who on earth the naga people are. And if you are not, then you are probably wondering what importance they are to you or to anybody else within western society. Well, that’s where you are wrong. You see, all peoples, all nations and all tribes have an importance on this planet. We are all one blood running through veins under different shades of skin. We are all born unto this planet, all share this planet and we will all die on this planet. Except for the ones of us who decide to hop a one way flight to Mars of course.
So why have I decided to write about a people that hardly anybody knows about? Well, first of all, it’s just because hardly anybody knows about them and second of all, I happen to be a good friend with a naga. He has asked me to write about his people and the humanist I am, I was more than happy to do so. What I am writing to you now is all based on his words, so you are getting the story from a true naga and a man who burns for his people. So grab a coffee and buckle your seat belts.

This is my friend, Peter Emem
The term ‘naga’ refers to a conglomeration of tribes inhabiting the northeastern part of India and northwestern Myanmar (Burma). The tribes have similar cultures and traditions and they form the majority ethnic group in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur; Nagaland and across the border of Myanmar.
Of the numerous, unique identities of the naga people, the most unique, traditional items that can be found in almost all of the naga tribes and that distinctly separate naga from the other tribes are the conical red headgear, decorated with wild-boar canine teeth and white-black hornbill feathers, the spear with the shaft decorated with red-black hairs and the unique Dao with broad blade and long handle.