Two indigenous traditions from Northeast India have been selected for documentation under a prestigious global programme of the British Museum aimed at preserving endangered cultural knowledge. The selected projects are Meghalaya’s traditional freshwater fishing practices and Nagaland’s centuries-old Konyak brass-working craft. They are among 28 initiatives selected this year under the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), an international initiative funded by Arcadia and hosted by the British Museum.
The programme supports research that documents traditional technologies, crafts and knowledge systems threatened by environmental change, industrialisation and changing social practices. The Meghalaya project will focus on documenting traditional fishing tools and practices in Sohmynting village in West Jaintia Hills, where the Pnar community has long depended on rivers, streams, wetlands and paddy fields for fishing. Led by Dr Rajindra K.
Puri, with Dr Larilin Kharpuri and Dr Pranjal Dubey as collaborators, the research is hosted by the National Lutheran Health and Medical Board (NLHMB). The team will work with local knowledge holders to document bamboo and cane fishing implements such as khnam, paron, and kriah knup, along with fishing rods, spears, nets and fish storage baskets. The project goes beyond cataloguing tools, as it will also document the ecological knowledge embedded in traditional fishing practices, from understanding fish behaviour and seasonal water flows to the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The second Northeast project focuses on Mon district in Nagaland, where researchers will document the endangered brass-working traditions of the Konyak Naga tribe. The study will be led by Dr Amo Konyak B, with C. Mercy Konyak as collaborator, and hosted by the Konyak Heritage Village Management Board.
Working closely with artisans, elders and community knowledge holders, the team will record the techniques used to produce ceremonial brass ornaments and heirloom objects that have long symbolised identity, status and leadership within Konyak society. Among the artefacts to be documented are Nyen, a brass gong traditionally exchanged as part of bridewealth; Khapsan, brass bracelets worn by women; Khapphuh, brass armlets associated with women of the royal lineage; and Lungha Yuk, an elaborate necklace worn by the wife of the Konyak chief, or Ahng. The project will also document the role of these ornaments during festivals such as Aoleang Monyu, where traditional regalia continues to serve as an important expression of Konyak identity.
Both projects will use ethnographic research, oral history interviews, photography and video documentation to create permanent digital archives that preserve not only the artefacts but also the craftsmanship, terminology, stories and cultural meanings associated with them. The inclusion of two projects from Northeast India reflects growing international recognition of the region’s rich indigenous heritage and the need to preserve traditional knowledge that continues to offer lessons in sustainable living, craftsmanship and community resilience.
