On Being A Naga: Essays

The essays written over a long span of time come in an attempt to explore the Naga culture and society and re-define the Naga identity going beyond the common perceptions and representations of the Naga peoples. They are an insider’s view on Naga culture and identity as it has been in the past and as it exists today. They deal with a number of aspects of Naga socio-cultural life like the ritual of head-hunting in Naga society, the Ao-Naga myths, women-centred narratives that are found in Ao-Naga folklore and the folk literature of Nagaland in general. They try to show that even primitive societies like that of the Nagas possessed a sense of rationality and highlight the attachment of the Nagas to their land and traditional customs.