Hill Miri people

Portrait of a Nyishi girl.

Hill Miri (exonym) are a native tribe of Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India.^[1] They are spread in Upper Subansiri and districts.

The term “Hill Miri” was given by the British Administration to distinguish between the “Plain Miri” of Assam and the “Nyishi” of Arunachal Pradesh.^[2] They speak a Tibeto-Burman language, but the exact origin of their language is disputed.

The festival celebrated with enormous pomp and gaiety is , on 6 February. The rituals of these festivals are carried out by the community priests (Nyub/Nyubu) which include chanting of hymns and sacrificing animals viz. mithun (Sobe/sebe), goat, chicken (pork), pig (Irri) etc., and serving of local brew (Opo) to attendees.

The traditional attires of gents include Lenin cloth wrapped over the body covering the upper portion of the body up to the knees, headgear includes a cap (bopar/bopa/bopia) made of cane which has a strap of bearskin attached anteriorly (sometimes surmounted with hornbill beak at the top). The male carries a machete (orok/oriok) and a knife (rwchik/rwuchuk) shoved inside a bamboo sheath wrapped with animal furs. The ladies wear includes a blouse and a long cloth (gale) wrapped around the waist with a beautiful piece of art knitted on it. The tribe are agriculturalist and primarily grow crops such as Dagam (rice), Temi (millet), Mekung (cucumber), Takie (ginger) and a host of green leafy vegetables. Jhum cultivation was dominant among the tribe but over the course of time have started adopting WRC gradually. They grow millets especially to prepare local brew (Opo), also made from the rice, which is very popular among members of the community and other tribes as well. The brew is served in plenty on occasions like festival, marriage, parties etc.

References[]

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