Journal of the Social Sciences October 2020 48(4)

Journal of the Social Sciences

E-ISSN: 0975-8935 P-ISSN: 0253-1097

Cosmos Impact Factor: 6.120 (2019)
Journal of the Social Sciences
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Indigenous Knowledge System of Tribal People: A Need Based Plan of

Investigation and Some Instances from Assam, India

Dr. C. J. Sonowal
Associate Professor
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Mumbai, India.
Abstract

Time and again it has been proved that the strategies adopted by the indigenous communities worldwide have
been prudential in many aspects, especially for local specific needs like forest management, land restoration,
healthcare, local specific cultivation and bio-diversity management and many more. In the domain of non-
material aspects, several socio-cultural beliefs and practices are proved to be very effective in terms of health
care, crisis management, social control and management of normative life. In several cases, the modern
development paradigm with technology and trade and commerce etc has detrimental effect on local and
indigenous communities. Moreover, it has been revealed that development paradigms that include local specific
needs and strategies remains fruitful that maintain balance between nature and culture, that is environment
and [Link] massive waves of modernity, scientific technology, growing monetary economy and influx of non-
traditional goods and services have made the indigenous communities and indigenous knowledge seemingly
obsolete and non-productive. Indigenous Knowledge system (IKS) has been dying rapidly in this unhealthy wave
and so also the depletion of environment and resources. Therefore, proper recording/documenting and
preservation of IK is the need of the hour and digitalizing the IK will serve purposes like restoration,
dissemination, revival and enhancement of these fast losing components of human societies. Such initiatives must
be preceded by proper systematic study and for that there is need to develop study plans. IKS has been a simple
system intertwined in a complex web of relations in a society. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct the studies
relating to enumerating and documenting and analyzing the IKs in any society. There is need for a proper plan
and directives to accomplish it. The article comprises a detailed discussion of various aspects of IKS in tribal
society and listing out of domain specific IK and detailed delineation on what sort of information to be
incorporated, how to incorporate and where from the data to be accessed. The article also delves in to the issue
of ethical consideration in collecting information on IKS as these are the part of the intellectual property of the
tribal people and they need to be protected from exploitation. Finally, the article provides some instances of IK
primarily from Karbi tribes of Karbi Anglong district of Assam, India based of secondary as well as primary
sources to contextualize the discussion on IKS. The brief delineation of IKS of Karbi tribe shows how deeply it is
associated with their social and cultural life and how important it is to preserve such indigenous system to
sustenance of the tribal identity and life ways.

Key words : [Link] concern in IK studies, [Link] knowledge, [Link] property, [Link] specific
context, [Link] tradition, [Link] management.

1.0: Introduction

1.1: Defining indigenous knowledge:

The dictionary meaning of indigenous knowledge talks about set of ideas, skills, and strategies etc which have
evolved within a certain group of people rather than being borrowed or imbibed from other communities of
different places. There is contention in the definition and identification of indigenous people in the world and
for the obvious reason there is obviously no universally accepted definition of indigenous knowledge. The

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UNESCO defines “Indigenous Knowledge” (IK) as the understandings, skills and philosophies developed by
societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings1. This knowledge is integral to a
cultural complex that also encompasses language, systems of classification, resource use practices, social
interactions, rituals and spirituality (World Bank 2005). According to World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO, (2005: 4), IK, developed from experience gained over time and adapted to the local
culture and environment, has always played – and still plays – an important role in the daily lives of the
majority of people globally. According to Purcell (1998), IK is ‘the body of historically constituted (emic)
knowledge instrumental in the long-term adaptation of human groups to the biophysical environment’ (1998:
260).

1.2: Characteristics of IK

IK is constituted by various components. These components attached to IK may be independent on other

components or they may be complementary to each other. The constituents may range from indigenous
language and its various lexicons used to identify or classify materials and non-material components (Bates et
al., 2009) to highly abstract ideas along with beliefs and practices that produce or act as strategy for existence
– social as well and physical.

Asserting the necessity and applicability of IK in various domain of environmental and human survival,
scholars have forwarded their opinions based on their research and experiences. Rambo (1983) states that
through a holistic and systemic lens of viewing the environment with its human inhabitants, one can observe
and recognise culture-environment dynamics that arise from human interactions with ecosystem structures;
relationships between ecosystem functions and social structures; and energy flows between and among
humans and other organisms. Linehan and Gross (1998) state that people are inextricably bound to nature,
and the ecological quality of the environment and the quality of human life are largely one and the same
through time and space. Takeuchi (2010) opines that for their longstanding relations and experience with a
distinct environment, indigenous communities appear to have distinct environmental and cultural
characteristics associated with high levels of environmental and cultural sustainability. In general, the
sustainability, productivity, resilience and stability of socio-ecological ecosystems usually found in indigenous
and rural communities are dependent on the cultural values exhibited by its indigenous peoples.

A study conducted by World Bank (2004) states that communities usually pass on their indigenous
knowledge of resource management to the next generation through oral transmissions. It also asserts that the
continued existence of such systems depends heavily on the passing down of this knowledge. Speaking about
the roles of IK in a community, the report says that for centuries, local communities have relied on their
indigenous knowledge and expertise to cope with the challenges posed by harsh environments: extended
droughts, flash floods, epidemic pests, or infertile soils. Farmers have developed their own systems of
weather forecasting by observing cloud formations, bird migration patterns, seasonal winds and other
seasonal or a-seasonal factors, or worked out complex, sustainable land use systems. In this sense, IK has
evolved into a science and technology of its own, with farmers and communities performing as scientists and
innovators—observing, drawing conclusions, and taking action (ibid). Closely attached to IK is the indigenous
language and lexicons. Folklore of the society includes the stories related to nature, origin of living and non-
living beings, the purpose of origin of plants, animals and other non-living beings surrounding them. Besides,
there are ample proverbs and tenets which talk of how things should be, how and when to start a specific
work related to cultivation, hunting, fishing and many more. Thus, IKS is very important in understanding the
existing strategy of livelihood and social interactions of indigenous people, in particular .

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1.3: Need for enhancement of IK

Researchers and policy planners, across the globe, have found that there is an urgent need to enhance the
intergenerational transmission of indigenous knowledge, alongside and within formal education. Contrary to
general perceptions regarding the secretive nature of some form of IK, and the unwillingness of indigenous
knowledge bearers to learn from others, researchers have recorded a remarkably high propensity among
communities to learn, both from other communities and from available global knowledge. There is great
potential for indigenous and local knowledge to contribute further to global challenges of climate change,
environmental degradation and biodiversity loss in order to achieve goals such as sustainability and
resilience.

1.4: Importance of IK

The prospects of IK have been deliberated by various scholars. Cummings and Read’s (2016) study
demonstrates how traditional knowledge may be used as part of forest inventories to identify and classify
tree and palm species and how they are used for provisioning, cultural, and supporting ecosystem services.
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can act as a powerful tool in a learning environment to teach students.
Observation and interpretation of meteorological phenomena have guided the activities of local communities
for millennia. Planting and harvesting, transhumance or herd migration, and the timing and locations of
hunting, fishing or gathering are dependent on detailed understandings of weather and climate. Indigenous
peoples are often well positioned to observe and understand local ecosystems. Many live in areas that have
high biodiversity values. As knowledge is garnered throughout a lifetime, and enhanced by oral history
passed down through generations, indigenous peoples often also have knowledge of changes in biodiversity
over many decades or even centuries.

Tynsong and Tiwari (2008) demonstrated that traditional knowledge – “TK” (equates to IK) has been
reported on healthcare, fisheries, forest management, pest management, etc. The role of TK in meeting the
larger goals of biodiversity conservation and understanding the impacts of climate change at small scales is
gaining importance in current mainstream conservation paradigms. Popzan and Afsharzade (2010) also
consider that indigenous pasture management mechanism crucial in managing resources available and
necessary for the communities. For Li (2010), traditional agricultural knowledge is a comprehensive system
of technology, management pattern, wisdom, knack and experience, which was created by long-term
agricultural productive practices and has been passed from generation to generation in the particular
community. Spirituality has a strong influence on the management of environment, especially forest
resources, water resources etc. The traditional water conservation practice in Forikrom, Ghana, where the
regulation of water access and use is based on spirituality is one such case. For many local communities, the
planet and its resources are considered sacred and deserve utmost respect. This often leads to management
systems for crucial and fragile natural resources that are based on spiritual norms and institutions.

2.0: Objective

The primary objective of the paper is to discuss about the methodological aspects and process to be adopted
in carrying out research on IK in a traditional tribal setting. It has been discussed here how to go incorporate
the geophysical and material and non-material aspects of the people under study to make the study holistic in
nature. Further, the paper also elucidates ad includes the broad domains of IK seemingly probable to
influence the population under study followed by a detailed discussion as how and what to look for and
where to look for in terms of access to information. The discussions have been substantiated by some
example of IKS drawing from secondary sources primarily.

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3.0: Methodological Discourse:

3.1: Selection of study sites and respondents:

IK is mostly attached to the people who live in rural areas and whose life-ways are intimately related to and
dependent on natural environment and natural resources. Thus barring some issues related to the entire
tribe in selection, focuses may be put on the rural communities. The selection of villages (rural areas) may be
based on the following criteria:

i) Geographical locality:
a. This may be constituted by high Altitude/ lower altitude/ plains

ii) Ethnic composition:

a. High concentration of tribal people

iii) Villages:
a. Villages may be old ones as well as new ones,
b. proximity to urban locality and road communication facility,
c. resourcefulness (land, forest, water resources, minerals etc) and
d. Dominant economic pursuits of the community.

iv) Respondents from villages:

a. Age
b. Gender
c. Education and employment
d. Attachment to specific economic activities

v) Key informants:
a. Government officials
b. Community intellectuals
c. Traditional dignitaries like village head, priest, medicine men,
d. Skilled person in art, craft, performing art, music, dance, etc

3.2: Broad domain of IK and detailed components to be investigated (tentative):

On the basis of literature reviewed and from experiences, a list of tentative domains of IK to be investigated
may be prepared as under. These broad domains may again be divided in to theme based categories. All such
theme based categories may again be delineated with specific areas for which data to be collected,
documented, observed and recorded. Simultaneously, strategy of data collection for each of these areas may
be chalked out as follows:

3.2.1: Bio-resources management

a) Forest management and its uses:
Community forest and village forest are in existence. So there are possibilities of utilization in the
following aspects:

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i) Management of forest:
Management of forest resources by controlling/regulating the extraction of forest resources,
restriction put on cutting and destroying small plants, regulating grazing and other means of
regenerating forest resources.
ii) Ritualistic: Ritualistic activities and norms set which may protect forest resources. Sacred
grooves, sacred patches of land.
iii) Ethno-botanical: Knowledge of edible and medicinal plant varieties and methods of extracting
such resources.

b) Natural resource management

i) Indigenous ways to manage (cleaning/clearing and channeling and distributing) natural sprints,
fountains etc, use of taboo and ritualistic restriction and controlling means to protect those
resources.
ii) Periodic restriction on grazing, specific measures taken to regenerate grasses, alternative means
of fodder etc.
iii) Restriction put, taboo observed in hunting and fishing on certain occasions, certain seasons,
restriction on killing certain birds and animals etc.

3.2.2: Land Resources

a) Land distribution pattern unique to the people
i) Traditional land distribution system, practice of restoring fertility and containing soil erosion by
traditional means, crop selection and crop rotation, controlled irrigation, ritualistic observances
related to land use and control mechanism
b) Cultivation related
i) Use of plant indicators, insect and animal indicators to ascertain about the onset of sowing seed,
planting and harvesting etc, observation of natural phenomena to predict flood, heavy rain and
storm etc which might affect crops. Astronomical observations to predict weather. Pest control
mechanism, irrigation and storage of water, storage and preservation of seeds and food grains,
specific knowledge and practices of raising and protecting garden crops. Folklore and proverbs
related to all these activities and ritualistic practices etc.

3.2.3: Food and beverages

a) Hunting, fishing, gathering and preparing food items
i) Knowledge about tracking games, unique methods of hunting and trapping animals and birds,
related beliefs and practices, knowledge in fishing technique and related practices, restriction
put on fishing during breeding period, practices adapted in gathering forest grown edibles and
vegetables etc.
ii) Indigenous methods adopted in preparing foods, especially from locally produced varieties of
edible things, preparation of beverages specific to the studied communities etc

3.2.4: Ethno medicine and perception and action of health and treatment seeking
a) Non-material methods
i) Ritualistic practices with or without the use of herbs and other materials, spells and hymns used
to cure illness, perception of causes of various illness, methods of prediction of causes and
deciding course of treatment, magical practices for benevolent as well as malevolent effects and
many more.

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b) Use of herbs and other materials

i) Knowledge of medicinal herbs at community level as well as individual level, their method s of
preparation and ways of administering, related beliefs and observances, restriction on practicing
or prescribing such remedies, the quality and recognition by the community and other aspects
related to it.
iii) Use of parts of animals and animal products and byproducts such as cow dung etc in curative
regimen.

3.2.5: Health care and wellbeing in special cases

a) Pregnancy, birth, puberty, death, purification etc

i) Beliefs and perceptions about pregnancy, child birth and death etc. Specific prescription for
pregnant women, the expecting father (both material and non-material – like taboos), beliefs and
practices related to child birth, child rearing practices, diet for child and mother, rituals and
observances related to all these cases.
ii) Perception about puberty and related beliefs and practices, restriction put on post pubescent
girls, beliefs and practices (taboos) related to menstruation, on death disposal of dead and
purification in birth, puberty, death etc.

3.2.6: Language and literature

a) Oral tradition:
i) Myths, folktales, songs, hymns, music, proverbs and tenet related to various aspects of social and
individual life of the people. These may include about the origin of the studied community and
their presence in space and time which give them the sense and recognition of existence and
belongingness to the place where they live throughout their ethnic history. This indigeneity has
important value in their social and political existence.
ii) Further, while music and songs etc gives a special identity to their cultural life, folktales,
proverbs provides them with lots of guidelines to do socially accepted activities, follow
recognised behaviour etc whereby they become the lawful members of that society.
iii) Proverbs also define gender specific work roles, normative qualities of genders, expected
behaviours, decision making, justice system etc. Besides, folktales and proverbs also guide how
and when to go about in cultivation, hunting and gathering, mate selection, friendship,
hospitality and many more.

b) Written literature
i) Language and dialect specific to the studied community, imparting their language in formal and
informal education system, documentation of indigenous details in their language etc

3.2.7: IK related skills, art and craft

a) Non-material skill

i) IK on music, dance, songs of local importance, performing art.

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b) Material aspects

i) IK in use of local specific materials in various aspects like building houses, fencing, making and
manufacturing essential items for everyday life and also for commercial purposes, weaving skill,
social importance of local products etc.

3.2.8: Trade and commerce:

a) Traditional and non-traditional

i) Different ways adapted to convert their produces to valuable and products like money,
household essentials and day to day requirement --- goods as well as services, local specific
methods of trade and barter/exchange within the community and with other community
through various means.

3.2.9: Disaster management

a) Natural disaster management

i) Indigenous methods of predicting of and preparing for natural disasters like flood, storm, heavy
rain, earthquake etc.
b) Disease epidemic and animal and pest attack
i) Indigenous responses to epidemic disease situation. Strategies adapted to protect life. Property
and crops from animal attack, and pest attack etc
c) Human induced disaster management
i) Individual level as well as community level conflict management practices specific to the
community

3.2.10: Challenges and Survival

a) Physical challenges and survival strategies

b) Social, cultural, economic and political challenges and survival mechanisms

4.0: Ethical Consideration:

Venturing into the Indigenous Knowledge is one of the most sensitive domains which attract Ethical
consideration. This is more so in case of preparing a digital library which comes under public domain. In most
of the cases, though the knowledge is possessed by some individual, actually it is the knowledge or
intellectual property of the entire community. Therefore informed consent from a particular person actually
violates the rights of the entire community. Issues such as the appropriation of knowledge and collective
versus individual ownership of knowledge remain contentious (IPHRC, 2004). Dealing with IK is directly
related to the issue of “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)”. Thus Cross (2010) questions “who exactly should
own the underlying property right?” For him, IK is developed in a particular culture, and therefore, it would
by analogy stand to reason that the culture itself would own and control the property. However, a “culture,”
unlike other legal fictions like a corporation or a nation, is not fixed and does not necessarily speak with a
single voice. Determining who within the culture can make decisions concerning the property presents
intractable difficulties.

Digitization of IK and cultural heritage and their accessibility in public digital domain have created a different
kind of ethical issue and challenges. Social groups and societies that once were marginalized or persecuted
have used online digital collections as a platform for making their voice heard and/or to regain control over
their heritage. The past of these groups has been represented in archives, libraries, and museums through the

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lens of dominant, powerful social groups or societies. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
has encouraged indigenous communities to digitize their intangible heritage (e.g. songs, dance, rituals, etc.)
because such assets are not protected by conventional intellectual property systems. Such intangible heritage
recorded by researchers has also appeared in the collections of archives, libraries, and museums. Often the
digitization, selection, and arrangement of such materials, as well as wide online access to them, conflict with
the traditional views of indigenous communities. The emergence of “community archives” and initiatives to
protect indigenous heritage encouraged archives, libraries, and museums to grasp the relationship between
cultural heritage and the worldviews of the societies and communities that create and practice it. This
significantly challenged the traditional understanding of how the values of neutrality and objectivity should
be pursued in managing and providing access to cultural content. Digital community archives highlighted the
issues of inequality, subjective judgment, discrimination, and so on, that were caused by the decisions of
memory institutions.

There has been literature which reveals that the digitization, presentation and explanation of IK have been
infested with western bias undermining or distorting the basic principles of indigenous populations.
Understanding of these biases encourages the digital libraries/archives to realize that they should “protect
indigenous traditional knowledge and local traditional knowledge for the benefit of indigenous peoples
[italics mine] as well as for the benefit of the rest of the world.”

Notably, these conflicts encouraged digital library organizations to involve community members in selection,
metadata and information systems development, and maintenance processes, making them equal partners in
digitization. Thus, a well defined and well articulated ethical consideration will be framed before the start of
the study. The Host institute of the proposer has an Institutional Review Board where ethical considerations
are deliberated and an ethical clearance certificate is issued. Further, every possible sources of ethical
consideration related to IK and IPR will be deliberated to construct a ethical guideline to minimize or for Zero
violation of ethnics.

5.0: Some instances of ik among karbi tribes of assam:

To contextualize the discussion made above, some instances of IK prevalent among the Karbi tribes in Assam,
India has been highlighted which are based on some secondary sources as well as primary field experiences
of the author. Karbis are the third numerically dominant tribal groups in the state of Assam after the Bodos
and the Misings. Karbis are recognised as the Hills tribes of the state of Assam. Dimasas are the other Hills
tribes predominantly found in Dima Hasao district of the state. All other tribal group of the state are
inhabitants of the plains in the Brahmaputra valley. The political history of the Karbis is interesting one
because the region inhabited by them were administered under excluded area Act right from the colonial
period. The Karbi Anglong district comes under the 6 th schedule provision of the constitution of India with
special administrative autonomy unlike most other tribal areas. Thus, relative political and social separation
of the Karbi tribes helped maintain their unique socio-cultural identity and practices to a great extent till date.

5.1: Indigenous Knowledge of Karbis in using biological entities:

Use of animals and insects in folk life, other than as food items, has been prevalent across the tribes. For
instance, almost all tribal people in Assam use weaver ant as food item. It has specific importance during the
spring festival Bihu when people eat at least once, the larva of the white ant. Most people believe that it
increases the ability to procreate children, which is traditionally seen as an asset to a tribal family. The
Hrangkhols and Khasi Pnars use the eggs to cure a child suffering from cold and cough and adults are used as
a benefit for malaria patient. These ants are also used as effective biological control agents against various

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species of insect pests. Some tribal people also use weaver ants as predators of harmful pests in orange trees.
Langthasa et al. (2017) gives a detailed description of use of weaver ant in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong
district of Assam.

Karbis use certain fish varieties as well. Teronpi et al. (2012) has deliberated in details a list of fish varieties
used to treat some illness. The authors have recorded use of 14 species belonging 7 families in the treatment
of 25 disease conditions. The use of such fishes as medicine is preceded or followed by chanting of hymns and
rituals etc. Treating mental illness, cough, anemia, diarrhea, infirmities etc. are prevalent among the Karbis.
Importantly, contrary to the use of fishes as medicine, the tribal people also avoid eating certain fishes in
certain health condition like throat problem, goiter or leprosy TB etc.

5.2: Use of flora and fauna as biological indicators of seasons:

Karbis of Assam possess a good deal of indigenous knowledge in predicting annual seasons and for day to day
activities using characteristics of flora and fauna around and other physical factors as indicators. In floral
characters, the Karbis notice the leaf fall, coming of new leaf, flowering of certain plants and ripening of
certain fruits, formation of tubers etc. Among the faunal characters, the Karbis takes the indication from
courtship and matting of insects and animals, laying of eggs and hatching, appearance of particular birds and
insects, physical feature of the moon, the warmth of the weather etc. Teron et al. (2009) have given a
comprehensive account of the way of reckoning the months of the year for agricultural purposes. Being an
agro-based community and directly related to and dependent on nature and weather, the Karbis also named
the months of the year according to the activities centering round the act of cultivation.

5.3: Use of Natural resources like bamboo:

Northeast region of India is characterised by abundance of bamboo which the people of the area make use of
it for various purposes. It is said that bamboo is the lifeline of indigenous people of these states. Among the
Karbis, the proverb ‘Karbi aso ke jintak cheripdongse pirthe kevang lapen jintak cherip pondongse chomarong
kedam’ says that a Karbi is born with jintak (bamboo split) in his hand and leaves the world holding jintak.
Han-up (bamboo shoots) is one of the common sources of food in absence of rice. In the days of yore, rice and
vegetables were cooked or steamed in bamboo stem called Lankpong. Eatables prepared in Lankpong impart
pleasant aroma and taste and even today such items are considered revered and highly sought after. A
popular dance called Hacha Kekan is performed to mark the harvesting season of Han-up (bamboo shoots).
Teron et al. (2012) have made an extensive list of bamboo made implements socio-culturally significant for
Karbi society. The authors have revealed that bamboo made implements like Chaho is used as cushion for
earthen pots where Hor kangthir or holy rice beer for the occasion is stored. Mucham is used to keep the meat
of the sacrificed pig in Chojun rituals. Hor-heh is used to keep fermented malt during religious festivals like
Chojun and Chomangkan. She is used to strain rice beer during primary religions festivals such as Chomkan,
Peng and Chojun etc. Likewise, there are several other bamboo made implements used by traditional Karbi
people in their socio-cultural and religious activities which makes their material culture unique. Mention may
be made of Hak. Batheli, Langthe, Ingtong, Khangra, Vo-um, Hengru, Ingkro. Lumphlak, Nopak abeetc.

5.4: Non-material aspects of Karbi IK:

Dream has played an important role in development of ideas about soul and belief system in human society.
The mystery of dream has not been solved till date. Nevertheless, people across the world have been
interpreting and perceiving dreams as indicator of future events. Trangpi et al. (2015) have described in
details how the people in Karbi society interpret and perceive dreams and act accordingly. The authors state

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that according to Karbi belief, there are two souls in humans – pharlo and karjong. As per the belief, pharlo is
mortal and active and it represents the life of an individual whereas, karjong is the passive form of soul which
controls pharlo. During sleep, the passive soul travels to the world of death and communicates with the spirits
of ancestors. The experience and revelation of the karjong from such journey and interaction is conveyed to
the pharlo in the form of dream. Appearance of certain objects like certain plants, animals and other objects in
dream is interpreted by the Karbis in various ways. Dreaming of plants which convey bad consequences is
considered a bad omen; such dreams are taken seriously by elders of the family who sometimes even seek the
advice of local wise men to determine the cause of the awful dreams. The role of plants in dream
interpretation has its origin with religious beliefs relating to the origin of earth, cultural uses, and
physiological effects of plants on humans. Dreams are also interpreted on the basis of cultural uses of plants.
Karbis use certain plants in rituals to nullify the influence of evil spirits on people.

5.5: IK related to aesthetic life:

Traditional Karbis prepare dye to colour their clothes and yarns. Clothes of specific colour and design, yarn
and thread of specific colour etc have social and religious significance in Karbi social life. In this regard Teron
and Borthakur’s description (2012) may be cited here. According to a popular legend still vibrant among the
Karbis, dyeing with sibu (Marsdenia tinctoria R. Br.) was discovered and introduced by a lady named Kareng
Hansepi, popularly referred to as Rengpi Varijang. Similarly, Lenjovar Tumjang (belonging to the Timung
clan) first used the jopi-ir (bees wax) during weaving to smooth the warp. These two women are still
recognized and remembered as expert weavers among the Karbis and their legends pertaining to origin of
dye and weaving are narrated on certain festive occasions. Karbis use various plants and minerals to dye the
clothes and yarns.

Color carries valuable information in Karbi society: it gives elegance to garments, garments dyed with specific
colors. Colors reflect cultural identity, fibers of specific color are used during religious occasions and certain
colors and garments are considered taboo. Teron et al. (2012) give a detail of various techniques used by the
Karbis in making their traditional costumes. The designs depicted are mostly related to their culture, religious
life etc and thereby they feel an attachment to these objects as well as to the costumes where such designs are
depicted.

5.6: Use of plants

Bottle guard shell (Lagemaria sicoravia) is part of Karbi culture and is regularly used during various festivals
and ceremonies as container and serving implements. It is important to note here that use of bottle guard
shell as container, serving vessels etc symbolizes the status and cultural significance of the family and the
society which cannot be substituted by other non-traditional implements. Teron (2005) has given a detailed
description of these implements and their utilizations and significance in Karbi society. Karbi people also
have the knowledge of using herbal toxicant to catch fish and to clear fish weeds as well. Kalita (2007) sees
such practices as eco-friendly, sustainable and economically viable.

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5.7: Language and literature (use of Proverbs)2:

Karbi proverbs are known as 'sar lamthe' which literally means, sar -- wise/well experienced person and
lamthe -- sayings. The 'sar lamthe' generally occupies a huge volume of Karbi literature .It comprises the
wisdom, observation and inferences to life since time immemorial. Also, it reflects the Karbi's in fullest form
and governs their lives. Hence, it has an important role in Karbi society and literature. Their proverbs
representing their accumulated wisdom are basically formed with the images drawn from nature and folk life
such as birds and animals, trees and seeds, fish and crab, sky and river, gods and ghosts etc. These provide
practical wisdom, moral judgment, wise instruction, sociocultural rules and regulations, values and ways of
life etc. to the younger generation of the community.

A substantial number of Karbi proverbs contain lived experiences accumulated by the Karbi folk and they use
them as practical solution in various aspects of life. These proverbs indicate their inherent understanding of
nature, birds, animals etc. and reflect their folk life as well. from the hosts of proverbs the Karbis have,
following are some of the important ones for reference:

In traditional tribal societies the knowledge of aged people are given importance due to their life experience
in the interaction with people and nature as well. Karbi proverb ‘Ingnar asarbur tovar manghuhe / Monit
kesar bisar manghuhe’ say that as the aged and the leader of a group of wild elephant never forgets its route,
the old and aged men also never makes mistake in taking decision on crucial social and familial issues.
Similarly, the proverb ‘Sar lamthe ke lamdak; kechekok ke la thak thak’ indicates that one may not find an old
person’s talk interesting, but in reality it has value. Recognising the depth of knowledge of elderly and wise
men by Karbis is reflected through the proverb ‘Ingnar ashoke kachingomsi keding, says that a longer and
bigger part of the tusk of an elephant remains hidden inside (its mouth).

Karbi proverbs also provide directives on the duties of life or what should or should not be done. The proverb
‘Voshodun plekso kangreng ke; Bathili amu panghanghe’ says that killing a musk-rat means making the hands
smelling and killing a bird like tipasi (bush wren) with a catapult is wastage of resource. This implies that
people should not send time and energy in such activities which gives no good result. Karbi people also use
proverbs very much related and relevant to their folk life. The proverb ‘Tovar aphrang langnoi soiri’ warn
people not to not to smoothen a plough at the roadside. The underlying meaning of the proverb is that a
plough is one of the most important implements for Karbi people. If one does such an important task at
roadside, he will be distracted by passerby and he may make mistake and spoil the plough. Metaphorically,
this proverb instructs people not to be showy and not to do anything serious in a trivial manner.

Karbi people also relate the characters of natural events to human nature. For instance the proverb ‘Kangreng
ateke monit choche / Kangreng ashining arve jangje’ says that a tiger which roars too much does not attack;
like the thundering clouds hardly rain much. It is natural that if a tiger attempts to hunt, it remains calm and
silent to that they prey does not get to know. Likewise, thunders are loud when monsoon retreats and it
hardly rain heavily at that time. These two examples can be translated in to human nature. A capable man
hardly announces in public what he can do, and a person talking much of his capability to do something
remarkable is actually not a man of work.

2
[Link]

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6.0: Conclusion:

The delineation made in this article indicates a vast scope of research in the domain of IKS and recording and
preserving them in accordance with the emerging technical know-how and safety. This is one of the least
explored domains in spite of the fact that the rural and tribal domains are full of time tested IKS. The studies
so far made are mostly isolated and haphazard in nature and are unable to make any significant contribution
to the knowledge base. Social scientists, especially the social and cultural anthropologists may contribute in
this domain of study immensely. The fragile geo-physical condition of hills areas in the Himalayan region of
north east India and most importantly, the tradition-rich tribal people living in this region are actually the
repository of indigenous knowledge bearing importance in social survival and material existence.

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