Tribes & Cultures

An introduction to the Gangte community of Manipur, part of the Kuki-Chin group, known for their unique village council and vibrant textile traditions.

One of the historic communities forming the Tripuri identity, with a unique story of resilience and resettlement in southern Tripura.

Indigenous Community of Meghalaya's Southern Slopes

Indigenous Muslim Community of Manipur

Indigenous Tribe of Mizoram, India

An overview of the Hmar community in Assam

Discovering the Tai Khamyang: A Buddhist Community in Assam

The Largest Indigenous Ethnolinguistic Group in Assam

Guardians of Tradition in Arunachal's Eastern Frontier

A Scheduled Tribe of Manipur, the Simte are part of the broader Zo ethnic community with a distinct language and rich history of migration.

Guardians of Ancient Traditions in Nagaland's Central Hills

A Matriarchal Community of Tripura

Guardians of Borderlands: The War Jaintia Community

A Glimpse into the Makury Naga Tribe

Guardians of Ziro Valley's Ancient Traditions

Guardians of Kuki Culture in Northeast India

Guardians of the Eastern Himalayas: The Nyishi of Arunachal Pradesh

An agricultural community of the Chin Hills diaspora, known for their vibrant seed-sowing festival and close kinship with the Monsang people.

Living on the Indo-Myanmar frontier, this Naga community is known for its warrior history, skilled blacksmiths, and vibrant harvest festivals.

An Indigenous Naga community of Manipur with a distinctive history and rich agricultural traditions.

Renowned for their martial history and sophisticated terraced farms, this Naga community offers a profound look into a self-reliant and ecologically-astute way of life.

A Resilient Tibeto-Burman Community of Manipur, Known for a Fierce Pride in Their Distinct Identity

An introduction to the Karbi community in Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, their distinct cultural practices, and their connection to the larger Karbi homeland in Assam.

A collective of Kuki-Chin clans with a shared, state-recognized identity in Tripura

Also known as the Taraon, this Mishmi group inhabits the river valleys of Lohit and Anjaw, known for their priestly traditions, agricultural practices, and distinct weaving styles.

A resilient community rebuilding its roots in Mizoram after decades of displacement, known for their unique customs and the Buisu festival.

An Assamese community defined by its pivotal role in the 18th-century Moamoria Rebellion against the Ahom kings.

Descendants of a powerful medieval kingdom in Upper Assam, the Chutia people carry a legacy woven into the very fabric of Assamese history and culture.

A Naga community known for its formidable warriors, intricate textiles, and sophisticated sustainable farming traditions.

A community forged from the Zeme and Liangmai tribes, known for their intricate textiles and the vibrant Hega festival in Nagaland's Peren District.

The Guardians of Manipur's Western Hills

Once the martial backbone of Tripura's kings, this community is now defined by its progressive social governance and deep agricultural roots.

An ancient matrilineal society thriving in the misty hills of Meghalaya, known for their deep connection to nature and unique social customs.

The royal community of the erstwhile Tripura Kingdom, central to the state's cultural and political history.

Keepers of the Forest Realm in West Kameng

Masters of the Siang River valleys, renowned for their cane bridges, democratic village councils, and vibrant Solung festival.

Keepers of a matrilineal kingdom and the monumental monoliths of Meghalaya's eastern hills.

One of Nagaland's major Naga communities, known for their vibrant harvest festivals and sophisticated customary governance.

A community of Theravada Buddhists from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, whose vibrant culture and intricate weaving traditions persist in Arunachal Pradesh despite decades of statelessness.

Keepers of an ancient Himalayan Buddhist tradition in the highlands of Arunachal Pradesh.

Keepers of the ancient Tamu culture and the distinctive Ghatu and Sorathi folk dances.

A community in Arunachal Pradesh forging a new identity after a long history of subjugation, known for their deep connection to the forest.

A Theravada Buddhist community in Tripura with deep roots in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, known for their unique script and the vibrant Bizu harvest festival.

The dominant community of the Imphal Valley, with a rich history shaped by indigenous faith, Vaishnavism, and a sophisticated classical arts tradition.

An agricultural community of Upper Assam known for their historical role as royal functionaries and their syncretic faith.

Descendants of the formidable Koch dynasty, this community straddles a rich royal past and a vibrant present in the plains of Lower Assam.

A guide to the history, culture, and traditions of the Kuki communities living in Assam's Dima Hasao and Cachar districts.

One of the Naga communities of Manipur, known for a complex social structure and a history linked to the discovery of fire.

An agrarian community of the plains with a distinct Indo-Aryan heritage and rich Vaishnavite traditions.

A small community in Arunachal Pradesh, the Bugun are globally recognized for their pioneering efforts in community-led wildlife conservation.

One of Assam's plains tribes, the Deori are historically priests of the Brahmaputra valley, known today for their distinctive stilt houses and rich cultural traditions.

A small Buddhist community at India's easternmost frontier, in the shadow of the Himalayas.

Descendants of the once-mighty Kachari Kingdom, the Dimasa people are one of Assam's most prominent indigenous communities, with a distinct language, clan system, and rich textile traditions.

A Central Indian community's transplanted heritage in the tea gardens of Northeast India.

A Theravada Buddhist community in southern Mizoram with a distinct cultural identity and its own autonomous administrative region.

One of Tripura's smallest recognized indigenous communities, closely related to the Reang, with a distinct and endangered cultural identity.

A Naga community known for its intricate social structure, vibrant festivals, and deep connection to the land in eastern Nagaland.

A resilient community of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group, known for their rich oral history and distinct weaving traditions.

Known as the 'dancing tribe' of Tripura, the Reang community balances a history of displacement with the enduring grace of their Hojagiri dance.

The story of the Mizo community and their famed orange groves in Tripura's highest hills.

Descendants of migrants from the Chotanagpur plateau, this community's identity in Tripura is deeply entwined with the region's tea plantations and a continuing quest for recognition.

Known as the 'Cloud People', this Naga community of Longleng district has a rich warrior past and vibrant cultural traditions.

A Tai Buddhist community in the eastern Himalayan foothills, known for their elegant monasteries and the vibrant Sangken water festival.

An introduction to one of Manipur's smallest indigenous communities, known for a unique language and rich oral traditions.

An ethnically distinct group in Arunachal Pradesh known for their shamanistic faith, unique textiles, and a deep-rooted belief that tigers are their kin.

An introduction to the Zeme community of Assam's Dima Hasao district, a distinct Naga group known for their intricate weaving and the vibrant Hega festival.

Guardians of the Falcon Sky in Nagaland's Wokha District

The community credited with introducing tea to India, they maintain deep connections across the Indo-Myanmar border.

One of Manipur's largest Naga communities, guardians of the state's northern gateway and keepers of a rich agricultural and social history.

An Indigenous Community of Manipur

A Community with Mro and Kuki-Chin Roots

An Indigenous Community of Tripura with Arakanese Heritage

An overview of the Kuki community in Tripura, India.

Indigenous Community of Sikkim

Discovering the Tikhir: A Naga Tribe in Eastern Nagaland

Indigenous Naga Tribe of Nagaland

Indigenous Tribe of Meghalaya

Discovering the A'Chik Koch Community of Meghalaya

Indigenous Kuki-Chin-Mizo Community of Northeast India

An Indigenous Community of Hunters and Farmers in Northeast India

An Indigenous Community of Manipur

An Indigenous Community of Manipur

An Indigenous Community of Manipur's Southeastern Hills

An Indigenous Community of Upper Assam

The Poumai Naga Tribe: Guardians of Ancestral Traditions in Manipur

Indigenous Tribe of the Patkai Hills, Arunachal Pradesh

Guardians of the Patkai Hills: The Tangsa Tribe

Indigenous Community of Arunachal Pradesh

The Indigenous People of Mizoram

The Legacy of a Six-Century Kingdom in Brahmaputra Valley

Indigenous Kirati Community of Sikkim and the Eastern Himalayas

Guardians of Tradition in Nagaland

An Indigenous Mizo Sub-Tribe

An Indigenous Community of Meghalaya