In news– Recently, several civilians from the Konyak tribe were killed by the security forces in an “ambush” in Nagaland’s Mon district.
About Konyak tribe-
- The Konkyaks are one of the major ethnic groups of Nagaland who reside mostly in the Mon district also known as ‘The Land of The Anghs’.
- The Konyak language belongs to the Northern Naga sub branch of the Sal subfamily of Sino-Tibetan.
- This ethnic tribe is mostly found in the Tirap, Longding, and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh and the Sibsagar district of Assam and sizable population in Myanmar as well.
- The Anghs/Wangs are their traditional chiefs whom they hold in high esteem.
- Facial tattoos were earned for taking an enemy’s head.
- Known to be one of the fiercest warrior tribes in Nagaland, the Konyaks were the last to give up the practice of head-hunting – severing heads of enemies after attacking rival tribes – as late as the 1980s.
- Other unique traditional practices that set the Konyaks apart are: gunsmithing, iron-smelting, brass-works, and gunpowder-making.
- They are also adept in making ‘janglaü’ (machetes) and wooden sculptures.
- Mon is the only district in Nagaland where separatist group NSCN (IM) has not been able to set up base camps, largely due to resistance from the Konyaks.