Naga people have come a long way from head-hunting to accepting Christianity. Over and above, the process to reach this result was harsh and perilous, nevertheless, this achievement has shown that perseverance bears fruit and our elders has shown grit and faith in their abilities and the community as a whole. With this achievement, the younger generation now has a wider scope of area to explore and an even bigger platform for them to grow and develop. It is also now up to the younger generation to wake the dying embers of our traditions. This article will highlight the changes that has occurred in our traditions over the years and how it is still evolving. We need to take a closer look at this issue because we’re not only talking about our ancestors and our roots but we’re also talking about our identity as Nagas and the need to educate ourselves and our children about who we were and what we are now. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that our traditions are going through a change. When we look back at the very little history we have, saved in archives, we can see the changes that have already occurred. In the wake of bringing the community forward, we as Nagas should be aware and confident in our identity and how it separates us from the rest of the world.

As part of the younger generation, we’ve been taking our traditions for granted and we’ve come so far as to set it aside as we adapt to newer traditions and cultures of the west. We’ve come to a common consensus that the west is better and to that end, we’ve been replacing our uniqueness with random traditions that most of the times make no sense. In the course of time, we’ve not only added to our traditions and cultures with modern elements and twist but we’ve also lost many of our older traditions that we don’t even know about anymore. There is no one to blame for this loss but ourselves and our inability to sustain them. With the onset of modernity there is now an evident generational gap between the young and the old. While the older generation fight to reaffirm old forgotten roots from generations past, the younger generation fail to follow such ancient laws and chase after effectivity and development. Traditions are being lost in this confusing age and many of such traditions are going through a change. There are many factors that come at play for such an outcome including the generational gap, the acceptance of the modern age, difference in views and beliefs, laxation in our approach and much more. Our traditions are unquestionably going through a slow paradigm shift and in this slow progress we can either add to the already existing traditions or omit things from the existing traditions. As hard as it is to form a habit, it proves even more harder to throw away a tradition that has been followed for ages, but for the sake of convenience and proper modern ethics we are cutting down on traditional laws and ethics that hinder with our broader ideas of societal life. However, it is also to be noted that this transition will help the community to rethink its approach to life as a whole and what needs to be done to continue it and what needs to be addressed for traditions to be accepted. Our traditions today are the result of exploring and adapting to newer cultures.

Tradition is basically the “transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation”, but how much of our traditions are alive today? We’ve probably lost more than we can think of. Since we live in a growing and changing society with various dynamics, it is inadvertently subjected to change, but as we go through this process of transition, we are leaving behind many of our customs, beliefs and culture. What we’re forgetting is that these traditions are more beneficial than we seem to know about. Traditions provide us with an identity and keeps us grounded to our roots and helps us trace back our history although obscure. Traditions has helped shaped us into who we are today and it brings people together from different ages, and it gives us a sense of belonging. There are certain rituals and events within our traditions that keep us unified and help us revive our past and although such rituals and events may be subjected to change due to time and people, it will still remain the same in its purpose of uniting people. We celebrate tribal festivals very differently as compared to how our forefathers used to celebrate them, but one thing in common that has lived through all these ages of change is its ability and idea to bring people together to celebrate our tradition, our roots and our identity. Tradition has bound people emotionally and has paved the way for harmony in the wake of power struggle and the rise of a neo-tech culture.

As to the question of whether we should promote our traditions among the younger people, it is an easy yes. Without even having to answer, we are already adept to our traditions and we still follow many of such traditions without being aware of them. We also need to learn to accept the fact that there are certain traditions that pull us back rather than push us forward and in order to grow as a society or community, we need to rectify such traditions to overcome the imbalance it has created within the society. This transition may affect the older generation more than the younger generation and will bring about more advantages for the young people than it will for the older people. Yes, it is also true that the younger generation does not fully understand the importance of our traditions but in lieu of this we shouldn’t forget that with passing times we have seen an increase in a number of traditions that seem to have no roots but has gained importance over the years. Such additions only add more confusion to the already confused generation.

Naga traditions in our age are seemingly becoming a spectacle and we’re the tourists in awe of our own traditions. We’ve grown so apart from our own rich traditions in search of outside acknowledgement. We don’t often hear of folk tales being told to children, nor do we hear of folk songs and dances being taught to young children. There’s a lack of enthusiasm and importance towards our own traditions, moreover, the older generation has in a way, failed to teach the younger generation of our roots and the younger generation in turn has become traditionally unequipped due to the lack of motivation and cultural awareness. We can never be sure of whether this transition is going in the right direction, as it changes according to the needs of its surrounding, there’s a chance that we may lose what we have so far.

As education takes a forefront in our community, we no longer have the ability to use our language to its full capabilities. Our institutional educations refer to the English language and although some village level institutions incorporate our tribal languages, it stops there with little to no progress. It is quite evident that our language is losing its importance and there’s a decline in our native language speakers. And as modernity takes a hold of young families, English becomes a medium in schools as well as their homes. We can see children as young as 4-5 years old speaking fluent English but struggle to speak their own mother tongue, and with many people from rural areas migrating towards urban areas, the threat further increases. As is the fear of much older generations, our language might dissipate in the few years that are to come.

On this account, we can say that this transition of traditions is taking a toll on our identity and our roots and in safeguarding our history. In terms of language, English has actually created a wall because of the onset of education in English, our language is losing its importance. In our tribal homes, we hear about how our parents listened to stories of the old, sitting around the fireplace and looking up at their grandparents narrating their encounters with so much zest and teaching them about how things were during the times of their father’s and their fathers. Most of us never got to experience this and it will be the same for our children and their children. We do not have the capabilities and traditional knowledge to impart such an education to our younger generation because we haven’t been equipped. Coming back to studies and research, we have come to a juncture where our identities are being threatened by outside traditions that our younger generation are incorporating in our daily lives without even knowing. So much of pop culture has influenced our own cultures and traditions creating a mix of something that does not fit well with our natural roots. However, as society grows, it is inevitable for change to come and because of this diluted version of our tradition and culture, it is very necessary that we keep and make an effort to create more literature and have better enforcement to keep the purity of our traditions alive.