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{{Short description|Major Naga ethnic group}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = Khiamniungan Naga
| population = 120,000 approx. in Myanmar and 61,647 (2011), Nagaland<ref>{{cite web |title=CENSUS OF ST |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html |website=CENSUS INDIA |publisher=MHA GOI}}</ref>
| image =
| image_caption =
| languages = [[Khiamniungan language]]
| religions = Approximately 99%{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} [[Christianity]] and 1% [[Animism]]
| related = [[Naga people|Naga tribes]]
| footnotes =
}}

'''Khiamniungan''' is a major [[Naga people|Naga]] [[ethnic group]], with approximately 35% of the population found in [[Noklak district|Noklak District]] of [[Nagaland]], India and the rest in Naga Self Administered Zone and Hkhamti district of [[Myanmar]].<ref name="Ved_NE_Ency_5">{{cite book | title = Encyclopaedia Of North-east India Vol# 5 | author = Ved Prakash | year = 2007 | publisher = Atlantic | isbn = 978-81-269-0707-6 | pages = 2137–2139 }}</ref> They were also called '''Kalyo-Kengnyu''' ("slate-house dwellers") during the [[British Raj]].<ref name="Hamlet_Enc_6">{{cite book | title = Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Nagaland (Volume 6) | editor = Hamlet Bareh | isbn = 978-81-7099-787-0 | publisher = Mittal | year = 2001 | page = 259 }}</ref>

== History ==

The origin of the Khiamniungans remains uncertain. There are no written records of their history before the [[British Raj]] days. However, the only source of information about their ancestors are oral traditions in the form of folktales and myths.

According to a popular myth, Khiamniungan means "source of great waters" - the place from where the early ancestors of Khiamniungan are said to have originated. This place is identified near Lengnyu-Tsuwao villages, under Pathso Range, over looking from the present day [[Noklak]] and [[Pathso]] towns.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

Today, the Khiamniungans occupy the easternmost part of India and northwestern part of Myanmar. In India, they are mostly found in [[Noklak]] district of Nagaland state and the rest in Naga Self Administered Zone and Hkhamti district of Saigaing Division, Myanmar. The mighty Chindwin river flows through the land of Khiamniungans.They are linked linguistically as well as culturally to the Tibeto-Burman.

During the British Raj, the Khiamniungans were referred to as "kalyo Kenyu", particularly in the works of anthropologists such as [[Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf]]. Unlike several other Naga tribes, the advent of Christianity had little impact on the Khiamniungan for a long time, due to their remote location. The first Khiamniungan to convert to Christianity was Khaming, in 1947.<ref>{{cite journal | author1 = Albie Sachs | author2 = Geeti Sen | title = The Making of a Freedom Fighter | journal = India International Centre Quarterly | volume = 28 | publisher = India International Centre | year = 2001 | page = 99 }}</ref> Thereafter, a number of Khiamniungans converted to Christianity. After the coming of the new education system, social system, modernization and Christianity, there have been drastic changes in their social life.

== Tribal society ==

The traditional Khiamniungan village had eight important people:<ref name="Sushil_SATP_Anatomy">{{cite web | url = http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume3/Fault3-GenPillaiF.htm | title = Anatomy of an Insurgency: Ethnicity & Identity in Nagaland | author = Sushil K. Pillai | publisher = SATP | access-date = 2011-10-24 }}</ref>

# Nokpao or Nyokpao (war leader)
# Puthsee or petchi (peace maker, elder)
# Ampao, Meyo, meya (priest)
# Kieo lomei (doctor)
# Ain (priestess and [[oracle]])
# Shoalang or sonlan (blacksmith)
# Paothieo or paothai (story teller)
# Ainloom (the keeper of the a supposedly magical stone; the stone is said to warn of any impending disaster such as a fire or a raid, by moving out of its basket or by creating a sound through striking another object)

By the early 1990s, only the Puthsee, the Shoalang and the Ainloom remained relevant, others being remembered mainly as part of books and oral tradition.<ref name="Sushil_SATP_Anatomy"/>

== Culture ==

The traditional Khiamniungan attires consist of bright red and bright deep blue colored dresses. The ornaments are made of [[cowrie]]s and [[conch shell]]s.

The tribal musical instruments include drums made of [[gourd]]s and [[bamboo flute]]s.

=== Miu festival ===

The Khiamniungan tribals, who traditionally practised [[jhum cultivation]] (slash and burn agriculture), celebrate the Miu festival at the time of sowing. They offer prayers for a good harvest.

===Tsokum festival===

Tsokum is the week-long [[harvest festival]] of the tribe, celebrated in October. The festival includes dancing, singing, cleaning, repair of the roads, and outdoor cooking and eating. In this festival the people invoke god's blessing for a bountiful harvest.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Naga tribes}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Naga people]]

Khiamniungan people - Revision history

UpdateBot at 04:15, 6 June 2022