Blog

The Highland Institute’s staff and Fellows explore and reflect on research conducted in some of the world’s most culturally rich and complex regions. Through their insights, analyses, and personal experiences, the blog offers a window into the diverse landscapes, histories, and communities they engage with. Read on to discover thought-provoking narratives and ground breaking research.

Echoes of the Past — Zhavame Village, Nagaland: Part 3

By Lue Chi Balancing Tradition and ModernityAlongside economic changes and the decline in spiritual rituals, Zhavame village has also seen

Echoes of the Past — Zhavame Village, Nagaland: Part 2

By Lu Chi Vanishing Forests When we spoke to the khel (ward) Head Gaon Bura (GB), he reflected on how Zhavame’s forests have changed over

Echoes of the Past — Zhavame Village, Nagaland: Part 1

By Lu Chi Introduction Zhavame village lies at the foot of Kapamodzu Peak, the fourth-highest mountain in Nagaland. Located in

Guns on the Frontier:  Firearms Circulation on the Edges of Empire

By Lipokmar Dzüvichü*   “There is no doubt … that all the tribes from Kurribarry in the Garrow Hills, on the Berhampootra,

Café Conversations: The Rise of Coffee Culture in Kohima, Nagaland

By Chandan Jyoti Konwar  When we say ‘coffee,’ what usually comes to mind? Cafés, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee,

Nyavü Khü: Cultural Revitalisation of Lephori Village

By Tümüzo Katiry  Introduction   Festivals in the Naga tradition serve as key markers of the annual agricultural cycle. This cycle is

Exploring Eden: Tales from the Apple Village

By Sholu Movi and Lu Chi  Thanamir is a small, quaint village in the Kiphire district of Nagaland, India, located at

Women’s Experience of Public Space in Fancy Bazaar, Guwahati, Assam

By Chandan Jyoti Konwar  In the complex tapestry of urban environments, public spaces have long been seen as the central hub

Apis cerana Bee Venom and Its Application in Soap Making

By Khrieletuonuo Yhome  Bees are valuable insects from an economic perspective because they pollinate crops and produce other useful items  such

Shadows of the Past; Memories of Revolutionary Government of Nagaland Members

By Esther Swu  The Highland Institute is collaborating with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the National University of Singapore

Storytelling Through Music

By Ningthoukhongjam Girija‘The very notion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political position.’– George

Discovering Pineapple Paradise: Rüzaphema Village

By Kevide Lcho  About RüzaphemaRüzaphema is in the Chümoukedima District of Nagaland. The village has a population of around 2400 individuals,

Where Hunters Turned Conservationists – first visit to Khonoma village

By Tarini Manchanda   It is an April morning, and we head to Khonoma Village from Nagaland’s capital city, Kohima, along

Bothered by the Border

By Tümüzo Katiry  In the remote highlands of the North-Eastern region of India and the North-Western part of Myanmar, indigenous Naga

The Oil Palm Dilemma: It’s a Catch-22

By Kevide Lcho   Introduction to Oil Palm – A Versatile and Controversial Crop: Oil palm, scientifically known as Elaeis guineensis, is an

A Village Reborn by the Hands that Rock the Cradle. Visit to Machi- Part II

By Lu Chi  IntroductionIn Part I of this two-part blog series, we looked at the turbulent history of Machi Village and

A Village Reborn by the Hands that Rock the Cradle. Visit to Machi- Part I

By Lu Chi  The Journey BeginsI am a Myanmar-born ethnic Naga who recently arrived in Kohima, Nagaland, India, to work on

Restudying Thomas Kaiser’s Naga recordings

By Christian Poske  With the support of the Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research (USA), ethnomusicologist Dr Christian Poske conducted a research

The Call of Home: Rediscovering my Roots on the Indo-Myanmar Border

By Saktum Wonti  “We had to walk for two days to reach Noklak,” my mother would say when we were little

Cross-Border Bonds: First Visit to Mimi Village

By Lu Chi, Sholu Movi and Joseph Venuh The Myclimate Research Team in Nagaland is conducting a project to study