Traditional skill among the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

The tribal people living in far flung areas dependent on rich biocultural resources have always been curious in exploring the plant resources of their immediate surrounding in order to sustain their traditional livelihood system. After centuries of being in close association with nature, they have developed for themselves the indigenous skill and technology to use these resources in various parts of their life support system. In recent decades, rapid modernization and acculturation process developed in traditional livelihood system of tribal community has practically endangered their age-old biocultural heritage and traditional skills, knowledge and technology in alarming proportion. The paper based on ethnobotanical field work discusses some vital aspects of plant based traditional skills and technology practiced by the rural Adi community of East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. A number of traditional plant based technologies such as handicrafts, fishing and hunting tools, storage items, utensils used in kitchen and foods system, etc. are available among the Adis. While crafting these valuable and low-cost traditional handicraft technologies, the local people are dependent on locally available plant biodiversity conserved in jhum land, kitchen gardens and community forest. Integrated and holistic approach can revive and sustain traditional plant technology through entrepreneurship development, coupled with ecotourism and economic empowerment to the concerned indigenous community.