ఛాఖేసాంగ్ గిరిజన తెగల జీవనవిధానం & ఆచారాలు వ్యవహారాలు - CHAKHESANG TRIBAL LIFE STYLE -NAGALAND

The Chakhesang are a major Naga tribe known for their agrarian lifestyle, vibrant handwoven textiles, and strong sense of community and oral traditions. Their lifestyle and customs are deeply intertwined with the natural environment and agricultural cycles.
Livelihood and Economy
Agriculture: The backbone of the Chakhesang economy is agriculture, particularly extensive terrace farming and shifting cultivation (jhum) in the hilly Phek district of Nagaland. Main crops include rice, millet, maize, and various vegetables.
Traditional Practices: Traditional knowledge is embedded in daily life, an example of which is Nhaku, a seasonal practice where women collectively gather small aquatic creatures (fish, crabs, snails) from paddy fields for food and medicine. This practice promotes sustainable living and communal bonding.
Craftsmanship: The Chakhesang are skilled artisans, known for intricate wood carving, blacksmithing, pottery, and exceptional bamboo and cane weaving.
Culture and Customs
Festivals: Festivals generally revolve around agricultural cycles and are times for community gathering, renewal, and thanksgiving.
Sükrünye/Tekrünye: A major purification festival celebrated in January-February for sanctifying young men and women.
Tsukhenye: Another important festival celebrated around March/May, symbolizing cleansing and blessings for the year ahead, featuring ritualistic dances.
Thürinye/Rünye: A harvest festival celebrated in November/December.
Social Structure: The society is largely patrilineal, with customary laws and social order maintained through oral traditions and village elders' judgments. In earlier times, headhunting was a practice associated with warrior culture, but this has long ceased.
Morungs (Youth Dormitories): Traditionally, morungs served as educational and social centers for the youth, a practice that is part of their cultural heritage and sometimes featured during modern festivals like the Hornbill Festival.
Attire and Weaving
Weaving: Weaving is primarily a female domain, often done on portable loin looms. Women spin cotton, nettle fiber, and deccan jute to create shawls (chaders), mekhalas (wrap-around skirts), and other garments.
Symbolism: Every design, color, and motif in their handwoven textiles carries meaning, often signifying the wearer's social status, wealth, or achievements.
Traditional Shawls: A specific ornate shawl could traditionally only be worn by high-class men or those who had hosted feasts for the entire village.
Jewelry: Traditional jewelry, often made of beads and other natural materials, is also symbolic of identity and social standing.