Little Known Apatani Tribe in India

Tanmoy Bhaduri

The Apatani are a tribal group of people living in the Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in India. This indigenous tribe is redefining its ways and measures in environment conservation and their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family as well as the Tibeto-Burman and North Assam groups. As with their dark facial tattoos, the plugging of an Apatani woman's nose is a right of passage carried out once a woman has had their first period, marking them out as an adult. The plugs and tattoos were designed to stop raiders stealing their women from their villages. The Apatanis are experts for their highly efficient agriculture without animals or machines focusing on living in harmony with their natural surroundings. In April 2014, UNESCO has the Apatani valley under consideration as a ‘World Heritage Site’ for its “extremely high productivity” and “unique” way of preserving the ecology.