TRIBES AND CHRISTIANITY: WOMEN OF LOTHA NAGAS

The Tribal and Native communities all over the world represent the culture and history of that
land. From the Aboriginals in Australia and New Zealand to the Native Americans in the US,
native communities are present all over the world. They are an unavoidable part of the land and
often, are responsible in telling the story of the country.

As a land of different and vibrant cultures, India is home to different tribes. We see a whole lot
of different tribes in different parts of the country.However,the North East region of the country
is home to about 130 tribal communities recognized by the Indian Constitution. In fact, tribal
communities are in majority in four of the North Eastern states. They have their own religious
beliefs and customs. They did not have a written script. They were mostly expressions of their
experiences, worshipping the nature and folklore. They also believed in the practices and
knowledge passed on by a spiritual leader. As time went by, Indian religions like Hinduism and
Buddhism came into the midst of these tribes. But these religions just blended in with the
customary practices of the tribe. As European colonists came into the country, they brought
Christianity with them, largely converting the natives in the Southern and North Eastern part of
the country. The tribal people were affected by the religion in a large way. The European
missionaries set up schools and other facilities for the tribal people, opening the doors of
opportunities. Christianity was especially instrumental in empowering the women of the tribal
communities through education.

In this paper, we focus on the life of the women of the Lotha Naga tribe, a major tribe found in
the Wokha district of Nagaland, and how Christianity played a role in reforming their lives. The
Lotha Nagas were believed to have migrated from Eastern China, settling in Wokha.The women
of the Lotha Naga tribe was limited to the traditional roles of being a wife and a mother, bound
by the domination of the male members of her family. She did not have any equal political or
social status1.The Christian missionaries, along with providing education to the women of the
community, were instrumental in also revolutionizing the lives of the Lotha Naga women. This
paper also examine how the lives of these women were changed with regards to marriage,
economic stability and attractive professions like doctor and nurses, better health care with the
advent of Christianity in their midst.

1
Adani Ngullie,Christianization and Empowerment of Lotha Naga Women,pg 33-35,Scholars World (2014)