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Seno Tsuhah is a primary school teacher and Indigenous social activist from the Chakhesang Naga community in Chizami, Nagaland. She is widely recognised in Northeast India for her work on gender justice, sustainable farming, and teaching pedagogy. She has been associated with the feminist organisation, North East Network (NEN), for over twenty years.
As part of Chizami Students' Union, Tsuhah was involved in community activities such as sanitation and cleanliness drives, village tree plantation, and literacy programmes. After her college studies, she returned to her native village of Chizami to further her community activism through church, women's groups, and society. She met Monisha Behal in Pfütsero at one of the training programmes of North East Network (NEN) in 1996. Tsuhah officially joined NEN in 1998. [1]
Over the decades, Tsuhah's work with the Chizami Women Society and North East Network has witnessed women taking leadership roles in their respective communities. More women have become economically independent through livelihood programmes. [1] After eight years of her efforts, Tsuhah managed to convince Chizami village council to women deserved equal wages in unskilled labour. In 2014, the council passed a resolution decreeing equal wages for women agricultural labourers on par with men. The following year, two women were selected to become members of the council. In the highly patriarchal Naga society, the Chizami village council continues to be one of very few that have women as active members. [2]
Since the late 2000s, Tsuhah has been advocating for return to Indigenous cultivation practices with traditionally grown crops, such as millets. She believes that these are critical in coping with effects of climate change in Nagaland. Indigenous elders in Chizami and neighbouring villages believe that millets can grow in harsh conditions with little fertilisers or other inputs. Under her leadership, this led the Chizami Women Society to set up a seed bank starting with fifteen varieties of traditional millet varieties. [3] Tsuhah represented the Chakhesang Naga community at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to present the climate community charter organised by different groups from India. [4]
On various fora, Tsuhah has asserted the role of Indigenous women in local farming practices as well as preserving biodiversity. On the occasion of International Women's Day in 2017, she renewed her call for recognising the Indigenous way of life,
Let us acknowledge their [women's]work by using this platform to relook, rethink and restrategise to recognise the contributions of women and men farmers practicing ecological agriculture in our communities. [5]
Tsuhah also prominently focuses on women's role in crop selection and seed selection and preservation. [3]
Tsuhah was instrumental in started the Participatory Video (PV) hub in Chizami to further engage and mobilise communities for social transformation in Nagaland. Here PV documents Indigenous knowledge systems, lifestyles, biodiversity, and Indigenous relationship with nature, food and culture. These videos are largely made by women filmmakers from the community. Over the years, the team has also focused on documented gender-based violence, women's participation in decision making, and women change makers in the community. By recording in the Khezha language of the Chakhesang Naga community, these movies aim at furthering the dialogue towards justice, peace, and sustainability. [1]
In September 2020, Tsuhah was conferred the 13th Peace Channel Award in Dimapur for her contributions towards women rights, good governance, natural resource management, and sustainable livelihood. In her acceptance speech, Tsuhah acknowledged the women with whom she has travelled throughout the years, especially women farmers, artisans, vendors, elders, and custodian knowledge holders. [6] [7] This was followed by the Naturenomics award in December 2020 conferred by the Balipara Foundation that recognised her pioneering work with Chizami Weaves. In her acceptance, she dedicated the award to the weavers who are also farmers who further "become more active and participate in community works in their own village and through this work it has 'visible-lined' the contribution of women." She stated that the award acknowledges the work on sustainable livelihood through textile weaving. [8]
Nagaland is a landlocked state in the north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar (Burma) to the east. Its capital city is Kohima and its largest city is the twin Chümoukedima–Dimapur. The state has an area of 16,579 square kilometres (6,401 sq mi) with a population of 1,980,602 as per the 2011 Census of India, making it one of the smallest states of India.
Kohima is the capital of the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. With a resident population of almost 100,000, it is the second largest city in the state. Kohima constitutes both a district and a municipality. The municipality covers 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi). The city lies on the foothills of Japfü section of the Barail Range located south of the District and has an average elevation of 1,261 metres.
The Angamis are a major Naga ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the Kohima District, Chümoukedima District and Dimapur District in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. The Angamis are divided into four regions namely Chakhro Angami, Northern Angami, Southern Angami and Western Angami. The now separated Chakhesangs were previously known as the Eastern Angamis.
The Chakhesangs are a major Naga ethnic group inhabiting the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. Chakhesangs were previously known as the former Eastern Angamis, now recognized as a separate ethnic group. The Chakhesangs are divided into two groups known as Chokri and Khezha. The name "Chakhesang" was created as an acronym from the names of three ethnic groups: the Chakrü (Chokri), Khezha and Southern Sangtam.
Temsüla Ao was a Naga poet, fiction writer, and ethnographer from India. She was a Professor of English at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) from where she retired in 2010. She served as the Director of the North East Zone Cultural Centre between 1992 and 1997 on deputation from NEHU. She was awarded the Padma Shri award for her contribution to Literature and Education. Her book Laburnum For My Head received the Sahitya Akademi Award for English writing in the short story category. Her works have been translated into Assamese, Bengali, French, German, Hindi, and Kannada.
The Hornbill Festival is an annual festival celebrated from 1 to 10 of December in the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. The festival represents all ethnic groups of Nagaland for which it is also called the Festival of Festivals.
Tetseo Sisters are a quartet of sisters from the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. They are devoted to the art and tradition of the vocal folk music of the state and have been performing on stage since they were children.
Mayangnokcha Ao (1901–1988) was an Indian educationist and writer from Nagaland and the founder, vice president of the Naga National Council.
Viswema, is a Southern Angami Naga village located 22 km south of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, India. With a resident population of 7417, it is the second biggest village in the state and is part of the contiguous built-up of the Kohima Metropolitan Area that extends into the neighboring areas of Jakhama, Kigwema and Khuzama in the Southern Angami region, forming the second largest urban agglomerations in Nagaland. Its vast territory also lies across the inter-state boundary in Manipur where notable features including Mount Tempü (Iso) at 9822 feet (2994m) also the highest peak in Manipur, the thick forest of Kezol-tsa and a major portion of the Dzüko Valley is located.
Mmhonlümo Kikon is an Indian politician, poet, former social worker from Nagaland. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is currently a member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly from 40 Bhandari Constituency in Wokha District.
Dolly Kikon is an Indian anthropologist and author from Nagaland. She teaches at the School of Social and Political Sciences, Melbourne University. She is also a Senior Research Advisor at the Australia India Institute, engaging in research and policy initiatives between India and Australia. She serves on the Council of Advisors for The India Forum.
Monisha Behal is an Indian social development activist working for the social and economic development and empowering women in Assam, Nagaland and other neighboring states in eastern India. She is a founding member of North East Network, a women's rights organisation linking with rural and urban women and organisations on development and related issues within North East India.
Chizami is a village in the Phek District of the Indian state of Nagaland. It is a small village that falls under the North-Eastern region of India. The village has witnessed a revolution in terms of environmental protection & socioeconomic reforms for almost a decade. At present, Chizami is today visited by young generation from neighboring areas such as Kohima to complete their internships in the Chizami model of development.
Hekani Jakhalu Kense is an Indian politician and social entrepreneur from Nagaland. She set up the non-governmental organization YouthNet to help the youths of Nagaland pursue business opportunities. She was recognised with the Nari Shakti Puraskar award in 2018. In 2023, She along with Salhoutuonuo Kruse became the first women from Nagaland to be elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
The Millet Network of India supports millet farmers. It was created by one hundred women who realised the qualities of the traditional crop. The group have helped village farmers to grow millet with low water usage and organic fertiliser while highlighting the injustice of government subsidies which encourage competitor crops like rice. It has received both the Nari Shakti Puraskar and the Equator Award.
Kene or Naga wrestling is a folk wrestling style and traditional sport of the Nagas. It is closely related to Ssireum, the traditional national sport of Korea. The objective of the sport is to bring any part of the opponent's body above the knee to the ground.
This is a timeline of the history of the Nagas.
Wati Aier is a Naga theologian. He is the Convenor of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, and a former Vice President of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation.
The following is a list of articles relating to the Indian state of Nagaland, sorted in alphabetical order.