Foreword
This 'introductory' presentation by Jano L. Sekhose is a welcome exploration into a neglected genre of Naga folklore studies and is to be commended. Though a first attempt of this kind, some important aspects about Naga languages have been highlighted here which need to be mentioned.
We are aware that there is no 'common' Naga language but there are as many languages as there are tribes and not only that, the dialects within a single tribal language are so many that it is not possible to cite a specific number for each of them. The linguistic diversity is the biggest hurdle that researches face when undertaking any pan-Naga documentation of our oral culture.
1. Whatever body of folksongs exists today among the Nagas, are mostly in the archaic version of the same language and there are only a handful of elders in any tribe who can translate them to the current version of the language.
2. But identifying such persons and documenting directly from their renditions are becoming more difficult as many of them have passed away and the elders often suffer from memory lapses. Moreover, there are not many younger ones who tried to learn from them and preserve them for posterity. In other words, the lore of Naga folksongs is steadily diminishing.
3. Today's researchers are motivated mostly by the idea of venturing into un-explored territories of indigenous cultures and very often without any knowledge of the tribal languages where the documentations are to be done. This is the basic handicap which often results in flawed interpretations of the material collected.
4. The role of translators is crucial and is a basic necessity in the context of research in such topics in Nagaland and the translators of each of the tribes should be conversant with the language in which the songs are preserved.
5. Among the Nagas, singing of folksongs was always associated with specific contexts. In public debates too, the punch line, as it were was often delivered in the form of a short song. Another noteworthy aspect of folksongs among some tribes was the classification of certain songs which are gender-based.
As the title of the book indicates, it is an Introduction only and the folksongs of many other Naga tribes have not been included yet. But Jano Sekhose's efforts need to be recognized as a bold and pioneering venture because time is of the essence now for Naga Folklore in general and Folksongs in particular to be documented and preserved for the future generations.
I wish her all success in her future endeavours.
Preface
"Naga' is a generic term for a group of indigenous tribes with their own respective languages, in the Northeast of India. The term itself has been assigned to them by outsiders and has been subjected to many interpretations. However, the natives have assimilated it well and made it their own. Out of the fourteen recognized Naga tribes of Nagaland, the folksongs of seven tribes have been taken up, namely, Angami Folksong, Ao Folksong, Konyak Folksong, Lotha Folksong, Sangtam Folksong, Sema Folksong and Zeliang Folksong. These tribes are fairly spread out across the State of Nagaland. It is a fervent hope that more Naga folksongs will be salvaged.
Although the folksongs of the different Naga tribes share broad common features, each tribe displays characteristically unique features. Naga folksong which is an integral part of their existence, had once flourished vibrantly, but are now faced with the danger of fading away. Many unaccounted folksongs are either altogether lost or exist only in parts. The Naga community has been experiencing many shifts that have greatly impacted the society in all respects, be it sociatal, cultural, political, religion-wise and economically. There is the shift from the oral to the written, from the informal learning centres of Peer-groups and Morung dormitories to the formal schools, from primitive ancestral religion to Christianity, from rural agricultural way of life to an increasingly modern urban lifestyle. If change is an inevitable process of life, what is of concern is the way Naga folksongs, in general, are being left unattended and undocumented. Today, many folksongs cannot be fully recollected or understood. Folk memory is getting blurred, and with the passing away of members of the older generations, rich authentic reservoirs of native songs are disappearing. How much of it have been lost, can only be speculated upon, but considering the fact that for ancestral Nagas, folksongs are part and parcel of existence, even of the day-to-day life, one can surmise that the loss is great, indeed.
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