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Sümi Naga

February 01, 2023

The Sümi Naga also known as Sema Naga are a major Naga ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland. The Sümis mainly inhabit Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District although many have spread and are now living in a few more districts within Nagaland.

Sümi Naga
Total population
300,000 (2011)
Languages
Sümi and other Naga languages
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
other Naga people

Anthropological study of the Sümis is documented in the book The Sema Nagas by J. H. Hutton, who was a Professor of Social Anthropology in the University of Cambridge. The Sümi is one of the recognised scheduled tribes of India.[1]

Religion

The ancestral religion of the Sümis was the worship of nature. With the arrival of Baptist missionaries in the 20th century, like other Naga ethnic groups, today, Sümis are 99% Christians. Very few of them still practice animism.

Distribution

Sümi Nagas mostly inhabit the central and southern regions of Nagaland. Zünheboto is the district of the Sümis and they also live in districts such as Chümoukedima, Dimapur, Kiphire, Kohima, Mokokchung, Niuland, Tuensang, Wokha, etc. There are also seven Sümi villages in Tinsukia District of Assam.

Festivals

 
Sümi women in traditional costume.

The Sümis celebrate many festivals which have been carried down from generations. Most of these festivals usually mark the beginning of new seasons, harvesting of new crops or victory at war. The two major festivals that are currently popular among them are:

Tülüni

Tülüni (July 8) is a festival of great significance for the Sümis. This festival is marked with feasts as the occasion occurs in the bountiful season of the year. Drinking rice beer indispensably forms as part of the feasts. Rice beer is served in a goblet made of bamboo or made from the leaf of plantain. Rice Beer is an everyday diet for the Nagas and Sumi Nagas in general. However, Tülüni is not a feast to celebrate or worship Rice beer. Tülüni is also called "Anni" the word of which denotes the season of plentiful crops. This midyear festival is a time of communal harmony and merry-making for the Sümi community. Slaughtering of pigs, cows and mithun is an important feature of this festival. Tülüni, is a festive season which marks season of plenty, a season to bond relationship through marriage ties, settle differences amongst friends and foes. In short, it is a season to mend broken relations and to celebrate togetherness, unity and harmony.

During this festival, the betrothed exchange basketful of gifts with meals. The fiance is invited to a grand dinner at the fiancee's residence. Even siblings of the families of both the bride and groom exchange dinner and packed food and meats - wrapped the traditional way in plantain leaves. It was a time of joy even for servants and housekeepers in the olden days. On this day they were fed extra generously with good food and meat.

The practice of working in groups is common for the Sümi agriculture farmers, and Tülüni is a special time for them because they get to rest and celebrate the completion of a farming season of hard work in their paddy fields. For this festival, the farmer groups (also called Aloji) pool in money or other resources together to exchange/buy pigs and cows to be slaughtered for the special day. The meat is equally divided among themselves and some portion is kept aside for the group feast. In the midst of the feast, group leaders get extra offers of meat by way of feeding them by others. Each working group consists of 20 to 30 in number which includes several women, too. The new recruits are also made to join the group at this grand feast.

The betrothed are settled at this period. The fervours of the feast is synchronised with a chain of folk songs and ballads. In modern times, friends and members from other tribes and communities are invited to attend the feast and are entertained with a variety of traditional songs and dances, they are also served with sumptuous authentic Sümi cuisine of smoked pork and axone with local herbs and vegetables.

By virtue of two separate clans the gennas and rituals differ between Sümi and Tukumi. Among all other festivals and gennas. Sumis, in general, accept the festival of Tülüni as the most grand and important one.

Ahuna

Ahuna (14 November) is a traditional post-harvest festival of the Sümis. Ahuna signifies the celebration of the season's harvest in Thanksgiving, while invoking the spirit of good fortune in the New Year. On this occasion, the entire community prepares and feasts on the first meal of rice drawn from the season's harvest cooked in bamboo segments. The receptacles for cooking or serving on this occasion are freshly made, curved or cut, from locally available resources prolific and abundant in the countryside.

Ahuna is celebrated on 13 and 14 November and now holds the status of the official festival of the Sümi Nagas because it falls in a dry season and accessibility for visitors in terms of road conditions are better. Tülüni is still the most respected festival for the local Sümi.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ Crudelli, Chris (1 October 2008). The Way of the Warrior. Dorling Kindersley. p. 23. ISBN 978-1405330954. Retrieved 8 October 2020.

Bibliography/Further reading

  • Discovery Channel India. (2017). Last Man Standing. [online] Available at: http://www.discoverychannel.co.in/tv-shows/last-man-standing/ [Accessed 27 May 2017].
  • Jacobs, Julian (1999), "The Nagas: Hills People of Northeast India". London: Thames and Hudson.
  • Jimomi, Inavi (2018), "SUMI NAGA: The Origin and Migration of the Sumi Naga", Dimapur, Heritage Publishing House, ISBN 978-93-87837-10-2
  • Hutton. J. H (1921), "THE SEMA NAGAS", Great Britain, MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST/ MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON.

External links

  • Entry of Sumi Nagas as Ethnologue
  • The Sumi or Sema Nagas - Assam Online Portal

February 01, 2023
sümi, naga, also, known, sema, naga, major, naga, ethnic, group, indian, state, nagaland, sümis, mainly, inhabit, zünheboto, district, parts, niuland, district, kiphire, district, although, many, have, spread, living, more, districts, within, nagaland, total, . The Sumi Naga also known as Sema Naga are a major Naga ethnic group in the Indian state of Nagaland The Sumis mainly inhabit Zunheboto District parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District although many have spread and are now living in a few more districts within Nagaland Sumi NagaTotal population300 000 2011 LanguagesSumi and other Naga languagesReligionChristianityRelated ethnic groupsother Naga peopleAnthropological study of the Sumis is documented in the book The Sema Nagas by J H Hutton who was a Professor of Social Anthropology in the University of Cambridge The Sumi is one of the recognised scheduled tribes of India 1 Contents 1 Religion 2 Distribution 3 Festivals 3 1 Tuluni 3 2 Ahuna 4 Notable people 5 References 6 Bibliography Further reading 7 External linksReligion EditThe ancestral religion of the Sumis was the worship of nature With the arrival of Baptist missionaries in the 20th century like other Naga ethnic groups today Sumis are 99 Christians Very few of them still practice animism Distribution EditSumi Nagas mostly inhabit the central and southern regions of Nagaland Zunheboto is the district of the Sumis and they also live in districts such as Chumoukedima Dimapur Kiphire Kohima Mokokchung Niuland Tuensang Wokha etc There are also seven Sumi villages in Tinsukia District of Assam Festivals Edit Sumi women in traditional costume The Sumis celebrate many festivals which have been carried down from generations Most of these festivals usually mark the beginning of new seasons harvesting of new crops or victory at war The two major festivals that are currently popular among them are Tuluni Edit Tuluni July 8 is a festival of great significance for the Sumis This festival is marked with feasts as the occasion occurs in the bountiful season of the year Drinking rice beer indispensably forms as part of the feasts Rice beer is served in a goblet made of bamboo or made from the leaf of plantain Rice Beer is an everyday diet for the Nagas and Sumi Nagas in general However Tuluni is not a feast to celebrate or worship Rice beer Tuluni is also called Anni the word of which denotes the season of plentiful crops This midyear festival is a time of communal harmony and merry making for the Sumi community Slaughtering of pigs cows and mithun is an important feature of this festival Tuluni is a festive season which marks season of plenty a season to bond relationship through marriage ties settle differences amongst friends and foes In short it is a season to mend broken relations and to celebrate togetherness unity and harmony During this festival the betrothed exchange basketful of gifts with meals The fiance is invited to a grand dinner at the fiancee s residence Even siblings of the families of both the bride and groom exchange dinner and packed food and meats wrapped the traditional way in plantain leaves It was a time of joy even for servants and housekeepers in the olden days On this day they were fed extra generously with good food and meat The practice of working in groups is common for the Sumi agriculture farmers and Tuluni is a special time for them because they get to rest and celebrate the completion of a farming season of hard work in their paddy fields For this festival the farmer groups also called Aloji pool in money or other resources together to exchange buy pigs and cows to be slaughtered for the special day The meat is equally divided among themselves and some portion is kept aside for the group feast In the midst of the feast group leaders get extra offers of meat by way of feeding them by others Each working group consists of 20 to 30 in number which includes several women too The new recruits are also made to join the group at this grand feast The betrothed are settled at this period The fervours of the feast is synchronised with a chain of folk songs and ballads In modern times friends and members from other tribes and communities are invited to attend the feast and are entertained with a variety of traditional songs and dances they are also served with sumptuous authentic Sumi cuisine of smoked pork and axone with local herbs and vegetables By virtue of two separate clans the gennas and rituals differ between Sumi and Tukumi Among all other festivals and gennas Sumis in general accept the festival of Tuluni as the most grand and important one Ahuna Edit Ahuna 14 November is a traditional post harvest festival of the Sumis Ahuna signifies the celebration of the season s harvest in Thanksgiving while invoking the spirit of good fortune in the New Year On this occasion the entire community prepares and feasts on the first meal of rice drawn from the season s harvest cooked in bamboo segments The receptacles for cooking or serving on this occasion are freshly made curved or cut from locally available resources prolific and abundant in the countryside Ahuna is celebrated on 13 and 14 November and now holds the status of the official festival of the Sumi Nagas because it falls in a dry season and accessibility for visitors in terms of road conditions are better Tuluni is still the most respected festival for the local Sumi Notable people EditY Hewoto Awomi Former politician from Dimapur II Assembly constituency G Kaito Aye Cabinet Minister in Nagaland Legislative Assembly K L Chishi Former Chief Minister of Nagaland Alobo Naga Musician Hokishe Sema 1921 2007 Former Chief Minister of Nagaland and Governor of Himachal Pradesh H K Sema Former Supreme Court Judge Shikiho Sema 1946 1998 Former Member of Parliament Lok Sabha Isak Chishi Swu 1929 2016 Chairman of NSCN IM Scato Swu 1924 2014 Former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Nagaland Kihoto Hollohon Yepthomi 1932 2021 Politician Tokheho Yepthomi Member of Parliament Lok Sabha Jacob Zhimomi Minister in Nagaland Legislative Assembly H Khekiho Zhimomi 1946 2015 Former Member of Parliament Rajya SabhaReferences Edit Crudelli Chris 1 October 2008 The Way of the Warrior Dorling Kindersley p 23 ISBN 978 1405330954 Retrieved 8 October 2020 Bibliography Further reading EditDiscovery Channel India 2017 Last Man Standing online Available at http www discoverychannel co in tv shows last man standing Accessed 27 May 2017 Jacobs Julian 1999 The Nagas Hills People of Northeast India London Thames and Hudson Jimomi Inavi 2018 SUMI NAGA The Origin and Migration of the Sumi Naga Dimapur Heritage Publishing House ISBN 978 93 87837 10 2 Hutton J H 1921 THE SEMA NAGAS Great Britain MACMILLAN AND CO LIMITED ST MARTIN S STREET LONDON External links EditEntry of Sumi Nagas as Ethnologue The Sumi or Sema Nagas Assam Online Portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sumi Naga amp oldid 1131329163, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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