The Nyishi people are a dominant ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India. They speak a Tani language known as the Nishi language. Their population of around 300,000 makes them the most populous tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, closely followed by the tribes of the Adi according to 2001 census.

Polygyny is prevalent among the Nyishi. It signifies one's social status and economic stability and also proves useful during hard times like clan wars or social hunting and various other social activities. This practice, however, is diminishing especially with modernization and the spread of Christianity. They trace their descent patrilineally and are divided into several clans.

Origin

As per the Nyshi mythology, there were many versions of Abo Tanyi in the form of spirits and other beings. Nyiha (Niya) is one of the sons of Abo Tanyi, which is the first perfect human being, and the Nyishi are his descendants.

Etymology

In Nyishi, Nyi refers to "a human" and the word shi denotes "here, this or being", thereby Nyishi means human being or this human. The Nyishis are mentioned as the Dafla people in the contemporary Ahom documents and consequently, the British documents and historians of the post-independence period also used the same term. The Nyishi are geographically concentrated around the Dafla Hill range, located in the northern part of the Papum Pare district. Previously, they were referred to as Dafla, a term replaced by "Nyishi" through the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act of 2008. According to a 2011 survey, many of the Nyishi people have become Christian (31%), followed by Hinduism (29%), with many of the remaining still following the ancient indigenous Donyi-Polo.

The Hornbill issue

The Nyishis, who traditionally wear cane helmets surmounted by the crest of a hornbill beak (known as pudum or padam), have considerably affected the population of this bird.

Hornbill Nest Adoption Program(HNAB) has been going on since 2011, which is a community led conservation initiative through which local tribal villagers protect nest trees of hornbills in forests around villages on the fringe of the Pakke Tiger Reserve. The hunters from Nyishi tribe are now protectors who try to save the hornbill population, due to which hornbill populations have been doing well inside the protected area.

Notable people

  • Nabam Tuki, former Chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh
  • Kameng Dolo, former Deputy Chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh

See also

  • List of people of Tani descent

References

Further reading

  • Glimpses Of Arunachal Pradesh
  • Nyishi Nyub Priests
  • North East Frontier
  • From a Cocoon, with Hope
  • Ethnologue profile, old profile
  • Encyclopedia britannica