Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) on Hun...

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) on Hunting and Taboos: a Case study on Idu-Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

Author Name : Athuko Tayu, Prof. Tomo Riba

ABSTRACT Hunting is a serious threat to animals worldwide. Hunting and eating of wild animals is a coexisted form of traditional practice among the tribes since the existence of tribes on this earth known to the world. Hunter-gatherer societies obtained their food directly from “natural” ecosystems, by hunting wild animals and collecting wild plants. This practice is a subsidiary form of economy among the Idu-Mishmis since time immemorial. The Idu-mishmi community is one of the well known hunters among the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. At the same time, they have some set of obligatory rules to be followed while hunting and eating of wild animals as it involves various unpleasant social taboos. Hunting and eating of some of the animals and bird species are believed to be forbidden. All the cat species (including Tiger) and Hoolok Gibbons are among the very important animals people avoid to kill unless any sign of threat from them. According to the traditional believe system women folks are barred from consuming wild meat right from the puberty age. Man-folks or even hunters has also need to go through certain binding set of laws before or after hunting animals and eating of wild meat. To accomplish the subject taken up, the scholar conducted interviews randomly among the hunters of different selected villages. The common man and women folks are also been taken under consideration. Scholar also documented the importance of ritualistic hunting by this tribe. Additional research is required to estimate off-take and consumption rates of wild meat. Increasing conservation awareness and community based conservation projects may assist in controlling the severity and extent of ever growing hunting practice.