Nagaland traditional attires and ornaments, NHHDC, indigenous heritage Nagaland, intellectual property rights
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. (NHHDC Ltd.), under the Industries & Commerce department, with technical support from the Nagaland Science & Technology department and in collaboration with the tribal apex bodies of Nagaland, has undertaken a comprehensive documentation project to preserve, promote and safeguard the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of the state’s indigenous tribes.
The initiative focuses on documenting traditional attires and ornaments passed down through generations, largely through oral traditions and with limited written records, according to an update.
The project provides authentic descriptions, visual records and detailed information on traditional attires and ornaments that form an integral part of the cultural identity of Nagaland’s indigenous communities.
The documentation also seeks to strengthen the protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) associated with traditional knowledge and indigenous cultural expressions.
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By recording traditional designs, motifs, patterns and other distinctive cultural elements, the initiative aims to safeguard indigenous knowledge from misuse and unauthorised commercial exploitation, while ensuring recognition of the communities to which such knowledge belongs.
Under Phase I, traditional attires and ornaments of 10 tribes—Ao, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Lotha, Pochury, Phom, Rengma, Sumi, Tikhir and Zeliang—were documented.
The books containing the documentation were formally released on December 1, 2025, during the Statehood Day celebration programme by the chief minister of Nagaland.
Continuing the initiative, Phase II has expanded the documentation to include the traditional attires and ornaments of the Angami and Sangtam tribes.
The two books documenting the traditions of the tribes were formally released by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on August 15, 2026, during the Independence Day celebration programme.
The initiative is expected to serve as an important reference for researchers, scholars, artisans, designers, cultural institutions and the communities themselves, while promoting greater awareness and appreciation of Nagaland’s diverse indigenous heritage, the update stated.