RCICH Concludes Week-Long Cultural Documentation in Dibang Valley

MALINEY- The RIWATCH Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage ( RCICH ) has concluded a week-long documentation programme in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley district, recording the traditions, cultural heritage and experiences of remote border communities, particularly the Idu Mishmi community.

The documentation work, titled “Tradition and Culture of Border Communities in Dibang Valley District, Arunachal Pradesh,” began on October 31 and concluded on November 8, 2026.

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The research team included Miju Mena, Hari Apralo, Research Associate, and Nabu Umbrey, Junior Documentation Officer.

A key focus of the documentation was to understand and preserve the traditions and cultural heritage of the Idu Mishmi, also known as Kera-Ah, while examining their relationships with other communities and external groups working in the region.

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Special emphasis was placed on the relationship between local communities and the military, particularly in the context of the social and military defence of the international boundary.

During the fieldwork, the team visited some of the last villages located across the district’s three valleys—Kamuyii village in the Mathu segment, Maliney in the Talo segment, and Acheso (Dambeun) in the Dri segment.

The researchers documented local accounts and what they described as natural mechanisms through which indigenous communities have traditionally protected their ancestral lands in areas close to the international border.

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The fieldwork highlighted an important dimension of border security: while the armed forces play the primary role in defending India’s international boundaries, communities living in remote border regions also contribute indirectly by maintaining a continuous cultural and ancestral presence in these areas.

According to the observations recorded during the documentation exercise, the Idu Mishmi community has preserved and protected several culturally significant sites for generations. These include Athu Popu in Maliney, Isiya Abrayi, and Ajada Awa, a sacred rock located in the Dri Valley.

The continued protection and cultural ownership of such sites, the documentation suggests, also reinforces the historical presence of indigenous communities in the remote border landscape.

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The research team noted that the community has traditionally restricted access by outside groups to certain sacred and cultural heritage sites, helping preserve their cultural identity and ancestral connection with the region.

The documentation exercise also brought attention to developmental concerns in remote border villages. During the fieldwork, researchers observed that sanctioned government welfare schemes for border communities were not adequately reflected at the village level.

The findings underline the need for continued documentation and preservation of intangible cultural heritage while also recognising the strategic and social importance of indigenous communities living in India’s remote border regions.

The RCICH documentation is expected to contribute to the preservation, promotion and wider dissemination of the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of the Idu Mishmi community and other border communities of Dibang Valley.