Change has come to Nagaland at a cultural price, says US Consul General Kolkata

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Dec. 16 (EMN): Although Christianity has become the dominant religion in Nagaland, the change has come at a cultural price — in the loss of some traditional spiritual rituals –, opined Melinda Pavek, US Consul General, Kolkata.

“Where possible, rediscovering and documenting those cultural traditions would be a tribute to the greater respect we have for diversity of cultural and religious freedom in the 21st century,” Pavek said in an interview with Eastern Mirror during her recent visit to Nagaland.

Pavek said that she came with a desire to know the direct historical connections between the United States and Nagaland, including that of American Baptists in bringing Christianity to the Naga tribes almost 150 years ago.

Pavek, who grew up in Minnesota, observed that “Naga tribal and cultural traditions have much in common with Native American tribes”. On this note, she was looking for an “opportunity to make connections between tribal cultural and arts organisations for a further exploration of the histories”.

During her visit to Nagaland, she was asked questions about cultural observances of the United States, which she said indicated that Naga people are as eager to learn about the US as she was to learn about Nagas.

She also found “Nagaland to be a beautiful state filled with warmth, friendly and artistic people, who are rightfully proud of their heritages and traditions”.

The 22nd edition of the Hornbill Music Festival 2021 — which was formally launched by her on Dec. 3 –was a firsthand experience of the ‘beautiful diversity of the Naga peoples’ traditional cultural expressions as well as the way they have fused modern elements to keep them alive and vibrant for all generations’, she said.

When asked for possible area of improvement for the Hornbill Festival, she suggested that a package consolidation service, where a visitor’s packages could be gathered and then packed for pick-up at the end of the day or shipment home would have helped improve business for the vendors.

Her suggestion comes from her experience of working in supply chain management prior to her joining the US Department of State.

“As the festival gets larger, crowding of the roads could become an issue in moving around the venues. A bio-fuel or electric bus service that transports visitors to all of the venues on a scheduled basis and allows people to take in more of the festival and local sights and nearby villages might also help with transportation bottlenecks,” she added.

In her message, she conveyed that “celebration, education, and protection are a solid foundation for ensuring that Nagaland’s traditions will live on and thrive with great admiration.”

She expressed hope that domestic and international attendance at the festival will grow, contributing to an even more vibrant international celebration of Naga culture and traditions. She added that she is doing her “best to encourage other international visitors to attend (the festival) in the future!”