g Losu. That means that we have all the material as bilingual text.
Our manuscript, The Stories of Our Ancestors: Myths, Folktales and Memories of the Wancho of Arunachal Pradesh, is to bepublished by Niyogi Books in 2023. We have also subtitled many of the video clips which are now uploaded in a digital online archive at https://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/TD4
The folklore of the tribal groups of India is both unique and similar. While many of the themes recur, the details, characters, places etc are specific. Working with the Wanchos has been a bit different mainly because of the remoteness of the area, which, in turn, has preserved the tradition better than in some other regions.
The Wancho people are still traditional, which not only applies to their way of life but also to their values. Mostly unaffected by the economic changes that “modernisation” introduces, their generosity, care, community-bonding and sense of equality are intact. As an outsider, I was alien to them, but they were always protective towards me and looked after me so well.
For example, in every Wancho household, a visitor is invited to have food, unlike tea offered to visitors elsewhere. The Wanchos are deeply connected to their land, and are resourceful, resilient survivors: they know how to live in difficult physical conditions in remote places with limited access to facilities.
The folktales belong to an ancient oral tradition. Have they evolved in in their retelling over the years?
The storytellers remember different versions. Each storyteller remembers a story according to his own understanding, experience and interpretation and will recount it in his own way. They like to discuss and compare the different versions, then nominate the person who knows the story the best to recount it for the recording. The younger people may know some parts of the story, but when it comes to making a recorded version, it is always an elder who is authorised to tell it. While both men and women know the folklore, it is usually the men who are the nominated storytellers whereas the women like to sing traditional songs while pounding rice, or as lullabies for their children.
Is the younger generation interested in keeping these stories alive?
The Wancho people are proud of their culture because it is what keeps them together, gives them a sense of identity. However, as the younger generations travel out of the villages and seek employment elsewhere, their links with the stories are weakening. They now face pressure to become educated, find jobs, and earn incomes. They are also losing touch with their mother tongue as they are taught Hindi and English in school. It is very important to keep the traditions alive for the well-being of the community, and they realise this. Which is why they are happy and cooperative when I document the stories and traditional practices.
How was your film “The Myths of the Wancho” received by the Wancho community?
I screened the two documentary films that I have made with the Wanchos in Kamhua Noknu village on December 5, 2021. It was a challenge because of the technical requirements. I borrowed the projector and generator from the school and the amplifier from the church, and a team of local boys set up a huge screen in the common ground of the village for the screening.
It was a big occasion for them because they don’t have these kinds of screening events. About 500 people attended, many of them children and young people. They loved TheMyths of the Wancho because it was about them: it had their stories and people speaking in Wancho (with subtitles). It is very important to share the audio-visual material with the community, involve them as much as possible and develop trust and friendship. Once they have seen the footage, I can screen it elsewhere. So far there have been no objections, but if there would be any, it has to be taken into account and acted upon. I depend on their feedback, inputs, and translations.
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What other tribes of Arunachal have you worked with?
I have worked with the Tani group 