The North-East Blog
Know what leading academics, writers, poets, musicians, activists and journalists from the region have to say to develop an informed perspective on matters related to this part of India.Once upon a time, a young man had a pond. It held such clear, sweet water that went down your throat smoothly and left behind a lingering taste of honey. The young man was very proud of his pond. But one day, he discovered the water was muddy quite early in the morning. This went on for a week. It meant that someone was dirtying the pond water before he could fetch it. So the man decided to wake very early the next day and keep vigil by the pond...Suddenly, there was a fine gold light close by. He saw beautiful sky-women descending to earth singing a sky-song.
(From the folktale, The man who went to heaven, Naga Folktales Retold, Barkweaver 2009)
Of the many narratives silenced by war, the folk tales of the Nagas suffered a long period of being...Read more...
Some years ago a plainsman came to the village of Khonoma in Nagaland. He made the acquaintance of an old woman who was a healer and a herbalist. Badgering her for many days and offering her a sum of money that was very large for a simple village dweller he made her part with the secrets of her herbal knowledge.
In a separate incident, a female research scholar from a state in eastern India gleaned a lot of information on Naga women. This took place in the nineties. The focus of her study was the physical and mental problems that Naga women endure in the midst of a political conflict. The scholar sent out questionnaires to several educated people in Nagaland without revealing her intentions. She then used that information to promote herself as an expert on Naga women...Read more...
More about Easterine Kire
Easterine Kire, poet, storyteller, novelist, has written three volumes of poetry and four novels as well as short story collections and a novella. She is partner in the publishing house, Barkweaver which collects and publishers folktales of the Nagas, children's stories and real stories of ordinary people. She has a Ph.D in English Literature from Poona University. Her novels have earned rave reviews.
Recent Posts by Easterine Kire
- The narratives silenced by war: the Barkweaver project of peoplestories and folktales
Once upon a time, a young man had a pond. It held such clear, sweet water that went down your throat smoothly and left behind a lingering taste of
- Barkweaving: Cultural theft in Nagaland vs the gift of other eyes
Some years ago a plainsman came to the village of Khonoma in Nagaland. He made the acquaintance of an old woman who was a healer and a herbalist. Badgering
Sanatombi
Rowdy Sandrembee: The salaried beggars of modern ManipurWhen power is misused, chaos becomes the norm of a society. In our society, sad but true, power is misused in each and every sector. It is too common
Soibam Haripriya
Raping the OtherArticles in local newspapers in Manipur for the past few months have been bordering on a misogynist strain of thought. Many of the articles expectedly commented on women opting
Akhu Chingangbam
The Imphal music projectThe Imphal Music Project is conceived by an Imphal-based band Imphal Talkies which was earlier based in New Delhi. The project is not for art for art's sake or
Subir Bhaumik
'Bangla Spring' brings back spirit of 1971If the Arab Spring was all about democracy and people power, this spring in Bangladesh is all about rejuvenation, a return to the spirit of 1971 that made independence
Sumana Roy
Uttor: Of Fearful Symmetry - a leopard in SiliguriWho would have imagined certainly not I that one day I would have to make a phone call to my mother in Siliguri to ask her to keep the
Binalakshmi Nepram
Northeast India Matters: weaving our collective histories Did you know that the Chinese called Manipur 'Hso Po lo mein' and the Burmese called it 'Kathe', that Manipur called Tripura 'Takhel' and that till date there is
Easterine Kire
The narratives silenced by war: the Barkweaver project of peoplestories and folktalesOnce upon a time, a young man had a pond. It held such clear, sweet water that went down your throat smoothly and left behind a lingering taste of
