ABSTRACT

This study investigated the image of the Naga Indigenous people in mainland India and how the Nagas endeavour to develop an alternative image. Findings revealed that the mainland Indians’ image of the Nagas is that of ‘noble savage’ which is similar to the Indian Government’s representation of the Nagas as exotic and untamed. The Nagas expressed cultural resistance and articulated radical Naga discourse through their religion (Christianity) to enhance collective identity but most importantly to oppose the dominant Hindu and Muslim religions in mainland India. However, the resistance of the Nagas drew on Bhabha’s concept of hybridity in which the Nagas re-negotiate their identity – with complex mimicry and façade – traits about ‘Hindu-Muslim India’ that they admire and certain cultural aspects they ridicule and would rather not imbibe. This study contributes to the current anthropological discourse towards studying indigeneity by making a more complex, nuanced analysis of resistance.

摘要

这项研究调查了形象娜迦的土著人在印度大陆和如何纳迦努力开发替代图像。调查结果显示，印度大陆人对纳迦人的形象是“高贵的野蛮人”，这与印度政府将纳迦人描述为异国情调和野蛮的形象相似。该纳迦表达文化性和铰接式激进的娜迦通过他们的宗教（基督教），以提高集体认同的话语，但最重要的是反对占主导地位的印度，在印度大陆的穆斯林宗教。然而，的阻力纳迦吸取了巴巴的概念杂糅其中纳迦重新协商他们的身份-复杂的模仿和外观-关于“印度教徒和穆斯林的印度特质，他们崇拜和某些文化方面，他们嘲笑，宁可不喝酒。这项研究通过对抵抗进行更复杂、更细致的分析，为当前研究土著性的人类学话语做出了贡献。