RIWATCH conducts research fieldwork in Arunachal’s Anjaw

Itanagar, Aug 2 (PTI): The RIWATCH Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (RCICH) conducted a two-week research fieldwork to document the traditions and culture of border communities in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, an official release said.
Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage(RIWATCH) is a non-profit cultural research institute and ethnographic museum in Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, dedicated to preserving indigenous tribal heritage and community traditions.
The research team, led by Hari Apralo and Miju Mena, carried out extensive documentation across several villages in the Walong, Hayuliang, and Chaglagam circles of the district. The project focused on the Meyor, Kaman Mishmi, and Taraon Mishmi communities inhabiting the region, a press statement from RIWATCH said on Sunday.
Throughout the drive, the team organised interactive sessions with local villagers, screened documentaries produced by the Roing-based Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH), and highlighted ongoing initiatives to preserve, safeguard, and promote indigenous heritage. Community leaders, government officers, gaon buras, women, youth, and students actively participated in the documentation process, it said.
During the fieldwork, traditional ritual specialists, locally known as Kambring, Gwak, and Kaho, shared vital aspects of their intangible cultural heritage. Farmers, craftsmen, and hunters also recounted their lived experiences of resilience and hardship, reflecting the authentic way of life in the border region. The report said community members, however, voiced growing concerns over the threats of cultural dilution, identity complexities, and rapid assimilation facing indigenous groups in the district. In a significant contribution toward heritage preservation, several residents voluntarily donated sacred artefacts and personal heirlooms to the People’s Museum of RIWATCH.
“These invaluable contributions will not only ensure the protection of culturally significant objects from theft, deterioration, and destruction, but will also present the community’s identity and indigenous knowledge systems on a global platform,” the research team said.
The institute emphasised that the donated collections will serve as primary reference materials for research, education, and the transmission of cultural knowledge to future generations.