As part of the Hornbill Festival, Lidi Kro-u, a registered non-profit organisation from Kohima village, is actively passing on the ancestral knowledge to the younger generations by organising hands-on training on various traditional practices.
Through a range of activities including folk songs, indigenous games, storytelling, and basket weaving, members of the organisation are engaging with youths at Ketsiezou, Kohima village.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, Lidi Kro-u president Neizoviü Sekhose highlighted the self-reliant nature of Naga ancestors, from food production to house building.
“Our vision is to train the youth in these self-reliant ways, enabling them to carry forward our heritage and become self-sufficient, while passing on the knowledge of the good old ways of life” she said.
Lidi Kro-u will host a storytelling session on December 6, followed by a demonstration on cooking muodi, a traditional Angami delicacy, on December 7 at the same venue.
She informed that the Japanese Ambassador to India, H.E. Keiichu Ono, visited the group on the first day of the Hornbill Festival and tried his hands on the Tati, a single-string bamboo musical instrument, which was also later presented to him as a souvenir.
In his remark, Ono said, “Very touched by the warm hospitality of the people of the Kohima Village Music, tea, music and Tati!.. I love the sound of Tati and like to practice it!
We have a long history of people-to-people exchanges. The Japanese people sincerely appreciate the warmth and kindness extended by the local people here.”
Established in 2012 and registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1980, Lidi Kro-u aims to preserve and promote the rich traditions and culture of the Angami tribe. Over the years, the organisation has conducted numerous training sessions to impart traditional knowledge to children and youth.
In 2013, Lidi Kro-u released a music album based on Angami traditional songs, and in 2016, it produced a documentary titled Thejanuo the Musical, inspired by the book Nuokhrienuo Kelhou Rüli by Dr. Neiphrezonuo Mepfhüo. During the Hornbill Festival in 2021, Lidi Kro-u also conducted various traditional activities to promote indigenous skills and knowledge.