Idu Mishmi Textiles

Brief description

About the language Idu Mishmi (ISO 639-3: clk, Glottocode: idu1241) is a Trans-Himalayan language spoken by approximately 10,000 speakers in Arunachal Pradesh, India, with smaller populations across the border in Tibet (China). The language is primarily spoken in Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit district, Dibang Valley districts, as well as parts of East Siang district and Upper Siang district. In the literature, the language is variably referred to as Idu Mishmi or simply Idu, Yidu or Kera’a. About the collection This documentation project was carried out by Tage Umbrey, a member of the Idu Mishmi community, with support from a FLICR 2023 Fellowship awarded by the Centre for Cultural-Linguistic Diversity (Eastern Himalaya). The FLICR program is co-directed by Yankee Modi and Mark W. Post, with Kellen Parker VanDam and Zilpha Modi as Associate Directors. This project was mentored by Yankee Modi and Zilpha Modi, and funding for it was generously provided by the Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research through a grant administered by the University of Sydney. Tage Umbrey’s project, titled “History in Designs: Idu Mishmi Textiles” documents the intricate design systems of traditional Idu Mishmi weaving in traditional villages within the Idu Mishmi-speaking area. The collection explores the cultural histories embedded in textile designs, including associated myths, taboos, and oral narratives, and further includes information about historical trading relationships with neighbouring Adi communities and with plains-based speakers of Assamese. The project documents the full process of traditional weaving, from the gathering of raw materials to loom preparation and textile production, while also documenting the diversity of weaving styles associated with men, women, and priests, and further examining the roles of gender in weaving practices. It contains 29 high-quality audiovisual files, 26 of which have been transcribed in Idu Mishmi and translated into English, in addition to 86 photographs. About the depositor Tage Umbrey is a PhD scholar at Rajiv Gandhi University and a native member of the Idu Mishmi community from Arunachal Pradesh. Drawing on close community relationships and firsthand cultural knowledge, Tage designed and conducted this documentation project following his participation at Training and Resources for Indigenous Community Linguists (TRICL) in 2022. Through community-based fieldwork and careful documentation, Tage Umbrey has created a collection of lasting cultural value that contributes to the preservation of Idu Mishmi heritage and to wider ethnolinguistic and anthropological research in the Eastern Himalayas.