Performance of the lullaby 'Tou chabyo, uoi uoi.'

Performance of the lullaby 'Tou chabyo, uoi uoi.'

Group performance of the traditional dance 'Mibu sumnam' at the Dírbí Kébang in Telam village.

Dipok Kumar Doley and Bidyeswar Doley discuss childhood living in a chang ghar, a bamboo house built on a raised platform made of thick bamboo. Dipok Kumar Doley says traditional dishes were not fried; green leafy vegetables such as takuk, ombé, onger, pakkom, gurban, mírné koːtuk, takpiyang, beso-beyo, oti oying with fish, deer or pork were boiled. He describes traditional health practices; during pregnancy and after delivery, green leafy vegetables such as rukji and marsang, along with black pepper and local chicken boiled as a stew, and rice beer are given as remedies for the mother. They describe celebrations for weddings and births and local festivals like Ali-aːyé-lígang, held on the first Wednesday of February, where the Misings pray for a better harvest the following year, health, and wealth and eat purang, apong, and oying. Dr. Bidyeswar says that family members of all ages would participate in the prayers and activities, but now this is rarely seen. Dipok Kumar Doley urges youngsters to stay alert and to take proper care of the Mising language, culture, and clothing or else they will become extinct.

Group performance of the traditional song 'Téréré' at the Dírbí Kébang in Telam village typically sung during marriage ceremonies. When a girl reaches the age of puberty and is ready to get married, Mising women gather in groups to sing this song.

Group performance of the traditional song 'Téréré' at the Dírbí Kébang in Telam village typically sung during marriage ceremonies. When a girl reaches the age of puberty and is ready to get married, Mising women gather in groups to sing this song.

Group performance of the traditional dance 'Sélloya' at the Dírbí Kébang in Telam village depicting the Mising migration from the hills to the plains. The dance is accompanied by traditional instruments and singing where the women ask where to go and the men reply.

Group performance of the traditional dance 'Éjuk soːnam' at the Dírbí Kébang in Telam village. The dance is accompanied by traditional instruments, most notably éjuk tapum, traditionally made from bottle gourds and bamboo.

Rebot Pegu describes the exterior of a traditional family home in Ratanpur village called sang okum or taléng okum, which is built on raised platforms. He says different types of foundations made of wood and bamboo are required to construct taléng okum, including 5 joːpong to hold up the house and smaller wooden branches placed vertically called pali kutas. He lists the levels: the lowermost is called bénér; the middle is called porpiyang; the topmost where one can sit is called piso. The roof is made up of five layers including tarte, niːpir, dugying, and bangkung, and an outer layer of leaves called selab. Finally, the wooden stairway to the interior is called koːbang. He says there is typically a lagjum attached, but it is broken.

Obawati Doley describes the process of smoking fish. She starts by cleaning the fish by removing the innards and the scales with a katok (knife) so the fish will cook faster. The cleaned fish is then put on the pérab. If the flame is high, one day of smoking is enough for the fish to be cooked. It can also be dried in the sun. She says Mising people are especially fond of smoked fish and meat.

Rebot Pegu describes the interior of a traditional family home in Ratanpur village which is built on raised platforms. Méram, the lowest platform made of mud and wood, is where food is cooked. It is cleaned every day. Pérab, the hanging platform made of bamboo, is where dried fish and meats are smoked. Rébbong, another hanging platform, is used to store large items like earthen pots or épo, a traditional platelike utensil made of bamboo which separates husks from grains. Ríːsíng, the open space to the left of méram, is where the elderly people sit. Koktok, the open space to the right of méram, is where the women responsible for the cooking sit. The bamboo pieces are placed close together in ríːsíng, whereas in koktok, they are placed wider apart to allow space for washing. Before electricity was available in the village, lamps were hung on the corners of the méram.

Krishna Pegu describes the parts of the weaving machine. The wooden device that has a large wheel is called a jontor. The one beside the jontor, where slender bamboo sticks are tied together, is called sereki. The set of four bamboo pillars supporting the entire structure is called ta:tal. Makung is the driver of the whole machine which helps in running the threads. Bor sereki is the piece which is larger than the sereki. Tangngé lifts the required threads for making patterns; yaːpa and keːsanané also raise threads. Tulutang is the thick wood, placed vertically, which the threads are rolled over. Raːsi is the piece with which the threads are pulled closed together. After running the thread using a makung, raːsi is pulled towards the weaver so that the thread merges with the rest of the material. Nasoni is a round wheel-like plastic object which moves in circles.

Krishna Pegu describes the process of using the weaving machine while weaving a traditional garment of Mising women called ege gasor. The garment she is weaving has floral patterns in it, called mosang. The flowers are placed in a pattern called kepson which is designed to seem like the flowers are attached or running in a particular direction. She explains how the parts work together for weaving. Paksang is the white thread attached in the middle of the longer threads, where all the flowers are structured. Ya:pa is used to lift the threads which are needed in the making of the patterns. The pointed L-shaped wooden instrument is called keːsanané. It is used to raise the required threads for engraving the gamig (floral pattern). She runs her fingers through the white threads attached to the longer threads, called doːn. Sangkok is a pedal the weaver pushes with their feet. She demonstrates pushing the makung towards the further end, lifting the ya:pa, and placing red and black floral patterns on the lifted threads to make gamig.

Chandrakanta Doley describes the process of making potika along with Dipok Kumar Doley and Obawati Doley. First, jaggery is melted, and then épob (medicinal herb mixture) is sprinkled in. They note how potika is consumed locally and in other areas, observing it is often over-consumed. Chandrakanta Doley warns about low-quality potika made by burning sandals and clothes, instead recommending ones made at home or bought from trusted villagers. This is because low-quality potika is associated with health risks and may contain additives like tobacco which decrease one's longevity. Even high-quality potika must be taken in moderation, as consuming too much can lead to liver and/or lung damage and inflammation. In moderate doses, potika is used for medicinal purposes such as preventing high blood pressure. Chandrakanta Doley recalls how doctors suggested potika as treatment during a recent malaria outbreak in the village. He says he has been consuming potika every night after dinner for 30 years.

Dipok Kumar Doley describes the process Rebot Pegu follows while weaving a bamboo basket called pétum. First, bamboo is sliced thinly using a katok (knife) or matsíg (sharp object), and then the strips are woven together. These baskets are used as containers for storage (of amli-péli, amrong, apong, or paan), transportation, or as enclosures for hens and ducks. He says pétum weavers have to be swift, and they have to know the method of arranging the thinly sliced bamboo to make a beautiful, hand-crafted pétum. In the past, his in-laws would wrap meat and apong in banana leaves, but nowadays, the new generation is not keen on making pétum. He says only a handful are aware of this weaving technique.

Obawati Doley describes the process of smoking fish. She starts by cleaning the fish by removing the innards and the scales with a katok (knife) so the fish will cook faster. The cleaned fish is then put on the pérab. If the flame is high, one day of smoking is enough for the fish to be cooked. It can also be dried in the sun. She says Mising people are especially fond of smoked fish and meat.

The speaker describes the process of cutting paddies (aam). She was delayed by continuous rains and flooding which washed away the paddy bundles that were already cut. She says it will take 2-3 days to complete the entire paddy field. She explains that this variety, known as ranjit aam in Mising, was planted during aahar (June) and it is being cut during ahin-kati (October-November). Ranjit aam is one of the agotiyang aam, meaning 'paddy that is done before the actual season.' She says later she will cut other paddies including amdang aam, bor jangiya aam, and dumuang aam.

Joya Medok Doley describes the process of making yumrang or jabor oying. Different types of green leafy vegetables such as tajik, takuk, ombe, mírné koːtung, gurban, and marsang are washed. They have to be rubbed together and rinsed thoroughly. Once the wok is hot, mustard oil is put in there. Once hot, we add panch phoran and onions. A ground mixture of chili, garlic, and onions is added. Any meat can be added. Here, we can see local chicken, which is bred at home, is being cooked. Then, salt and red chili powder are added accordingly. Then, the green leafy vegetables are added to the wok. She says most of the Mising people love to tear the leaves before adding. It is ready to serve after cooking the leaves for 5-10 minutes.

Joya Medok Doley describes the process of making pitang oying, a traditional dish of the Mising community made with rice and chicken. She begins by washing the rice with water. After washing, a small amount of water is left so the grains expand. She then peels ginger and garlic. Black pepper and chilies should be added based on the amount of curry that is being made. Then, she removes the soaked rice and pounds it with a mortar and pestle. The rice is pounded till it becomes grainy. The hen is put into hot boiling water. This makes it easy to remove the feathers. The hen is then roasted in the fire. For the pitang oying, big pieces of chicken are preferred. These pieces are tied together with a string or leaf so that the pieces of the same hen do not get mixed with other hen's pieces because the dish is being made for a ui (domestic puja). Mustard oil is put on a wok. Then, we wait until it becomes hot. Paanch phoran (Indian masala) is put and stirred until black, then chicken pieces are placed. Onions are added, followed by ginger-garlic paste. Black pepper, chili paste, tumeric, …

Longdi Modi discusses his daily life while traveling away from his mother in Mariyang.

Abraham Modi describes his journey from Mariyang to Pasighat to attend the Training and Resources for Indigenous Community Linguists (TRICL) training program held by the Centre for Cultural-Linguistic Diversity Eastern Himalaya (CCLD-EH).

Abraham Modi describes how he tends to the pineapple garden, using weeding and spacing techniques to grow larger and sweeter pineapples.

Abraham Modi introduces himself and his family, childhood, and education. He is the 8th of 11 siblings. He describes his daily life and hobbies and his involvement in documenting and preserving Milang language and culture.

Abraham, Longdi, and Rilung Modi discuss the fern tree (Tatchi) harvest near Peki Modi village in Upper Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. In this final step, they prepare the fern tree for eating by roasting it over the fire. Longdi Modi describes the process, comparing it to preparing roti. They discuss recipes and other foods prepared with the fern tree, such as meats and vegetables.