Indigenous artifacts of Adi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh: Are they waning amidst thewaves of globalization?

Abstract

The tribals lead the life with natural simplicity relying on primal truths reinforced by eternal values. The strength of the tribes is that they are able to successfully cling to the primal skills and natural simplicity. Their creations speak of evolutions over time, and the arts and crafts created by them have timeless appeal. The primal instinct in all of us is evoked whenever we come across the crudest tribal handicrafts. The present case study was conducted during August and September 2019 and the study included combination of methods such as research viz., household survey of 44 Adi families, followed by a focused group discussion was adopted and also documented the artifacts of Adi tribe in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Further, the study also aimed at unearthing the kinds of possible threats that arise due to globalization which may affect traditional craftsmanship. Multitudinal sets of traditional artifacts created out of indigenous wisdom have been
documented which affirm that the life of the Adi is intertwined with the forest products especially bamboo, canes and their products. However, the prevailing trend of globalization, with characteristics of immense, unexpected emphasis on capital, labour and information, is having growing influence on material culture and in this scenario, especially new generation
prefers more of plastic products in their day to day lifestyle. On the contrary, traditional artifacts of Adi could offer innovative and sustainable solutions which can act as alternatives to plastic products.