Fishing Weirs and Galo Mythologies from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas
Dublin Core
Title
Fishing Weirs and Galo Mythologies from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas
Description
Traditional hunting and gathering ways of life have existed as the main mode of subsistence for humans since
long and continue to be with some indigenous communities despite the onslaught of urbanization. Arunachal
Pradesh, the North-easternmost state of India that shares international borders with the Republic of China,
Bhutan and Myanmar is home to a large number of indigenous communities who still continue to live in
traditional ways of life despite the changes brought by modernization.
Traditional and community fishing is still practiced by them and the use of various types of weirs is still
common. The weirs come in various shapes and sizes and are made by the community people themselves using
bamboo splits and rattan. The making of the fishing weirs needs special skill as some take a longer period for
the processing of the raw materials while some are made on the spot at the time of need, in both cases active
participation to learn and develop the skill is necessary. What makes these fishing weirs special is the mythology
behind it. The Galo indigenous community people hold these fishing weirs with utmost respect because of its
importance in their mythology. The folk stories mention how the fishing weirs came to the human and the role
played by the weirs in sustaining human life on this Earth. However, as the younger generation do not have
much time to spent with their village/community elders, this tradition of making fishing weirs is not easily
known to many and the myths behind it. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the different kinds of the fishing
weirs and to bring out the importance of the related mythologies associated with them.
long and continue to be with some indigenous communities despite the onslaught of urbanization. Arunachal
Pradesh, the North-easternmost state of India that shares international borders with the Republic of China,
Bhutan and Myanmar is home to a large number of indigenous communities who still continue to live in
traditional ways of life despite the changes brought by modernization.
Traditional and community fishing is still practiced by them and the use of various types of weirs is still
common. The weirs come in various shapes and sizes and are made by the community people themselves using
bamboo splits and rattan. The making of the fishing weirs needs special skill as some take a longer period for
the processing of the raw materials while some are made on the spot at the time of need, in both cases active
participation to learn and develop the skill is necessary. What makes these fishing weirs special is the mythology
behind it. The Galo indigenous community people hold these fishing weirs with utmost respect because of its
importance in their mythology. The folk stories mention how the fishing weirs came to the human and the role
played by the weirs in sustaining human life on this Earth. However, as the younger generation do not have
much time to spent with their village/community elders, this tradition of making fishing weirs is not easily
known to many and the myths behind it. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the different kinds of the fishing
weirs and to bring out the importance of the related mythologies associated with them.
Creator
Bina Gandhi Deori
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Deori, Bina Gandhi. 2023. “Fishing Weirs and Galo Mythologies from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, Paul Montgomery, and Bill Jeffrey. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/2007
Files
Citation
Bina Gandhi Deori, “Fishing Weirs and Galo Mythologies from the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed January 15, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/2007.