Kasuang, Padue

Summary Dangma Kasuang hails from Hanche village, only a few metres away from Byale village, where she has lived since her marriage. She had previously named a variety, Matchichuik, which is one of the rarer varieties and so, in this interview Mansi and Chintan are asking her about Matchichuik. She also describes another variety called Nilau. These two varieties were uncommon among the cultivators in Byale village. Dangma Kasuang shares that Matchichuik was sought because it has a good amount of...

Summary

In this recording, Dangma Kasuang says the Puroik name of Job’s tears grain she grows in her jhum field. It is called Sabaai in Puroik. Time-stamped section headings (00:00:00) Pronunciation of Puroik name for Job’s tears grain, Sabaai.

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The collection features interviews with Puroik elders and cultivators from five villages in East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh: Byale, Surung Kasuang, Mechidu, Mecha and Byaluom. These five villages are situated in two water basins, formed by rivers Kamyang and Katchiye, both tributaries of the Katoie river (or Kameng river) in western Arunachal Pradesh. These recordings document the ethnobotanical knowledge and life histories of elders, and the oral history of the tribe. The oral history of the...

Summary File 1 In this interview, Padue Kasuang shares his knowledge of the Palm, its cultivation, phenology, and ecology, his earliest memories of making sago and also the oral history associated with the Palm. He also discusses other important food plants that Puroik people forage or cultivate. He stresses the reliability offered by the Palm as compared to grains such as rice and the importance of continuing the planting and maintenance of the Palm. In addition to raising the Palm, he shares that...

Summary In this interview, Padue Kasuang speaks of important plants for the Puroik people. He says that Metchi (the Palm), Muang (edible tree fern) and Tabua (an edible fern) are the most important plants for the Puroik. He says these plants are the oldest sources of food for the Puroik people and he emphasises that foods like rice may disappear some day but these foods will remain. These, he shares, have enabled them to survive. While the Palm is used most commonly for food, the other two also...

Summary In these files, Padue Kasuang helps create a glossary of Puroik words related to the Palm. The Palm is called Metchi in Puroik and sago is called Bey. Beginning with names of varieties, this session spans Puroik names for different parts of the Palm, phrases and verbs for the cultivation of the Palm and processing of its sago, and the tools involved in this process. File 1 In this recording, Padue Kasuang pronounces all varieties cultivated in Byale village and discusses the...

Summary File 1 In this short recording, Padue Kasuang says the names of two rice varieties cultivated in the jhum fields, Langbuk and Rungchi. He says that these two names have been carried from the time these varieties were brought from the sky at the very beginning. File 2 In this recording, Padue Kasuang re-iterates the two names for rice varieties, Langbuk and Rungchi multiple times to help the listeners with correct pronunciation of these Puroik names. He also adds again that these...

Summary In this recording, Padue Kasuang is narrating a few events from the Oral history. Initially, he refers to fire taking refuge in bamboo and a white stone at the time of a fight between water and fire. Then, he recalls an unrelated event, a time when night fell during the day, for about twenty minutes. He remembers that time to be many years ago, when he and his wife had eaten their first meal and were preparing to leave for their farm. He vividly recalls that birds from all over were going...

Summary OH-008-3-6a This word list includes Puroik and Nyishi names for otter, tiger, bear, leopard cat, dhole, barking deer, and red goral. OH-008-3-6b This word list includes Puroik and Nyishi names for Himalayan serow, gliding squirrel, monkey, langur, Masked palm civet, Orange-bellied squirrel, Large Indian civet, hog badger, pangolin, Yellow-throated martin, weasel, pika, house rodent, big jungle rat, small red rat, and White-bellied mouse. OH-008-3-6c This recording begins with the Puroik and...

Summary

In this message, Padue Kasuang explains his motivation for documenting the oral history of his people. He expresses concern over its possible disappearance and affirms his belief that, through this research, it can be preserved for his children and for future generations. Time-stamped section headings (00:00:00) Message in Puroik towards the Oral history collection at the Archives at NCBS.

Scope and Contents The collection features interviews with Puroik elders and cultivators from five villages in East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh: Byale, Surung Kasuang, Mechidu, Mecha and Byaluom. These five villages are situated in two water basins, formed by rivers Kamyang and Katchiye, both tributaries of the Katoie river (or Kameng river) in western Arunachal Pradesh. These recordings document the ethnobotanical knowledge and life histories of elders, and the oral history of the tribe. The oral history of the...