Kasuang, Abing

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...

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 In this interview, Abing Kasuang shares his knowledge of the Palm, its use and reliability. He reminisces periods of famine when the dependence on the Palm was very high, including a time when the Palm itself was affected. An insect had eaten off the leaves of the Palm stems, depleting the starch from the mature ones. At that time, the younger stems had more starch than older ones and the people would have to harvest younger stems. He also advises that the Palm should be preserved for the...

Summary OH-008-29-1a During a visit to his grove, Abing Kasuang shows a cluster on the side of a trail. The name of the variety, he says, is Machyong. The name is given to the Palm clusters that grow in the forest by themselves without having been planted. He can identify the variety from his experience of making sago from a stem of this cluster. The sago is the same as the other varieties, but from memory and experience, he knows this cluster is Machyong. He maintains this cluster along with his...

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...