Roing, Dec 19: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein emphasised that while the celebration of festivals may incorporate modern elements, they must fundamentally adhere to indigenous customs and traditions.
 He was speaking at the inaugural of the three-day international seminar on “Interpreting Cultures and Traditions: Shifting the Lens” is currently underway at RIWATCH from December 19-21, at Khinjili, Roing, bringing together academicians, scholars, and cultural practitioners to deliberate on indigenous perspectives and the preservation of ancient traditions.
Mein also highlighted the critical need to preserve ancient manuscripts through proper documentation and digitalisation, noting that RIWATCH can play a pivotal role in this preservation effort. Dr. Mein stressed that the cultural history of the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh must be comprehensively written and made accessible to wider audiences, both within and outside the state.
While welcoming the dignitaries and participants, Vijay Swami, Executive Director RIWATCH and the Seminar Convenor, emphasised the objective to interpret cultures and traditions from the natives’ perspectives, marking a crucial shift in how indigenous knowledge systems are understood and documented.
Prof. Yashwant Pathak, Dean, Facutlty Affairs, Univeroisty of South Florida, USA, in his Keynote address provided a powerful historical analysis of how colonial infrastructure systematically dismantled indigenous cultures and traditions worldwide. Drawing from the devastating example of the Native American experience, he explained how colonial invasion led to the vanishing of millions from the indigenous population. Prof. Pathak elaborated on how the imposition of new narratives and thought processes derived from Western ideologies resulted in the extinction of ancient traditions around the world. He argued that at this critical juncture, where Western and Eurocentric influences continue to dominate global discourse, there is an urgent need for a fundamental shift in the lense. This shift must enable us to view indigenous cultures from our own perspectives and empower native communities to build and preserve their ancient cultures and traditions through their own sustained efforts, free from external imposition or interpretation.
Vice Chancellor of Arunachal Pradesh University, Pasighat, Prof. Tomo Riba, presented a sobering assessment of the current state of indigenous knowledge systems. He observed that native traditional culture and knowledge are vanishing at an alarming rate, with rural depopulation emerging as the primary reason for the loss of culture, tradition, and indigenous knowledge systems. Prof. Riba provided specific examples, noting that traditional knowledge related to agriculture and house construction is gradually disappearing due to the easy accessibility of modern, sophisticated materials and technologies. He emphasised the urgent need to preserve the richness of indigenous terms and terminologies and to ensure their continuity for future generations.
Mukut Mithi, Patron of RIWATCH, provided a philosophical framework for understanding the seminar's significance. He described the organisation of such an academic event as both timely and profound, given the existential threats facing indigenous cultures globally. Mithi emphasised that culture must be studied with empathy, suggesting that academic rigour alone is insufficient without a genuine emotional and ethical commitment to the communities being studied. He argued that, beyond research and documentation, the protection of cultures and heritage through the active involvement of native communities should be a primary aim of institutions like RIWATCH. In a particularly resonant observation, Mithi asserted that the development of any native culture should not be measured by its technological advancement but rather by its cultural wisdom and the depth of its traditional knowledge systems.
A total of 44 research papers are being presented by academicians and scholars from various parts of India and abroad, making it a truly international platform for discourse on indigenous cultures, traditional knowledge systems, and the challenges of cultural preservation in the modern era.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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