47_anno24_num2_0331-0336 :: Ricerche Storiche Salesiane (RSS)

Expand document

Collapse document

47_anno24_num2_0331-0336

1 Page 1

2 Page 2

3 Page 3

4 Page 4

5 Page 5

6 Page 6

47_anno24_num2_0331-0336

1 Page 1

▲back to top

DON BOSCO CENTRE FOR INDIGENOUS CULTURES –

SHILLONG-INDIA

Joseph Puthenpurakal*

Indigenous / Tribal Population: It is estimated that there are some 5000 indige-

nous / tribal groups with a population of 300 million living in more than 70 coun-

tries on five continents. Of these some 190 million are in Asia. India has the lar-

gest number of indigenous / tribal population in the world. India’s 95 million indi-

genous / tribal populations are distributed into nearly 500 tribes and sub-tribes.

About 85% of these are in Central India (mainly Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya

Pradesh and Rajasthan). North East India is the home of 11% of India’s Indige-

nous / Tribal population [ that is 10.45 million]. The remaining 4% are spread over

the rest of the country. (See, Joseph ANIKUZHIKATIL, George PALACKAPILLIL and

Joseph PUTHENPURAKAL, eds., Understanding Tribal Cultures for effective educa-

tion, New Delhi / Shillong: CBCI Commission for Education and Culture and

DBCIC Publications, 2003, 11).

1. A brief description

DBCIC (Don Bosco Centre for indigenous cultures) is a unique venture of the

Salesians of Don Bosco (after 80 years of missionary service in the North of India) to

develop expert facilities for the preservation and promotion of numerous beautiful

and diverse indigenous cultures of North East India in particular, and the sub-conti-

nent as a whole. Everyone knows that a subtle but impoverishing de-culturation or

de-tribalization is taking place among the numerous indigenous peoples of the world.

This is true also of the indigenous population of North East India. Our posterity will

be deprived of the wisdom enshrined in the proverbs, folklore, dances, artefacts, tra-

ditional music, celebrations, myths and core values and worldviews of indigenous

peoples if something is not done to preserve and promote the values and talents found

among indigenous peoples. Signs are there that society is being burdened with “up-

rooted” generations of young people who float about and who end up in insurgency,

easy-money, extortion, drugs, terrorist activities and all sorts of anti-social behaviour.

It is true that the multifaceted insurgency problem in the North Eastern States cannot

be attributed only to a culturally uprooted society. There are other causes, too. Ab-

sence of economic development is one of the major causes. However, we feel that

just as uprooted trees cannot bear fruit, uprooted people too may not have anything

positive to contribute to human development, common welfare and the creation of a

peaceful and harmonious society. The vicious circle is clear: People uprooted from

their cultures lead to poor economic development, and poor economic development

* Salesian Director DBCIC-Shillong.

2 Page 2

▲back to top

332 Joseph Puthenpurakal

brings about insurgency and other anti-social expressions which in their turn give

rise to more and more cultural up-rootedness.

We at Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures in Shillong would like to take

the path of culture and help young people to be rooted in their own cultural values

and talents so that they will be able to build a Peaceful, Prosperous and Harmonious

Society in North East India. The challenge of an empty culture promoted and publi-

cised by modern Means of Communication is too strong for the young to resist unless

they are deeply rooted in the transcendental values embedded in their own indigenous

cultures. DBCIC proposes to meet this challenge by means of its Museum and its

effort to develop a museum concept in education, study and research, publications,

animations and training programmes for the young through workshops, courses,

seminars, inter-tribal get-togethers, etc.

2. What is there at DBCIC at present?

DBCIC is an ambitious project. It has been built over a period of 10 years

(1994-2004). Its seven floors represent the Seven Sister States of the North East: Aru-

nachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. To

this list we may also add Sikkim which now is considered as part of North East India.

The DBCIC building rises to form a flame in Shillong’s skyline to remind everyone

that cultures can light up and warm up peoples, if correctly understood. The DBCIC

basic-facility-building has a total floor area of 56,000 sq. ft and 15, 154 sq.ft of wall

area for display of art objects and paintings.

At present DBCIC has several distinct operational areas:

Exhibition of Cultural Artefacts: The Exhibition of Cultural Artefacts thematically

arranged from floor to floor in the different galleries along with excellent paintings

depicting various aspects of the cultures of the North East forms the first and the

most visible aspect of DBCIC.

Study and Research Wing: At the service of the Study and Research Wing are the

Conference Hall for scholars and researchers, the Temporary Exhibition Hall and,

above all, the specialized DBCIC Library. The library has some 8500 volumes with

space for an additional 10,000 volumes. These volumes come mainly under the fol-

lowing subjects: Culture, Indigenous Cultures, Anthropology, Sociology, Linguistics,

Museology, and General Knowledge.

Culture Related Publications: Publications on culture and related topics constitute the

third aspect of DBCIC. Within a few years DBCIC has brought out 12 publications.

3. Developing a Museum Concept in Education

DBCIC is launching into this new area of Developing a museum concept in

education. How can a Museum be a place of learning? In this connection, DBCIC is

3 Page 3

▲back to top

Don Bosco Centre for indigenous cultures - Shillong-India 333

preparing graded exercises for students and visitors to help them find meaning in

what they see in DBCIC.

If this effort turns out to be successful, it will be appreciated by the educational

institutions in Shillong and in the North East. Eventually we hope to recommend it to

the Educational Authorities requesting them to integrate it in their syllabus preparation.

Museum as a place of learning will certainly be a change for students who are

accustomed to class room learning. In the course of time DBCIC will organize

classes on learning by doing, namely, classes on fine arts (including painting, model-

ling in plaster of Paris, clay, putty, fibreglass) and traditional music will be promoted

by DBCIC.

4. A DBCIC dream

Since the number of students and visitors to DBCIC is on the increase, DBCIC

has a special dream. And the dream is to digitize the rich collection of Traditional

Musical Instruments in the DBCIC Musical Instruments Gallery. Once the traditional

musical instruments become alive by means of electronic touch screen, the youth

especially will spend hours listening to their own traditional indigenous musical in-

struments which unfortunately are being forgotten. This is again an ambitious dream!

This would mean searching out those people who are still alive in the different vil-

lages of North East India and who can play the musical instruments we have on di-

splay. A DBCIC team will have to visit them, arrange a suitable day or days to record

the visual and the audio parts and then transfer them into at least 10 touch screens or

computer monitors for the young to enjoy them. Once they are rooted in their own in-

digenous music, in the values contained in their proverbs, folklore, stories, myths and

worldviews, they will be able to appreciate the same in other cultures and societies,

for they will not be any more an up-rooted people.

5. DBCIC Galleries

The following is a list of the various galleries in DBCIC. It takes generally

about two hours to go through them. Write-ups carrying useful explanation are pro-

vided in the galleries.

Photo Gallery: It houses precious photos of an anthropological value taken by mis-

sionaries working in the area.

Conference Hall: Meant chiefly for the use of scholars, researchers, teachers, leaders

and heads of tribal groups when they organize short courses of one or two days, on

a particular theme. At present it is also used for giving a short introduction to groups

of visitors to DBCIC.

Mission and Culture Gallery: The love the Church has for all the cultures, a brief hi-

story of the Church in the North East, a summary presentation of the twenty centuries

4 Page 4

▲back to top

334 Joseph Puthenpurakal

of history of the Church, the services the Church renders in the North East, the Cul-

tural Presentation of the Church among the Khasi-Pnar and the Garos of the State of

Meghalaya, the different groups of missionaries who have worked in the North East,

and a model of the first Cathedral Church at Shillong that was reduced to ashes in the

great fire of 1936, etc. can be seen in this Gallery. One can spend even an hour in this

particular Gallery only explaining the history, the Khasi-Pnar and the Garo mytholo-

gies and how they are linked to the present times. Entrance Alcove representing all

the States of the North East: There are twenty-two small alcoves in this entrance to

DBCIC. They form a big alcove with sceneries from all the States of the North East.

The life size fibreglass figures representing the many cultures of the North East act

as a friendly welcome to the visitors.

Introductory Gallery: With the help of four panels the visitors get an overview of

the whole North East. The Flora and Fauna panel is colourful and attractive.

Prehistory Gallery: The origin of the Universe and of Man is shrouded in mystery.

There have been efforts to unravel it. Creation and evolution are the two important

answers. While the Creationists say that God is the author of the universe and of the

origin of man, several evolutionists hold that the universe evolved gradually from

simple to complex, from one cell Amoeba to Man. Today, many scholars are of the

opinion that both Creation and Evolution are not contradictory in terms. Evolution re-

quires a moving force, which the creationists would call the “Divine Intervention”.

The Prehistory gallery tries to explain the history of Man’s gradual development as

expounded by some of the Physical Anthropologists.

Land and Peoples Gallery: It gives a beautiful overview of the places and peoples of

the North East. 32 large size photographs in colour and 26 in black and white, and 18

life size figures and 60 busts adorn this exciting area.

Fishing Hunting and Gathering Gallery: The varieties of baskets used in fishing and

the implements used in hunting and the types of containers used during harvesting

are indeed astonishing. They provide a glimpse into the creativity and genius of the

people’s of North East India.

Agricultural Gallery: Three types of agricultural practices are shown in this Gallery

by means of exceedingly beautiful dioramas. They are: wet cultivation, jhum (or slash

and burn or shifting) cultivation and terrace cultivation. The 255 year old mighty tree

in the middle of this Gallery is a graphic demonstration that if slash and burn cultiva-

tion disappears from the area, it will give way to big trees like the one in the Gallery.

Traditional Technology Gallery: The peoples of the North East are industrious in their

village surroundings. The dioramas showing pottery, wine making, basket making,

black smithy, gold smithy, weaving, wood carving, leather works and cane making

provide a quick tour of the North East with appropriate explanations.

Basketry Gallery: A wonderful diorama showcasing four different tribes (Assamese,

Karbi, Khasi and Naga) engaged in the same occupation of basket making. The reali-

5 Page 5

▲back to top

Don Bosco Centre for indigenous cultures - Shillong-India 335

stic village set up takes the visitor to the remotest corners of the North East. The in-

nermost section displays articles which people use in their homes. A feeling that one

has visited many houses in the North East accompanies the visitor as he/she moves

into the next Gallery.

Musical Instruments Gallery: This Gallery is a feast of traditional musical instru-

ments. Displaying a variety of items, this Gallery after digitization will become a

splendid best attraction, perhaps, to all music lovers.

Religion and Culture Gallery: Twelve large panels guide the visitors through the

major religious beliefs and cultures of the world. One cannot rush through it if he/she

prefers to read everything written in this Gallery.

Library: It houses some 8,500 volumes on Anthropology, Sociology, Linguistics, Mu-

seology and Culture, especially indigenous cultures. The facilities provided for

serious researchers and the quite atmosphere of the library is a good combination

for productive intellectual output.

Weapons Gallery: Weapons too are part of culture. Traditional weapons may not be

used now a days. But the Gallery preserves them to enter the past and to experience

how people struggled to protect themselves and their dear ones.

Costume and Ornaments Gallery: This is another feast of ornaments, shawls and co-

lourful tribal costumes of the North East. The Gallery has life size figures of men and

women of several tribes in their traditional dress: Nishi, Tangsa, Nocte, Apatani, Adi,

Mizo, Manipuri, Mao, Angami, Khasi, Pnar, Garo, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and Mising.

They are there as if to invite the visitors to their respective villages and to taste life

to its full tribal expressions.

Don Bosco and Culture Gallery: DBCIC is dedicated to one of the greatest Educators

and Friends of the Young, namely, Don Bosco. The Don Bosco group of Educators

are present in all the five continents and in over 150 countries. Through Academic,

Technical and Agricultural education as well as other activities, Don Bosco serves the

cause of Culture in an eminent degree. The Gallery is a continent-wise showcasing

of the service to culture around the world.

Land and Housing Pattern Gallery: Housing Pattern reveals the socio-economic si-

tuation of peoples. The Gallery provides insight into this particular aspect and guides

the visitors through North East.

Art Gallery: This is another special attraction in DBCIC. The very entrance to it is

different from other Galleries. It displays all the seven States and Sikkim by means of

their ancient artefacts and paintings. Well-designed and carefully arranged, this Art

Gallery is a place wherein the visitors are given a taste of how creative the indige-

nous peoples are.

Media and Culture Gallery: Culture is something alive. It moves forward. It meets

modern means of presentation. The Media and Culture Gallery situated in the top-

6 Page 6

▲back to top

336 Joseph Puthenpurakal

most floor of DBCIC is a welcome place to relax, to watch a dance, enjoy a cultural

celebration and see the life of someone or other who gave his/her life for the promo-

tion of the cultures of peoples. Echoless and sound proof, quite and free from any

disturbance, the Media Gallery is where useful programmes of Video, PowerPoint

presentations, etc. can be organized for groups of 150 persons at a time. Programmes

that will create an Osmosis of cultures leading to a Culture of Peace, Harmony and

Collaboration can be held in this Gallery.

6. DBCIC and Ph. D Student awards

At present 5 students are given financial assistance, thanks to NXL Torino (Noi

per Loro) to complete their Ph.D. in Anthropology, Sociology, Museology and spe-

cialization in photography and documentation. Even if they are employed outside the

DBCIC structure once they have completed their studies, they will be linked to

DBCIC and render assistance as Research Assistants to other students.

7. DBCIC Data Bank

DBCIC Library Staff have already started scanning whatever material available

to us at present to lay the foundation for a Data Bank. Our Data will be at the service

of people around the world by means of our website or e-mail.

8. DBCIC Language Institute

Its objective is to help interested people (priests, religious and lay people from

outside the respective language region but are called to work within the language area

in question) to equip themselves with the basic knowledge of local languages and

customs. The language courses that will be held every year are for learning Khasi,

Garo, Assamese Bodo and Hindi.