Packing for college was an exciting activity for Imu considering that this was going to be her first time leaving her hometown of seventeen years and going to a college in another state. As her stomach filled with a heavy sense of impending doom; probably because of excitement and jittery nerves, she did a double check on all her belongings packed in her brown trolley which her elder sister had packed.
Sisterly Debates Over a Packing List
Eeee! Aecha aesya? Ngada. Nga aecha thuwe gimbaw gumda! Aecha nu chi Etopolo ni Thuwe. Naniapiya mein college gimbana laada. Eeee. Ngada. Kesha gum. Nga gimbaw gum. Yoh! Gimbana. Ngada. Ngada. Ngada!!
Eee. What is this? No! I am not taking this thuwe with me. This is your Etopolo and Thuwe. Naniapiya has told you to take it with you to your college. Eeee. No. This is not even pretty. I am not taking it. Oh c’mon. Take this with you. No. No. No!!
But after multiple back and forth between the two sisters which lasted for more than half an hour the result was final. Imu would be taking her ‘boring’ traditional Etopolo (top) and Thuwe (wrap around skirt) with her to college. Although Imu had kept her end of the bargain she promised herself she would not be taking these clothes out from her bag any time soon.
The Arrival of Indigenous Faith Day
College started and so did new adventures and lessons. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months and soon it was the Indigenous Faith Day of Arunachal Pradesh. In the midst of tribal students excited to flaunt their traditional attire Imu found herself nervous at the thought of wearing hers.
Anatomy of Idu Mishmi Textile Art
The Idu Mishmi textile pattern consists of simple geometric shapes which are decorated with smaller colourful shapes. The primary colours used in Idu Mishmi textiles are Black, dark or bright orange, white. Different cloth pieces have different colour themes. For instance- when weaving a traditional Thuwe which is a wrap around skirt the colours used are mostly black, dark or bright orange, white and shimmering yarn is also used for embellishments. The design on a Thuwe is weaved on a black background with rows of diamond shaped motifs filled with smaller diamonds in shiny silver, white or brighter colours of green or bright orange. A traditional everyday Etoma, a coat also has the same colour scheme as the Thuwe. Another coat known as Anatubru is a more colourful version consisting of bright yellow rectangular strips with black, red and green geometric shaped embroidery. The warrior coat known as Etondre is made out of thicker yarn or wool. It is mostly in a symmetrical black and white design.
Natural Weaving on a Wooden Loom
In the earlier days the Idu Mishmi people would use nettle plants to make yarn and natural plant dyes for the colours. Every loom set was different and had multiple components for multiple attires. Since the clothes were curated out of natural raw products it was a time taking process taking up to four to five months. Thus each clothing piece was appreciated and cost a lot. When Imu was in high school she remembered how her naniapiya weaved different sets of Thuwe for different occasions. The simpler ones made mostly out of one single colour could be weaved in a week and would cost around 1000-1500 Rs. While the ones which had Joṁ (embroidery/ weaving designs) were much costlier considering the amount of time and precision it took to complete one. The cost of the latter would start from 3000-6000 Rs.
Intergenerational Lessons on the Loom
Imu remembered how she had to accompany her aunty during the initial phase of setting up the wooden loom for weaving. She would pass the ball of black yarn to her aunty who would be sitting in front of the loom; one hand waiting for the ball at point A and passing it to the other hand through the horizontal opening at point B. As the duo repeated this process till a black piece of desired outcome could be seen they would be sharing anecdotes from everyday life, incidents of great curiosity, home remedies and life lessons from school and the farm.
The Transformation in the Mirror
As the D-day approached, Imu found herself contemplating if her attire would be pretty enough or if it would be too plain and simple. A pinch of nervousness and a bucket load of hopefulness later Imu looked at herself in the mirror. She looked pretty. Why did she think her clothes made her ugly? Perhaps it looked boring to her because she had always seen it be made out of simple balls of yarn and had worn it multiple times on multiple occasions that she forgot how colourful it was and how beautiful her clothes made her feel. She was wearing a lekopo, a traditional necklace made out of small white beads and bigger red beads, her silver earrings or andisu and her aakuchi (purse) made her resemble her naniapiya, her mother’s elder sister.
Complementary Colors of the Adi Gale
Mimi, her Adi friend, was also wearing her traditional attire of Ulta Galuk (top) of a dark black colour and Gale (wrap around skirt) of a bright red colour with horizontal thin black rows. Her look was complimented with a traditional necklace Aane, made up of silver coins and beads.
Roots and Modernity in Harmony
As the two friends joined their classmates all adorning their traditional attires with pride and gusto, Imu realised how important her clothes made her feel. Every attire was different, colourful and beautiful. Each attire had a story to tell and a tradition to be preserved and proud of. She was part of a connection between her traditional roots and the modern world. Her embarrassment crumbled as she paraded hand in hand with her peers, the sun shining brightly at the ongoing procession and a smile breaking into her young heart.
