Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine
The Apatanis are a major ethnic group residing in the valleys of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India. These photos provide glimpses into their distinct civilization and colorful culture.
A distinct civilization
The image shows an ariel view of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. The valley is home to more than 37,000 members of the Apatani. The tribe has a distinct civilization with systematic land use practices and rich traditional ecological knowledge of natural resource management and conservation.
Nose plugs
Tadu Relung, shown in this picture, is the oldest Apatani woman alive in Ziro Valley. Apatani women are famous for their bizarre nose plugs and facial tattoos. The nose plugs are called Yaping Hullo. They are made from wood found in the forest. Nowadays, only older women are wearing the nose plugs, as the government banned them in the early 1970s.
A new attraction
Why the women wear the nose plugs is disputed. While some say they are for beauty, others believe they are to protect the women from being kidnapped by rival tribes. As the number of women wearing the nose plugs dwindles, there is a new attraction in the region: kiwi wine. In recent years, the Apatani, famed for their agricultural skills, have increased their production and sales of kiwi wine.
Kiwi winery
Until recently, Arunachal Pradesh's kiwi farmers were withdrawing from cultivation of the fruit. In 2016, Takhe Rita, who belongs to the tribe and studied agriculture engineering, decided to invest in a boutique winery in her native village. In 2017, she launched Naara-Aaba, a pure kiwi wine that is made from the organic fruit sourced from her personal orchard as well as other farms in the state.
Long process
The fermentation process takes 7-8 months. The wine is also available in the neighboring states of Assam and Meghalaya. There are plans to export it outside India as well. Rita's initiative also trains and supports local farmers who cultivate kiwi fruit, by providing them with a buyback assurance.
New income source
The Apatani couple, Tilling Chada and Tilling Yaneng, have been growing kiwi for many years. Kiwi wine, they say, gives them a new possibility to earn a living. According to them, "Growing kiwi is like raising your own children. You have to give them your love and care for almost three years before the first harvest season starts."
Organic cultivation
Thanks to the wine, many kiwi farmers in Ziro Valley are back to their original occupation, and now have a sustainable source of income. Kiwis in the region are grown organically and the abundant sunshine in Ziro contributes to optimum growth of the fruit. The rolling hill slopes of the Ziro Valley are now filled with clusters of kiwi.