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The Aka are also known as Hrusso. They are concentrated in the Thrinzo area in West Kameng and certain parts of East Kameng. Of the fair-complexioned, well-built, flat-nosed and prominent cheek-boned people of Mongoloid stock, they inhabit at regions with an elevation between 3000 and 6000 feet. Their Hrusso dialect belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. They live west of the Sherdukpen and east of the Nishi.
The Aka society have a head called the Nichleu-Nuggo. Often a Gaon Burah (village headman) is a Nichleu-Nuggo. They are also divided into two social classes: The Kutsun and the Kevatsum. Their patrichial society allows Polygamy to be practised. Marriage can be done by the common way of negotiations or by elopements. Cross cousin marriage is preferred to others. Mithun are essential part of the bride price for marriage. The Hrusso house is an elongated structure. The Hrussos has the prominent tattoo marks in the face. The Hrussos observed a number of ceremonies in the village. The most important community festival is known as Nechido, performed by village priest once in a year.
The Akas have patroned of Vaishnava scholars for 30 long generations during the ancient times. Due to this, Hindu influence can be seen in their religious rituals and customs. Tibetan Buddhist ideas have also overlay onto their religious beliefs, rituals, customs and Arts. Their colorful culture enabled the women to make colorful bags. The most popular handicraft are basket aking and wood carving, which is more popular among men. On their bags, a Chinese fence design is made the Hrussos say that it represents the Jana flower. This flower is said to have been named after a great Tibetan Raja, so great that he had the power of talking to the sun. He had an enormous palace opens on all four sides, and could accommodate the sun within it. Everyday he was born at the rising of the sun; by midday, he grew into a youth: by evening he was old and went down with the sun into darkness. The next morning he was born again. When he left the earth, the many coloured Jana flower sprang up in his place.
They practice shifting cultivation, known as Jhum or Jhumming. They keep Mithun, cow, horse, goat, pig and poultry. The hunters practice hunting with spears.
The Akas are worshippers of Donyi Polo and Abo Teni, the primal man. Their religion involves a lot of magical superstitions, often using magic to torture and punish people. The most popular form of magic is Shizou. A man who has a quarrel with some person and is overwhelmed with a feeling of revenge and if he is a little versed in magical knowledge may take resort to this form of magic. He may slaughter a dog and take out its blood. He sprinkles the blood up on his enemy without being detected or throw a few drops of blood into his enemy's house or burn them in his enemy's hearth. If the magic bears result, the person is supposed to lose his life.
The Aka men tie their hair in the middle of the head in a knot, while the women wear it at the back. The cap of the Akas is made of cane about three inches high, which includes one or two tall feathers in front. The men usually wear a kind of toga, made of Assamese silk. The women also wear a long dark red garment which reaches up to the ankles. The rich Aka women wear a pretty fillet of silver chain-work round the head. They used to wear large vase shaped earrings made of silver and necklaces of coloured beads. The women tattoo their beautiful faces in an artistic pattern of a straight line running below the forehead to the chin. A cream and lipstick called lingchong made from the extract of pine-resin used by the Aka women. The men wear a toga, and the womenfolk, wear a long garment of dark red which reaches up to the ankles. However, not everybody can wear any cloth among the Aka. Among the Aka aristocracy alone could wear the Tibetan knobbed hat, and in the past, there were restrictions and the use of the use of the Assamese silk.
They built on houses on raised platforms at least about 6 feet above the land. Within the house, they are further sub-divided into three compartments. Raw materials such as bamboo, wooden planks and cane leaves are used for building house.The granaries are built at a little distance from the main house.
The Aka are agriculturalists. Like most of the other tribal groups, the Jhum Slash-and-burn agriculture is practised. This include sowing, which is done by removing a little earth. Pams, or temporary huts, are built near the field to guard the crops from the animals. A group of grown boys are employed in pams. The staple food of Akas is maize and millet. They plant leaves, pulses, potato, rice, meat etc for food. They take drinks locally made from fermented maize and millet. They have varieties of drinks namely, Lao pani, Mingri and the Aarah.
Marriage in Aka society can take place either by way of negotiation or by the romantic way of capture. Polygamy is fairly common in Aka society. Cross-cousins are allowed as well. The Aka trace their descent in the Patriachial point of view.
References
- WebIndia Akas (http://www.webindia123.com/arunachal/people/akas0.htm)
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