Arunachal: Novelist Easterine Kire calls for reclaiming indigenous narratives in Northeast

Itanagar: Renowned poet and writer Easterine Kire inaugurated a two-day national seminar at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) on Thursday with a strong call for scholars and students from the Northeast to reclaim their own stories and challenge old stereotypes.

Speaking at the seminar titled ‘Oral Culture and Tribal Knowledge System: Preservation and Praxis for Viksit Bharat’, Kire highlighted the strength and richness of the region’s oral traditions. She said that, for many years, voices from the Northeast were ignored or wrongly portrayed in mainstream platforms.

“Earlier, writers and scholars from the Northeast struggled to find space, and the mass media often added to stereotypes and the primitivisation of indigenous communities,” she noted.

Dr Kire urged writers, researchers, and cultural practitioners from the region to actively correct these distortions. She encouraged them to refuse imposed labels and confidently reclaim their identities. Celebrating indigenous heritage, she asked young scholars to write openly about their cultures and histories. “We have our own universe,” she said, reminding the audience to “safeguard our truths.”

Dean of Social Sciences Uttam K Pegu stressed the importance of documenting oral traditions in the fast-changing digital era. Seminar convener Kh Kabi also called for renewed research and stronger community involvement in studying tribal knowledge systems.

RGU Registrar NT Rikam reaffirmed the university’s commitment to supporting research on indigenous communities.

The session also included an address by RGU Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) SK Nayak, who emphasised the university’s focus on strengthening research on tribal identities, cultural expressions, and knowledge traditions.