Lifestyle of Nyishi

Key Takeaways

The staple diet of the Nyishis consists of a staple diet, rice with meat and vegetables on the side and bamboo shoots are used to flavour the food
The men and women have different attires depending on the occassion
They nurture a symbiotic relationship with nature

The staple diet of the Nyishis consists of a staple diet, rice with meat and vegetables on the side and bamboo shoots are used to flavour the food.
Their local liquor is a beer called Opo brewed from fermented rice and millets. The millet beer is called foye opo and rice beer is called Ponda opo
Their hunting equipment also includes a short knife, and a canned backpack. They also wear a cane belt. The Nyishis’ hunting attire also includes a silver bracelet, bead necklaces and stone studded earrings. Big bows are used for hunting big animals and the arrow tip has poison lathered on it which they get in from the snow capped mountains.
The Nyishis men have a typical style of tying their hair into a bun in front of their head with colour cloth or threads, two brass squires across the bun which is also used as weapons when necessary.
They can easily be identified with unique and striking helmets and mounted with the beak of the hornbill and decorated with its feathers. Upon the enforcement of wildlife protection laws and a ban on killing hornbills, nowadays wooden structures of hornbill beak are used in making this traditional head gear.
Women look stunning in their white and red attire, they adorn themselves with beautiful accessories such as metal waist bands, bracelets made of brass and silver (kota), silver earrings (Rubin), bead necklace and head bands made of honey wax, most of the Nyishis women carry a basket to pick firewood or grains from the fields.
They used to wear black coloured fabric when they used to go for agricultural practices and a white coloured fabric during the wedding. the wide long beaded necklaces are called Sutru, and the one with bells and beads is called Juhu.
The priest carries a small knife called Lyechi, and a stick with feathers of the eagle called Viyen which is used to give blessings. The priest wear different type of necklaces mostly blue, yellow and white beads called tassag, Chugri and “Tadu”.
The people wear traditional clothes during Nyukum festival including airy robe, adorned with jewellery and apply rice power paste on their faces as part of the custom. Men wear different types of head gears with are decorated with feathers, furs of wild animals. The wood crafted beak of the hornbill is a favourite ornament in their traditional attire.