For centuries, the Konyak tribe of Nagaland nurtured a vibrant culture steeped in ancient traditions, spiritual rituals, and a profound connection to the land. This exhibition traces the dramatic transformation wrought by colonial intrusion—a force that dismantled Indigenous governance, uprooted traditional customs, and imposed a foreign socio-economic order. The colonial era not only eroded the Konyak tribe's ancestral practices but also paved the way for a sweeping conversion to Christianity. This conversion, often implemented with little regard for the tribe's rich heritage, further diluted the cultural fabric that had defined their identity for generations and reframed their heritage as savage and backwards.
As colonial policies reconfigured land ownership and resource distribution, the Konyak people found themselves marginalized, their economic systems disrupted, and their social structures fractured. The legacy of these imposed changes is starkly visible today in the widespread poverty and cultural dislocation that continue to afflict the community
