Resource Use Pattern among the Ethnic Groups of Eastern Himalaya: A Reflection over Nyshi, Monpa and Apatani Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

The eastern most State of Arunachal Pradesh is inhabited by as many as 25 major tribes and more that 110 sub tribes each having their own customary institutions of resource management, exchange and distribution guided by its respective customary laws (Duarah,1990). In a communitarian economy like Arunachal Pradesh, all available natural resources are used to manage by the various ethnic groups of the State. However, incursion of macroeconomic factors to the traditional tribal society brought about significant changes in the traditional society in terms of community resources availability, social norms and thoughts, identities of property right institutions, livelihood strategy, etc. The process gradually results in losing the well-defined identities of Common Property Resources [1] as well as the strength of some age-old traditional institution like Kebang of Adi, Nyats of Nyshi, etc. which has led to a situation of class conflicts among the tribes and degradation of environment.