Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 24 Feb: The United States’ Consul General in Kolkata, Melinda Pavek, along with MLA Laisam Simai released a book titled The Arunachalis – Living with Nature, documenting the cultural heritage of 17 indigenous communities of Arunachal Pradesh, in a function at the state guesthouse here on Friday.
The book was released in association with non-profit Contact Base and the state’s tourism department. The project is supported by the US Ambassadors’ Fund for Cultural Preservation.
After releasing the book, Pavek said, “As a part of the United States’ and India’s comprehensive global strategic partnership, it’s important also to highlight the
wealth of stories and experiences that come together to make our societies what they are today.
“The United States is proud to support Arunachal Pradesh’ indigenous cultures, ensuring preservation of its heritage through our US ambassadors’ fund for cultural preservations,” she said.
The field research for the book was facilitated by the tourism department. Many of the villages documented are in remote areas of the state, and the district tourism officers facilitated community consensus-building and planning for sharing and showcasing the cultural heritage elements.
The project engaged more than 450 community representatives in mapping and participating in documentation and conservation process through workshops across 39 locations.
Simai in his speech said that “Arunachal is a world within a world. We offer everything in one package – this is the beauty of Arunachal.”
He added that “the book has just documented half of Arunachal’s tribes,” and advocated continuation of the documentation process.
Simai also sought the US consulate’s assistance in building a museum in memory of the fallen heroes of the Allied forces and the Stilwell Road in Nampong, stating that “collaborative promotion of fallen heroes would enrich regional cooperation of the United States and India.”
