The Sümis are a major Naga ethnic group inhabiting the territories of Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. Anthropological study of the Sümis is documented in the book The Sema Nagas by J. H. Hutton, who was a Professor of Social Anthropology in the University of Cambridge. The Sümi people are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (STs) by India. The ancestral religion of the Sümis was the worship of nature. With the arrival of Baptist missionaries in the 20th century, like other Naga ethnic groups, today, Sümis are 99% Christians. Very few of them still practice animism. Sümi Nagas mostly inhabit the central and southern regions of Nagaland. Zünheboto is the district of the Sümis and they also live in districts such as Chümoukedima, Dimapur, Kiphire, Kohima, Mokokchung, Niuland, Tuensang, Wokha, etc. There are also seven Sümi villages in Tinsukia District of Assam.
The Sumi tribe of Nagas uses several ecological indicators to facilitate agricultural practices and predict seasonal variation; but this wisdom is vanishing with the passage of time. One bright sunny morning, residents of Shiyepu village in Nagaland’s Zunheboto district, head to church dressed up in their Sunday best and carrying umbrellas. The latter accessory is perplexing, given the clear weather. But the church-goers know something that even weather forecasters do not—bees in the village (both Asiatic honeybee or Apis cerana and stingless bee or Trigona iridipennis) did not leave their hives that morning, indicating a prospect of rain. Sure enough, it soon starts to drizzle. This premonition is just one bit of a vast body of knowledge that the Sumi Naga tribe has gathered through generations of observation and passed down orally and through cultural practices.
Tuluni festival is a significant occasion in Nagaland that is celebrated by different clans of the Sumi tribe on July 8. The ‘Sumi Naga’ is one of the major ethnic groups in Nagaland, India. Tuluni festival is celebrated with feasts and merry-making as the occasion occurs in the bountiful season of the year and at the end of the dry season and the beginning of new fruits. The group of Sumi accepts the festival of Tuluni as the grandest and important one. Here is the history, significance and celebration of Tuluni festival of the Sumi tribe. The Sumi Naga community is primarily agrarian and depends on forests for both food and livelihood. So several of the indicators facilitate agricultural practices and predict seasonal variation. For instance, fruiting of mulberry (Morus) trees indicates spring and their harvest means summer is here. Then, to predict winter, the Sumi tribe uses a universal, reliable indicator—migrating birds. The arrival of wag tails (Motacilla) from eastern Asia and Amur falcons (Falco amurensis) from Siberia to Nagaland in October every year, enroute to Africa, means winter is nigh.
The Sumis are one of the major tribes among the Nagas of North East India who are known for their brave and benevolent nature. They primarily inhabit the Zunheboto district of Nagaland, NE India, and are known for their unique culinary practices. Most of the raw materials used for the preparation of ethnic food products are natural resources indigenously available, as majority of the people live in villages surrounded by dense forest. The traditional method of preparation and mode of consumption vary according to the clan or village, and the food products are prepared at the household level. The diversity of ethnic food habits also differs within the various sub-tribes according to their custom, region and ethos. The art of indigenous food preparation, the products and their culinary value have been well documented.
Tuluni festival exhibits great importance to the Sumi Nagas of Nagaland. The Sumi people reside in parts leaning towards NorthEast India. Tuluni is one among many popular festivals of Nagaland and is of superior adherence to the Sumi people. People usually celebrate this festival with pompous gusto. The tribes of Nagaland take great efforts and pride in celebrating their harvest and seasonal festivals. A festival is always in order before and after every harvest season. Tuluni is a harvest festival of the Sumi tribe. People who work effortlessly in farms throughout the year relax during this festival and celebrate with delight. It is in the Sumi culture to arrange betrothal of young couples during the festival. The remainder of the festival is celebrated in the heavy observance and execution of various age old rituals and ceremonies. Various things are prepared like rice wine and beer. Animals are slaughtered for meat which is then used in feasts and parties. People allow themselves to drink to their heart’s content. Goblets are crafted out of plantation leaves to serve home prepared rice beer. Gifts and ornate tokens are exchanged and appreciation is expressed. The festival celebrates the joy of people for a very fruitful season. Prayers are initiated and Gods are presented with beer prepared out of rice. Food is also given as offering on leaves.
The Sumi Naga who mostly inhabit Zunheboto district of the state of Nagaland in Northeast India were mentioned in the colonial census reports for the first time in 1891. During the census operations, the criteria for identifying tribes kept changing according to the administrative policies. As such, the 1901 Census Operation identified tribes as those who practiced “animism.” This definition came at the backdrop of E.B. Tylor’s classic Primitive Culture published in 1871. E.B. Tylor, who was a strident critic of Max Müller’s theory of naturism, coined the term animism to distinguish the religion of “primitive” peoples from that of advanced cultures. The idea inherent in Tylor’s animism thesis was that tribes occupy the lowest stage of cultural evolution. Thus, it does not come as a surprise that J.H. Hutton, who published his monograph The Sema Nagas, labeled the Sumi religion as animism. The significance of this definition is that the Sumi, who were known.
The Sumi men typically wear a circular cap made of goat’s hair and often adorned with hornbill feathers. They usually drape a red shawl around their upper torso and over one shoulder. Their lower body is covered in an apron decorated with cowrie shells and goat hair. As a nod to their headhunter roots, they hold a spear in one hand and a dao, a kind of sword, in the other. Women (not pictured here) typically wear headgear made of cane and goat’s hair. They drape a mekhala or rectangular piece of cloth in the form of a skirt around their lower bodies, kept in place with the help of a beaded girdle. These are typically worn with blouses. The Sumis are one of the major tribes in Nagaland and are recognised among India’s scheduled tribes. Geographically, they are spread across central and southern regions of Nagaland and some parts of Assam. Like other Naga tribes, the Sumis were headhunters and animists, meaning they worship nature. After the arrival of Baptist missionaries in the 20th century, the Sumis became predominantly Christian; very few of them continue to practice animism. Sumi says, “Our tribe is called Sema in English— a name bestowed upon us at the time of the Raj. We gave into what was called modern thinking at the time and seldom referred to ourselves as Sumis. It’s only now that we are getting back to our roots.” Anthropological study of the Sumis is documented in the book The Sema Nagas by JH Hutton, a professor of social anthropology at the University of Cambridge. The Sumis celebrate two big festivals annually: Tuluni, in July to mark the completion of the farming season, and Ahuna, a harvest festival celebrated in November.
A festival of feast and merry-making to mark the end of dry season and the beginning of new fruits, known as the Tuluni festival in Nagaland, is celebrated by different clans of Sumi tribe across the state on July 8. Originally celebrated for seven days, the Tuluni festival is celebrated to rejoice the most abundant and fruitful season of the year in Nagaland. The festival was marked by prayers and offerings to Litsaba – the deity of fruitfulness who gives life and protection to the crops. Originally celebrated for seven days, the Tuluni festival is celebrated to rejoice the most abundant and fruitful season of the year in Nagaland. “This is a premier festival of Sumi Naga tribe and it is held on July 8 every year. This festival is marked primarily after the sowing season over so that the people who are expecting the olden days, the people who are rich, it’s a time to give out and reach out to the poor and share with them.”
During the Tuluni Festival in Nagaland, a goblet is made with plantain leaf to serve the rice beer. Tulani is the name of this wine consumed by the Sumi tribe. “anni’ is another name for ‘Tuluni’ meaning the season of plenteous crops. To make the celebrations much more joyous, it is during the Tuluni festival that the fiancé is invited over to the fiancee’s place, and the young couples exchange gifts. Engaged couples get married and start their new lives, and all are fed lavishly with meat and other delicious food. In addition, there are folk songs and ballads that are sung to keep the spirit of the festival high. Tuluni Festival in Nagaland is a significant festival celebrated by the Sumi Naga tribe. This festival is celebrated to rejoice in the most abundant and fruitful season of the year in Nagaland. The Sumi tribe in Nagaland celebrates the Tuluni Festival with splendor and grandeur. During the Tuluni Festival, there are prayers and offerings given to Litsaba, the deity of fruitfulness who gives life and protection to the crops.
World Mythology 
