Understanding the role of Priest among the Galo Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh

This paper is about the role and significance of the Nyibu (priest) in the socio-religious life of the Galo tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, an indigenous community residing in the East Siang, West Siang, and Leparada districts. The Galo, who belong to the Tani branch of the Tibeto-Burman linguistic family, rely on a rich oral tradition to preserve their cultural heritage, and the Nyibu stands as its central custodian. Drawing on primary fieldwork interviews conducted between 2015 and 2016, this study explores the multifaceted functions of the priest across the entire social life cycle from birth and marriage to death, economic activity, warfare, and epidemic response. The paper highlights the practice of divination (Kaanam) as an indispensable diagnostic ritual, the symbolic significance of dreams in priestly guidance, and the Nyibu's dual role as both spiritual mediator and community decision-maker. The study finds that the Nyibu is not a full-time religious specialist but integrates sacred responsibilities with everyday occupations, underscoring the organic embeddedness of priesthood within Galo social fabric. While modernisation, education, and religious conversion pose challenges to the continuity of these traditions, the paper argues that the Nyibu remains an irreplaceable pillar of Galo indigenous identity. The study contributes to the anthropological understanding of tribal religious specialists in Northeast India and calls for sustained documentation of indigenous knowledge systems before they are irreversibly lost.