WEAVING HERITAGE AND WOMEN’S CRAFT: A STUDY OF IDU MISHMI WOMEN IN THE DIBANG VALLEY OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Weaving has been a cornerstone of Idu Mishmi culture, with women historically using forest-based resources to produce textiles for household and ritual purposes. Employing the backstrap loom, Idu Mishmi women create intricately patterned cloth featuring highly detailed motifs and embroidery, a skill traditionally transmitted from mother to daughter. Historically, families relied exclusively on women for clothing, supplemented by barter with neighbouring tribes, while specialised textiles were reserved for priests and ceremonial use. This ethnographic study, based on a field survey of 251 households in Anini, Dibang Valley, documents the diversity of textile products produced by Idu Mishmi women, their socio-cultural significance, and their adaptation to contemporary market dynamics. The paper highlights traditional practices of raw material procurement, dyeing, and embroidery, and examines the challenges posed by globalisation, including competition from commercial textiles. Findings demonstrate that Idu Mishmi weaving embodies a nexus of heritage, identity, spiritual belief, and economic practice, reflecting the resilience and ingenuity of women in sustaining this living tradition.