A Nocte warrior dressed in battle regalia flourishes a dao, a tribal spear, for effect. His helmet is made of woven cane adorned with boars’ tusks and goat hair, believed to empower him with aggressiveness and swiftness--characteristics of those animals. Once famed for fierceness in combat and headhunting, the tribe is now renowned for its dramatic war dances. Closely related to the nearby Konyak Naga tribe, many Nocte have become Vaishnavites under the influence of the plains people of Assam. Despite their change in lifestyle, most Nocte still embrace animist beliefs.

Longding, Tirap District,
Arunachal Pradesh

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