The Wancho Headhunters
Eastern Arunachal Pradesh
Nestled in the Patkai range of eastern Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Myanmar and Nagaland, lives the Wancho Nagas, one of the last remaining headhunters in India. The Nagas are a community that majorly lives in Nagaland but also in parts of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Burma. They were mostly headhunters in the past, until the government banned the practice in the 1960s.The Wancho Nagas have a very unique style of face and chest tattoo, which only the headhunters and warriors got. These tattoos are all hand-poked with materials sourced from nature.
Wangnyei chilling with his grandchildren
Wangchung posing with his weapons which he used for head hunting but now uses for animal hunting and farming
Headhunting was not a one-man job. It often involved a group of warriors. The warriors who participated in these hunts got a V-shaped tattoo made on their chest, while the warrior who brought the head as a trophy got his face tattooed.
These hunts were generally organized for revenge killing or over land disputes
Making a mouse trap
The animal skulls hanging outside their houses represent the number of feasts they have held. Most Wancho houses will have at least one trophy skull hanging outside their house.
Tahyem sitting infront of his trophy decorated house
