By H H Mohrmen
We are at a very important juncture in our journey as a society because right now we are struggling with how we are going to define our identity. For the majority of the population, identity as a tribe is profoundly connected to lineage; yet for others, it is not. It is also true that change happens and we continue to evolve with time, but this issue needs to be debated with a clear view of the future and a sound mind. Let me begin by telling you a story.
I was trying to explain the importance, complexities, and intricacies of the clan system in the Hynñiew Trep Society to Dr. Richard Ford of Clark University in the USA but was not very successful. I then asked him, “Dr. Ford, are you by any chance related to Henry Ford, the inventor of the motor car?” to which he answered, “No, not at all. Why?” I then said, “Well, that is the difference.” I also added, “If there is a Mohrmen in Hong Kong or a person whose clan name is Laloo, Lamin, or for that matter, a Diengdoh, Marngar or even a Pariong anywhere in the world and is originally from here, I am certain that he is my clan.” The clan system is part of our unique culture and identity where lineage is taken from the mother, but is that all? Is it really just about taking the lineage from the mother’s clan line?
It ss about our Origin
Every Hynñiew Trep sub-tribe shares the same genesis or creation story, albeit with some variations. Different clans also have their progenitor’s stories. The creation story tells us about how the 7 huts came down to Earth while the 9 remained in heaven, but the Ïawbei or Seiñjeit stories tell us the origins of different Ïawbei or how particular clans started. Ïawbei stories also tell us about the migration of the Seiñjeit of the particular clan. Ïawbei stories not only tell us about the genesis of that particular clan but also about the Niamtre or Niam Tynrai in that particular Raid and about the Raid itself. One will not understand the Raid or the Niam Tynrai in the particular area without knowing the story of the primary clans of the region.
Clan system’s link with Raid formation
Raid is an important traditional institution, sometimes spelled Raj. Raj is a borrowed term like for example the British Raj, but Raid is the primary institution in the Hynñiew Trep people’s local administrative system. In the Khasi hills, the local administrative system comprises of two tiers: the Raid and then the Hima, whereas in Jaiñtia Hills there is the Raid, the Elaka, and the Hima. One study suggested that people migrated to Jaiñtia in groups that formed the Raid. A group of people moved to one area and settled there while others moved to different areas, which is how people settled in the region.
There is evidence showing that the Ïawbei stories have a profound connection to Raid formation. Raids were formed by primary clans who settled first in the area and later assigned roles and responsibilities among themselves to different traditional offices. This explains why a certain Kur is assigned a specific traditional office and the others different offices were assigned to the other clans. Clan stories tell us about migration, settlement, and how Raids were formed and why certain clans were designated specific traditional offices. The reason why only members of a certain clan can contest in the election to the Daloiship is also prescribed in the clan’s story.
Clan not limited to one’s family tree
The Ïawbei story tells us not just about one clan but also about the other sub-clans related to it, because one clan has many Kurs that belong to the same clan. The Soo kpoh in Jowai, which started from the four divine females, further subdivided into the “Khatar wyrnai” (12 sub-clans). The San Syngkong is the grand clan of the five clans, which include the Shylla, Pariat, Pde, Blah, and Thangkhiew. The Ïawchibidi is the grand clan of the Lamin, Laloo, Diengdoh, Pariong, Marngar, and many other sub-clans because all these clans share the same Ïawbei story. Hence clan stories tell us about the clan and also about the different clans related to it.
It is about the Father too
We often hear people saying that in Khasi society, everybody is related to somebody in some way because a person already has a clan with many sub-clans, and then there are “ki kha ki man,” our relations on our father’s side. The father’s entire clan is one’s Kha or relative on the father’s side. Relationships also include the families to which one’s brother or sister is married; they are your ‘hep’ and ‘kynum,’ and you are related to the entire in-law’s clan. It is not just about lineage but also about all kinds of relationships based on the clan that the person belongs to. The essence of the culture is the clan, and everything revolves around it. A person without a clan is like a tree without its roots.
Triumph of culture
In 1989-90, I was a student at the Unitarian College in Manchester, part of the Northern Federation for training ministers, where ministerial students from the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, and the United Reforms Church were also trained. The place we stayed in was called Luther King House, and a Baptist Ph.D. scholar, knowing that I came from a matrilineal society, decided to interview me. One of the questions she asked was, “How did your community, which is a matrilineal society, react to Christianity, which was founded on male-dominant culture and basically promotes a patriarchal system?” I did not have an answer to this particular question then. Perhaps, I did not see the issue as a crisis because there was no conflict between the two.
There was no conflict in accepting Christianity while continuing to live with our matrilineal culture because our culture is so accommodating. Khasi converts retained much of their culture, such as their dress, food habits, striving for the common good, reverence for nature and the dead, support for bereaved families, respect for both maternal and paternal families, and other tribal values. Their new religion and their culture complement each other.
The version of Christianity that came here was not aggressive and did not force people to abandon their culture, unlike in some other parts of the world. Instead, it allowed people to continue living their culture.
Imagine if it were another Abrahamic religion in place of Christianity; the story would be different. People would have to adopt the culture of their new religion because it comes with its own culture and ethos. If it were a version of Christianity that eliminated the culture of indigenous people in the USA, Canada, and Latin America, the outcome would be no different from what happened in those countries. Christianity and the matrilineal family system have somehow coexisted in our society. The two not only complement each other but Christianity thrives in the matrilineal culture.
Identity-based benefits
There are also allegations that people continue with the clan system because of the benefits they derive from being a Scheduled Tribe. However, this argument does not hold water because people’s lives are intricately linked with their culture. Every aspect of people’s lives is linked to their culture, and the clan is the bedrock on which the culture is based. It is therefore wrong to say that people keep the tradition just to enjoy the benefits that come with it because their culture is their way of life. It is not about the benefits they enjoy from belonging to a Scheduled tribe, but the culture is an intrinsic part of their lives and they live by it.
The way forward
Our society is at the crossroads, and it is also true that everything evolves and changes with time. It is for us to decide which path to take. We can draw inspiration from our ancestors, incorporate new thoughts and approaches, and focus on the bigger picture. Our identity is linked to our stories, but ultimately, it is how we decide to approach the issue and move forward as a community that is important. Our duty is to avoid dividing our already small tribe. Rather than dividing ourselves between “them and us” or demeaning and calling others half-breed, let us find ways to accommodate ourselves. After all, we are one. Let us remember that there is no such thing as a pure breed or blue-blood. Depending on what you believe, we all originated from the same origin. It could be the seven huts, the Garden of Eden, or the women from Africa; we are one from the beginning. The question is whether our identity is about lineage only?