The Nation and Its North-East: A Critical Reading of The Ao-Naga Oral Tradition by Temsula Ao

This article will explore the idea of the Nagas through a reading of The Ao Naga Oral Tradition by Temsula Ao. Ao has made a significant contribution to the literature of north-eastern India. Her learning and exposure to the culture, customs, and heritage of her community inspired her to record the oral tradition of the Ao-Nagas. This book is the most authentic available document about the Ao-Naga community specifically, and tribes of Nagaland in general. The Ao of Nagaland inhabit a hundred villages surrounding the Mokokchung district of Nagaland. Ao was inspired by her community s racial memory and the Ao-Naga s oral tradition in its entirety that has shaped and nurtured the Ao-Naga people for so many generations. Besides exploring the ethno-cultural identities of the Naga tribe, this paper critically analyses the question of Naga identity and ethnicity in general.