The Wancho’s of Aruanchal Pradesh

Only a population of 35k identifies the tribe in Arunachal pradesh as "Wanchos".They exist in the Patkai hills, in the north western part of the Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh which is a state in north eastern part of india.

 Before the independence of India in 1947, the Wancho’s were popularly known as a tribe of furious head hunting warriors of Arunachal. According to mythology, the word Wancho is derived from local term Wang-cho, which means the hill man of Wang follower or hill man who lived under the ruler or king. The word Wang stands for Wang (king) and Cho means Hillman.

The Wanchos are essentially head hunters, they use the skulls to adorn themselves and their dwellings. It is believed that the British had forced them to bury all their skulls, however some are still believed to be hidden and kept in ‘morungs’ ( men’s houses), where the father teaches his son to become a man. The Wanchos converse in the local dialect that is of Tibeto- Burman family.

This tribe is known for their art of tattooing. For them tattooing is a way to relive their golden past. The tattoos are pertinent in the leg of Wancho men, however they also have their faces covered with the tattoos.

They are also well known for their art of wood carving. Wancho wood carving was earlier associated mainly with head hunting and human head dominated everything that they made. Of late there has been a departure from the traditional fixed form in many carved figures. Symmetrical postures are replaced by asymmetrical ones, relief works are being experimented in various themes.
They are a very colorful tribe who adorn themselves with a lot of jewellery. Women wear bangles, beads and necklaces made up of silver coins. Women are well skilled in the art of weaving. They also have interesting and striking jewellery carved out of their hunts of animals.