Female Dormitory Institutions of the Zeme Nagas by Yihingle Ndang

 1. Review of the Paper

This paper explores the female dormitory system (Releiki) of the Zeme Naga community in Northeast India. Traditionally, Zeme villages maintained both male (Rehangki) and female (Releiki) dormitories, which were far more than sleeping spaces. They served as centers of education, oral traditions, storytelling, music, and cultural training, shaping the collective identity of the community.

The author highlights that while male dormitories have been widely studied, female dormitories remain undervalued in historical and anthropological accounts. Through folk songs, oral histories, and women’s narratives, this research restores the importance of Releiki as a cultural institution.

The paper also addresses the decline of dormitory institutions due to the spread of Christianity, modern schooling, and social change. This shift led to the erosion of women’s roles in oral history, folk singing, and traditional art forms. Yet, the memories of weaving songs, rituals, and collective life within Releiki demonstrate how women preserved identity, resisted gendered limitations, and contributed to knowledge systems.

👉 In sum, this is an important feminist re-reading of Naga traditions, showing how women’s spaces like the Releiki were central to community life, cultural continuity, and the preservation of oral heritage.

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2. Extracting English-Similar Words for a Dictionary

From the paper, many Zeme words and phrases were used, often with English explanations. I’ve extracted the ones that can form a mini dictionary:

Zeliangrong–English Glossary (Rongmei, Zeme, Liangmai)

Tribe / Term	English Meaning	Cultural Context
Rongmei – Gaan Ngai	Winter festival	Major Rongmei post-harvest festival; includes rituals, songs, dances, and honoring ancestors.
Rongmei – Namthi	Rice beer	Traditional brew offered in festivals and rituals, symbol of hospitality.
Rongmei – Napkaomei	Village council	Traditional governing body that handles justice, land, and community issues.
Rongmei – Tingkao Ragwang	Supreme God	The creator deity worshipped by the Rongmei and other Zeliangrong tribes.
Rongmei – Khangchiu	Male dormitory	Institution for young men, similar to Zeme rehangki, where training and socialization occurred.
Rongmei – Luchiu	Female dormitory	Equivalent to Zeme releiki, where young women learned folk songs, weaving, and cultural duties.
Zeme – Releiki	Female dormitory	Space for young Zeme women’s collective life, music, and oral traditions until marriage.
Zeme – Rehangki	Male dormitory	Space for male youth training in warfare, rituals, and community leadership.
Zeme – Bungtak	Village founding ritual	Sacred mithun ritual marking new settlements.
Zeme – Kizeupui	House mother	Woman caretaker of female dormitories.
Liangmai – Hega Ngi	Seed-sowing festival	Liangmai’s biggest festival, similar in significance to Rongmei’s Gaan Ngai.
Liangmai – Marui	Sacred feast	Ritual feast involving mithun, performed for prosperity and social honor.
Liangmai – Duilou	Ancestral spirits	Honored in rituals and oral traditions.
Common – Tingwang / Tingkao Ragwang	Creator God	Worshipped across Zeliangrong tribes (Rongmei, Zeme, Liangmai) as the supreme deity.
Common – Mithun (Bos frontalis)	Semi-domesticated bison	Central to rituals, wealth status, and village founding across Zeliangrong tribes.

Zisaji Presidency College, Kiphire, India. The Highlander Journal, Volume 4 (1): 2025, 38–4

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16080987

© Yihingle Ndang, 2025. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence