The Sumi Naga are one of the major ethnic groups in Nagaland, India. They primarily inhabit Zunheboto, Dimapur, and Kiphire districts, though many have migrated and now reside in several other districts across Nagaland.¹
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Historically, the Sumi Naga, like other Naga tribes, practiced kiti-do and were known as headhunters before the arrival of Christian missionaries and their subsequent conversion to Christianity.² Anthropological study of the Sumi is extensively documented in The Sema Nagas by J. H. Hutton, a professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. The Sumi are recognized as one of India's Scheduled Tribes.³
Religion
The ancestral religion of the Sumi was the worship of nature. With the advent of Baptist missionaries in the 20th century, the Sumi, like other Naga tribes, are now predominantly Christian, with 99% identifying as Christian. A very small minority still practices animism.⁴
Distribution
Sumi Nagas are mostly found in the central and southern regions of Nagaland. Zunheboto is considered the Sumi district, but they also live in other districts such as Dimapur, Kohima, Wokha, Kiphire, Mokokchung, and Tuensang. There are also seven Sumi villages located in the Tinsukia District of Assam.⁵
Clan System
The genesis of the Sumi Naga tribe is also believed to have roots in Khezhakeno Village, which is claimed to be a central point in Sumi history. Sources from the Sumi (Lazami) and Khezhakeno Village confirm a historical relationship between the two communities, affirming connections predating 2000 years. According to the forefathers' versions from both villages, a group of people led by an individual named Khepiu arrived at Khezhakeno Village from Makhel, marking the beginning of the Naga generation. While every Naga tribe has its own migration narrative, the shared version states that Khepiu had a son named Sopu, whose son was Koza, Koza's son was Rou, and Rou had three sons: Khrieu (Angami), Leo (Chakhesang), and the youngest, Seo (Sumi). The Sumi tribe derives its name from Seo, and its origin is not from a tree or wood.⁶
Festivals
The Sumi celebrate numerous festivals passed down through generations. Most of these festivals traditionally mark the beginning of new seasons, the harvesting of new crops, or victories in war. The two most popular major festivals celebrated today are Tuluni and Ahuna.⁷
Tuluni
Tuluni (celebrated on July 8) is a festival of great significance for the Sumi. This occasion is characterized by elaborate feasts, as it occurs during the bountiful season of the year. Rice beer, served in bamboo goblets or from plantain leaves, is an indispensable part of the feasts. This drink is called "Tuluni," which gives the festival its name. Tuluni is also known as "Anni," a word signifying the season of plentiful crops. This mid-year festival is a time of communal harmony and merry-making. The slaughtering of pigs, cows, and mithuns is an important feature of this celebration.⁸
During Tuluni, betrothed individuals exchange basketfuls of gifts with meals, and the fiancé is invited to a grand dinner at the fiancée's residence. Siblings from both the bride's and groom's families also exchange dinners and packed food and meats, traditionally wrapped in plantain leaves. In older times, even servants and housekeepers rejoiced, being generously provided with good food and meat on this day.⁹
The practice of group farming (Aloji) is common among Sumi agriculturalists, and Tuluni is a special time for them as they rest and celebrate the completion of a hard farming season in their paddy fields. For this festival, Aloji groups pool money or resources to collectively buy and slaughter pigs and cows for the special day. The meat is equally divided, with a portion reserved for a group feast. During the feast, group leaders receive extra portions of meat. Each working group typically consists of 20 to 30 members, including several women. New recruits are also formally inducted into the group at this grand feast. Engagements are often settled during this period, and the festive fervor is accompanied by folk songs and ballads. In modern times, friends and members from other tribes and communities are invited to attend, entertained with traditional songs and dances, and served authentic Sumi cuisine, including smoked pork and axone with local herbs and vegetables.¹⁰
Due to distinct clan differences, gennas and rituals vary between the Sumi and Tukumi clans. However, among all festivals and gennas, the Sumi generally regard Tuluni as the grandest and most important.¹¹
Ahuna
Ahuna (celebrated on November 14) is the traditional post-harvest festival of the Sumi. Ahuna signifies the celebration of the season's harvest in Thanksgiving, while also invoking good fortune for the New Year. On this occasion, the entire community prepares and feasts on the first meal of rice drawn from the season's harvest, cooked in bamboo segments. The receptacles for cooking or serving are freshly made from locally available resources. Ahuna is celebrated on November 13 and 14 and now holds the status of an official festival of the Sumi Nagas because it falls in a dry season, offering better road accessibility for visitors. Nonetheless, Tuluni remains the most revered festival for the local Sumi.¹²
Sümi Ahuna marks the completion of successful agricultural work, symbolizing the time when all food items, grains, tubers, and various vegetables from the year-long farming are collected and stored in the Aleh (Granary). A main ritual is cooking newly harvested rice wrapped in Tsüzüküghü (Phrynium marantaceae leaves) or Saphaye (Aspidistra elatior) leaves in fresh-cut bamboo stems, symbolizing successful crop cultivation.¹³
Ahuna is also a time for new beginnings – charting a blueprint for the next agricultural year, known as Asüyekithe. For ancestors, it was a time for serious divination, invoking the Alhou (creator) and nature spirits to predict the next harvest. Based on forecasts, precautionary rituals were performed to appease nature spirits for a bountiful year. The forecasting ritual is performed after Ahuna rice is consumed: emptied bamboo tubes, used for cooking new rice, are split into halves and thrown in the air with specific incantations, usually by an Achine-u (priest in the old Sümi religion). If both halves land face-down or face-up, it's a bad omen; if one is face-down and the other split-side up, it's a sign of good fortune. While the old religion has largely faded and many rituals are forgotten or forbidden, the throwing of split bamboo during Ahuna is now often done for fun.¹⁴
Traditionally, the Ahuna Tiqhetini was observed for over three days after harvest. In modern times, Ahuna is celebrated as a major public event featuring cultural activities such as traditional songs and dances, traditional sports, various cultural competitions, and traditional food. The Government of Nagaland has declared November 14 as the Sümi Ahuna, one of the State festivals of Nagaland.¹⁵
Notes
"2011 Census of India," Government of India, accessed July 20, 2025,
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html J. H. Hutton, The Sema Nagas (London: Macmillan and Co., 1921), 1-10.
"Scheduled Tribes," Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, accessed July 20, 2025,
https://tribal.nic.in/content/scheduled-tribes "Sumi Festivals," National Informatics Centre, Nagaland State Unit, Kohima, accessed July 20, 2025,
https://nagaland.nic.in/portal/web/nagaland/culture-and-tourism/festivals/sumi-festivals Ibid.
Inavi Jimomi, SUMI NAGA: The Origin and Migration of the Sumi Naga (Dimapur: Heritage Publishing House, 2018), ISBN 978-93-87837-10-2.
"Sumi Festivals," National Informatics Centre.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
