Agriculture is the main occupation of the tribe and they have a unique way of knowing plantation season for different crops by observing the flowering of some plants. The indicator plants are peach, wild cherry, camel foot and dancing girl. Since times immemorial plants have been used by mankind for food, shelter, clothes and medicines. Plants have been also used as an indicator for air and water pollution, in prospecting for metals in soil. Ethnobotanical uses of plants by various ethnic groups from North eastern India has been reported by many workers. However, so far, there is only a single report on the uses of some plants as indicators for plantation of different crops in the field by Mao Naga tribe of Manipur.
In this study, information on plants used as agricultural indicators by the Mao Naga tribe was gathered by interviewing village elders.The plants were enumerated alphabetically with botanical name. The folklores associated with the plants were also obtained in detail. It was found that the tribes have learned to live with nature and they have the capacity to read the designs of nature like an open book.
The paper ends by arguing that information on plants used as season indicators may help understanding the global warming and climate change in recent years. There is a need for involving interdisciplinary research to unveil the mystery of folklore science for the prosperity of mankind.
Download the paper here