In the Tutsa tribal group the family system is patriarchal in nature. The father is the head of the family and at the old age, after the consent of family members, he hands over the charge of the household activities to the eldest son. In some exceptional cases the son can also establish a separate family or household of his own after marriage because of increase in the number of the family members. The Tutsas have a chieftainship system in their society. The chief of the Tutsas are called Lowang and their chieftainship system follows the law of primogeniture. The chief is the paramount authority of the village. The traditional village council is known as Ngoangthun. The council is held under the chairmanship of the chief and other executive members of the village. In every village there is a well-organized village council to maintain the law and order. The meeting is held in the dormitory or in the chief's house. In this village council they decide on all the cases pertaining to civil and criminal aspects according to the customary law. The entire Tutsa area is hilly and covered by dense forest. Conventionally they are cultivators and exercise shifting cultivation that is Jhoom cultivation. There are two major festivals of Tutsa tribe and these are - Pongtu Kuh and Ronghun Kun. The festival of Pongtu Kun is an essential part of the socio cultural life of the people belonging to Tutsa tribe. These festivals are celebrated in the month of April for getting the blessings for the protection of their crops and Jhoom field. The celebration date of this festival is fixed by the elderly people of the village. Thus, it is evident that the culture and traditions of Tutsa tribe of Tirap district are rich and diverse. |