According to sociological term, cultural identity can be said as an identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It refers to a person’s sense of belonging to a particular group. The process involves learning about and accepting traditions, heritage, language, religion, ancestry, aesthetics, thinking pattern and social structures of a culture. Our culture is our identity, like the identity card provides the fact about oneself. In the same way culture is a proof for one’s identity in society.
In the past since the time immemorial, our ancestors had practised animism and believed in superstition. By Tracing back straight to the head hunting period, our great grandfathers had hunted down baskets of head. Perhaps, a person with more heads was counted as the warrior in those days, but they were heroes in a sinful way. Yet, we should not criticize and call them idiots, cause that was during uncivilized age. On that page of life, the existence of God was way far away from Nagas. The factual thing was, people co- existed and lived a local life ;the remedy to every problem had been solved organically.
Every Naga tribe have its own unique beliefs and norms based on the region. No doubt, Agriculture was the primary source for livelihood ,been cultivated manually. These Animists and barbarians carried on an aimless dreams -no motive towards civilization until the coming of Christianity through American Baptist Mission in 1842-1852.There was a paradigm shift with the growth of Christianity and Modernization came along.
(To be concluded)