Songs, stories and symbols: The role of oral folk traditions in ethnic identity formation among the Wancho tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam

Songs, stories and symbols are all potent cultural instruments that express collective identity, maintain legacy and human understanding. It creates a semantic bridge between cultures through transmission from one generation to another by transcending language through rhythm, story and vision. Songs have historical and emotional significance and frequently serve as oral histories which offer structures for cultural ideals, moral instructions and creative enquiry. Symbols provide a framework for understanding their historical significance and their relationship between village and spiritual belief. Arunachal Pradesh is a home of various ethnic communities with its own unique identity, among them Wancho is one of the notable tribes which is deeply rooted in its indigenous heritage and is characterized by distinct art form, festivals, music, dance and cuisine. The origin of the Wancho tribe had a deep connection with their ancient tales which they portray through their songs, stories and symbols.  Additionally, they had a strong belief in fairies and spirits and had numerous folktales about birth, death, festivals, agriculture, love, hunting, migration, fishing etc. This study examines how oral folk tradition, particularly songs, stories and symbolic manifestation helps the Wancho tribe of Arunachal Pradesh to create and preserve their ethnic identity. These folk traditions have an important role in providing entertainment and preserving historical memory, cultural values, social norms and collective identity. The objectives of the study are to explore how oral folk tradition contributes to ethnic identity among the Wanchos tribe and to study the impact of modernization and external forces on Wancho oral traditions. This study includes the ethnographic field work, community oral account and in-depth interview method. Both primary and secondary data are collected for the study to examine how traditional narratives and symbolic motifs capture tribal cosmology, moral codes and resistance to cultural assimilation.