Shillong: The Department of Sociology at St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, observed the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9 with a special lecture exploring the links between music, culture, and identity in indigenous communities of Assam and Meghalaya.
The event, held in the college auditorium, featured a talk titled “Ethnomusicology in Indigenous Words: Reflections from Assam & Meghalaya” by Upatyaka Dutta, PhD candidate and course instructor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music.
The session examined cultural expressions among Adivasi women from Assam’s tea gardens and the traditional instrument-making practices of Meghalaya.
Opening the programme, faculty member Lamneithem Haokip outlined the day’s significance, followed by a welcome address from F.E.J. Syngai, Head of the Sociology Department, who reflected on this year’s UN theme, “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Future.”
Principal in-charge Br. Sunil Britto delivered a special address on the role of attire, language, folkways, and celebrations in preserving community heritage.
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Moderated by faculty member Shubhankar Sarma, the discussion touched on how music serves as a medium for preserving history, transmitting knowledge, and articulating resistance, particularly in the songs of Adivasi women labouring in tea plantations.
Audience members engaged in a lively Q&A, raising issues from gender roles in cultural production to the socio-economic realities of indigenous communities.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from faculty member William B.F. Lynrah, calling for sustained engagement with indigenous roots and the sharing of knowledge across generations.
