NAGA

group of tribes inhabiting the Naga Hills of Nagaland (q.v.) state in northeastern India. They include more than 20 tribes of mixed origin, varying cultures, and very different physiques and appearances. The numerous Naga languages (sometimes classified as dialects) belong to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Almost every village has its own dialect; different groups of Nagas communicate in broken Assamese (Nagamese), or sometimes in English and Hindi. The largest tribes are the Konyaks, Aos, Tangkhuls, Semas, and Angamis. Most Nagas live in small villages strategically placed on hillsides and located near water. Shifting cultivation (jhum) is commonly practiced, although some tribes practice terracing. Rice and millet are staples. Manufactures and arts include weaving (on simple tension looms) and wood carving. Naga fishermen are noted for the use of intoxicants to kill or incapacitate fish. Tribal organization has ranged from autocracy to democracy, and power may reside in a council of elders or tribal council. Descent is traced through the paternal line; clan and kindred are fundamental to social organization. As a result of missionary efforts dating to the 19th-century British occupation of the area, a sizable majority of Nagas are Christians. In response to nationalist political sentiment among the Naga tribes, the government of India created the state of Nagaland in 1961. city, southeastern Luzon, Philippines. It is situated along the Bicol River, south of San Miguel Bay. Founded in 1573 as Nueva Caceres by the Spaniards, it is the site every September of a festival in honour of Nuestra Seora de (Our Lady of) Peafrancia, the patroness of the Bicol Peninsula. Naga has a large cathedral and is the seat of a bishopric. The University of Nueva Caceres (1948) is located there. The city is a regional commercial and agricultural centre; it is a major stop on the Manila-South Railroad and a major road junction, and it has an airport. Mount Isarog National Park is nearby. Inc. city, 1948. Pop. (1980) 90,712; (1990) 115,000.