Traditional houses among the tribal populations of northeast India have long attracted the interest of anthropologists and visitors. Until now, however, they have not been carefully documented. René Kolkman, a professional architect in Amsterdam, studied the homes of 37 different ethnic groups in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. His detailed drawings, photographs and personal stories show us the diversity of living spaces in this fascinating cultural area. Longhouses and square houses, built on platforms, built on plinths and housing as many as eighty-six people, these traditional houses are distinct. And although they have changed and are changing still, each of these 34 individual house-types remains immediately recognisable.

This book brings you a wealth of stories, in words and images, from a part of India known as the Northeast, a term that is widely contested for the ways in which it homogenizes a region of great diversity. It is also a term that has come to be a marker of identity and solidarity by many who are of the region. Here, 21 writers and artists look at the idea of ‘work’ — from street hawking to beer brewing, from mothering to dung collection — and describe their lives or those of others with humour and compassion. Parismita Singh’s wonderful compilation of the works of women asks: what are the different ways of telling a story? What if we were to attempt these tellings through poetry and portraits and essays, older traditions like textile art and applique and new genres like hashtag poetry tapped into a smartphone? Where would it take us, what would the world look like?

This book showcases cutting-edge research papers from the 8th International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD 2021) written by eminent researchers from across the world on design processes, technologies, methods and tools, and their impact on innovation, for supporting design for a connected world. The theme of ICoRD‘21 has been “Design for Tomorrow”. The world as we know it in our times is increasingly becoming connected. In this interconnected world, design has to address new challenges of merging the cyber and the physical, the smart and the mundane, the technology and the human. As a result, there is an increasing need for strategizing and thinking about design for a better tomorrow. The theme for ICoRD’21 serves as a provocation for the design community to think about rapid changes in the near future to usher in a better tomorrow. The papers in this book explore these themes, and their key focus is design for tomorrow: how are products and their development be addressed for the immediate pressing needs within a connected world? The book will be of interest to researchers, professionals and entrepreneurs working in the areas on industrial design, manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial management who are interested in the new and emerging methods and tools for design of new products, systems and services.

North-East India, comprising the seven contiguous states around Assam, the principal state of the region, is a relatively unknown, yet very fascinating region. The forest clad peripheral mountains, home to indigenous peoples like the Nagas, Mizos and the Khasis, the densely populated Brahmaputra valley with its lush green tea gardens and the golden rice fields, the moderately populated hill regions and plateaus, and the sparsely inhabited Himalayas, form a unique mosaic of natural and cultural landscapes and human interactions, with unparalleled diversity. The book provides a glimpse into the region’s past and gives a comprehensive picture of its physical environment, people, resources and its economy. The physical environment takes into account not only the structural base of the region, its physical characteristics and natural vegetation but also offers an impression of the region’s biodiversity and the measures undertaken to preserve it. The people of the region, especially the indigenous population, inhabiting contrasting environments and speaking a variety of regional and local dialects, have received special attention, bringing into focus the role of migration that has influenced the traditional societies, for centuries. The book acquaints the readers with spatial distribution, life style and culture of the indigenous people, outlining the unique features of each tribe. The economy of the region, depending originally on primitive farming and cottage industries, like silkworm rearing, but now greatly transformed with the emergence of modern industries, power resources and expanding trade, is reviewed based on authentic data and actual field observations. The epilogue, the last chapter in the book, summarizes the authors’ perception of the region and its future.

Contributed articles.

This book showcases cutting-edge research papers from the 9th International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD 2023) – the largest in India in this area – written by eminent researchers from across the world on design processes, technologies, methods and tools, and their impact on innovation, for supporting design for a connected world. The theme of ICoRD’23 has been ‘Design in the Era of Industry 4.0’. Industry 4.0 signifies the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was driven by the introduction of mechanical power such as steam and water engines to replace human and animal labour. The second industrial revolution involved introduction of electrical power and organised labour. The third industrial revolution was powered by introduction of industrial automation. The fourth industrial revolution involves introduction of a combination of technologies to enable connected intelligence and industrial autonomy. The introduction of Industry 4.0 dramatically changes the landscape of innovation, and the way design, the engine of innovation, is carried out. The theme of ICoRD’23 - ‘Design in the Era of Industry 4.0’ –explores how Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies influence the way design is conducted, and how methods, tools, and approaches for supporting design can take advantage of this transformational change that is sweeping across the world. The book is of interest to researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs working in the areas on industrial design, manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial management who are interested in the new and emerging methods and tools for design of new products, systems, and services.

This book deals with various facets of cultures and civilization of north-east India. It contains valuable information about the pre-historic megalithic cultures of the hill tribes, the genesis and growth of tribal culture, their exposure to civilization Aryanisation and Sanskritization, especially in the valley of Manipur. The book also deals with growth of Hinduism and Buddhism among the tribal people and all other related cultural facets in a lucid style.

Contributed articles.

Journeying eastward from the massif of Kanchenjunga, which dominates the Indo-Nepal border, the authors take us through Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh before moving southwards along the Naga Patkai Range to the hill states of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, coming to a halt in Tripura. The Northeast is home to many indigenous tribes?diverse peoples with distinct cultures?whose long and complex histories of migration, settlement, and eventual accession to independent India are traced here. Detailed glimpses into the lives and beliefs of these communities also lay bare the grave ecological threats facing this fragile region, with the rapid depletion of natural resources. Providing ballast to this comprehensive inquiry are stunning visuals of the Himalayan Range and the many diverse ecospheres of the Northeast, including the Khangchendzonga, Manas and Kaziranga National Parks, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Entangled Lives is a case study in environmental history, multispecies history, more-than-human history, posthumanism, and environmental humanities. Its main objective is to foreground that history is co-created, but that its contours are locally specific.