Tribes of Assam are the aborigines of the land who have inhabited the area for ages. They are often recognised as the first inhabitants of the land who belong to various tribal groups. Major tribes of Assam earn their livelihood through agriculture and by selling their handicrafts.
Different Tribes of Assam
Assam is largely populated by the Tibeto-Burmese tribal race that forms the Bodo tribe and Mishing tribe. The tribes of Assam include a number of tribes namely; Chakma, Dimasa, Garo, Hajong, Hmar, Khasi, Jaintia, Khamti tribes, some Kuki tribes, Lakher, Barmans in Cachar, Deori, Hojai, Kachari, Sonwal, Lalung, Mech, Rabha who form the core of Tribal community of Assam.
Deori Tribes: Deori tribe is a major part of tribal community of Assam. They are settled in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sibsagar and Lakhimpur.
Kachari Tribe: They are considered to have reached the Brahmaputra valley via Tibet or southern China and settled in the foothills of the eastern Himalayan range which includes the whole of Assam, Tripura, North Bengal and parts of Bangladesh.
Karbi Tribes: Karbi tribes are found in the hilly areas of Assam. Their domain is Karbi Anglong district. Some are also found in North Cachar Hills District, Nagaon, Golaghat, Kamrup, Jorhat, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts of Assam. This community initially settled in the Khasi and Jaintia hills from where they slowly migrated to other areas.
Mishing Tribes: Mishing tribes are also called "Miri" by the local people. They are supposed to be a branch of Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, who came down to Assam as a result of inter-tribal feuds. They are mainly concentrated in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Darrang, Sonitpur, North-Lakhimpur and Dhemagi.
Dimasa Tribes: Dimasa tribes are another group of tribal community found in Assam which represents an example of Patri-matrilineal tribe. They are mostly found in the North Cachar district and Karbi along districts of Assam.
Bodo Tribes: The Bodo tribes are supposed to be the earliest tribes of the land. They are scattered in all parts of Assam and are largely found as the workers in the tea plantation. As the Bodos are the oldest tribal group, they bear distinct cultural trends which mark them separately.
Phake Tribes: Phake tribes reside in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district of Assam, along Dihing River. Phake tribe are said to have come here from Thailand in the late 18th century and speak Assamese language as well as Phake language.
Rabha Tribes: One of the Scheduled Tribes in the districts of Assam, the Rabhas are widely scattered but mostly concentrated on Goalpara, Kamrup and Darrang. The Rabhas believe in "evil spirits" and perform special pujas to appease the demons.