Indigenous Feminism in the Yakthung/Limbu Tribe

Abstract

The paper deals with the tenets of feminism immanent within the oral narratives, rhetorical traditions, folklores, folktale and culture of the Yakthung/Limbu tribe inhabiting the Himalayan belt, defying the dichotomy of sexes in Western narratives of the society at a universal level. Yakthung/Limbu tribe is an indigenous tribe of Eastern Nepal, Sikkim and West Bengal who are animist and shamanist in nature. Feminism, the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes, although largely originating in the West as a properly structured and well-known theory, the paper endeavors to bring out the tenets of Feminism imbibed within the aforementioned aspects, prior to the inception of Feminism at a Global level. The paper analyzes the excerpts from the Yakthung/Limbu Mundhum, the oral religious scripture of the Yakthung/Limbu tribe wherein the two sexes are made to be at par with each other. The Yakthung/Limbu Mundhum consists of legends, folklores, prehistoric accounts, sermons and moral or philosophical exhortations in poetic language, generically which can be deemed as narrative oral poetry. These are the sources of information, directives, enlightenment for the Limbu’s that exercises an enormous influence in their way of life, customs, rites and rituals. The Yakthung/Limbu Mundhum is transmitted, narrated, recited and possessed by Yakthung/Limbu shamans known as “Peli-Phangsam” or “Murabangs”. The Yakthung/Limbu tribal societies have been practicing and following feminism as a matter of habit and culture that has come down from generations to generations. They do not follow it out of fear, compassion, rational enlightenment, education or compulsion, it is a necessity that comes quite naturally to them. It has been spontaneous and indigenous immanent within their culture and day to day practices. The paper in a way aims to deconstruct the Western narratives of the stature of women that is hitherto taken as ubiquitous and kindle the emergence of a paradigm contrary to the western.