ABSTRACT
Women have helped sustain the Boro (Anglicised as Bodo) community tradition through weaving, brewing and ritual activities. In time, these very practices came to be identified with the community identity, representing ‘Boro Culture’ in the public sphere.
Indigenous societies identify the role of the female as sustainer. ‘Modern changes’ have ruptured this link, forcing reconsideration of the role women play in sustaining tradition and in the production of culture that is subservient to socio-political objectives.
Continuity and change in such activities show how different interventions contribute to a re-articulation of community position. The modern Boro women are now producers, consumers and carriers of traditional culture and in the process have entered the public sphere. To what extent the materiality of culture has changed from traditional interpretation to acquire new form and meaning in a market-oriented as well as politically restive Boro society is the core of this chapter.
