ABSTRACT
In Northeast India, ethnographic knowledge is of particular importance. In the absence of pre-colonial archives, notably for the upland areas, ethnographies are appreciated as valuable sources. Ethnographies are built on observations and oral accounts that derive from research among actual people, solidifying culture, and – over time – constituting history. Considering that the meta-narratives encompassed by ethnographies are (eventually) absorbed in political discourses and administrative policies, what is the bearing of such academic accounts on the people these texts refer to? The value of ethnographies as sources can hardly be underestimated, but a rethinking of the sociological categories that they induce or implicitly support is both challenging and required. The chapter discusses the impact of ethnographic imaginations on the people of the region, and explores analytical frameworks that can contribute to the development of new perspectives on society, history and state.
