At 90 years old, Nokkho Konyak struggles to see beyond a few meters, his warrior facial tattoos are fading and his frail body needs support. But when he talks about the "simpler" old days, his eyes light up and his hands come alive.

"We saw our brave elders cut off the heads of their enemies and we participated in many battles," he told AFP.

Nokkho is a Konyak, a small community of fierce and respected warriors in the state of Nagaland in northeastern India.

The Konyaks were the last to abandon the age-old practice of cutting off the heads of their enemies in this remote, hilly and densely forested region close to the border with Burma.

"I am lucky to still be alive, surrounded by my extended family, but I feel that the current generation is too privileged," he said in Chi village, about 360 kilometers from the regional capital Dimapur.

The old man comes from an endangered lineage that practiced or witnessed headhunting before it stopped half a century ago.

"Human heads were trophies that earned you respect," he said, sitting in front of a wall decorated with skulls of animals sacrificed by the family.

Each warrior wore a different tattoo, depicting battles or beheadings.

In his youth, he practiced cutting heads on large puppets, but never slit anyone's throat himself during a battle.

The last two skull hunters in the village, his two old friends, died about twenty years ago.

Most of the tribal fighting was held due to discord over land and limited resources. The warriors, armed with spears, axes and machetes, ambushed their enemies.

When possible, the decapitated bodies of opponents were tied to a bamboo pole and brought back to the victor's village.

The faces were displayed to the public and hailed as a sign of bravery to celebrate.

"My youth was a period of great transition," Nokkho said, referring to the arrival of missionaries who denounced headhunting and gradually converted the population, which practiced an animist religion, to Christianity.

"Taboo" hunting

Like Nokkho, 90-year-old Bo Wang, king of nearby Hongphoi Village, started hunting wild boar and other animals when "headhunting became taboo."

Bo Wang's family, like other kings of nearby Konyak villages, has been the highest authority in the village for generations.

"Everyone lived in fear of an ambush and we were taught to be wary of everyone," Wang said, describing his childhood.

His second wife, Kamya, 80, is happy that her granddaughters are growing up in the current era.

"There was only stress, not enough food or resources," she told AFP. "It was especially difficult for the women, who did the thankless chores at home and in the fields, all the time."

The area is now more peaceful, but Bo Wang regrets those bygone eras.

"Everything has changed with modernity, our culture is dying," he sighs.

"People respected the hierarchy, the elders and their king, which is no longer the case today," the old man said.

Dressed in a traditional red conical headdress adorned with boar feathers and tusks, he sat around a fire with his peers and shared their memories and hope that their stories, lives and culture would not be forgotten.

Konyak warriors during a community rally in the village of Hongphoi near Mon, India, on April 8, 2023 © Arun SANKAR / AFP/Archives

For Kaiba Konyak, 34, a member of a local tribal organization that supports Konyak culture, their story will not be lost. "Young people are proud of their warrior traditions and culture," he said.

"We remember our roots and will strive to protect them while securing our future through the best education of our time and the best infrastructure."

© 2023 AFP