Shillong, Aug 7: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday reviewed the progress of “Tracing the Roots,” a research initiative by the Department of Arts & Culture to document the history, language, culture and heritage of Meghalaya’s indigenous communities.
At the review meeting, the chief minister held discussions with the committee overseeing the research and went over the implementation roadmap.
The project will draw on multiple disciplines — historical research, oral traditions, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, linguistics, archaeology, ethnography and, where relevant, genetic studies — to examine theories about the origins and historical movements of the state’s indigenous communities.
It will also document customary institutions, festivals, material culture and language vitality, and build digital archives for future reference.
Dedicated digital platforms have already been set up to track the research, preserve knowledge resources and enable public engagement as the project progresses.
Sangma said the initiative aims to build an evidence-based understanding of Meghalaya’s indigenous heritage while safeguarding oral histories and cultural traditions.
Officials said preparatory work has been underway since February, including the formation of research teams and the project framework. The initiative will involve partnerships with national and international academic institutions for comparative studies, and will produce scholarly publications, educational material and digital repositories.
The government said the project is intended to strengthen cultural identity and create a lasting knowledge base for scholars, policymakers and future generations.
