The Kacha Naga tribe's tobacco container is a diminutive vessel carved from the shell of a gourd used traditionally for storage. It has a narrow tubelike opening protected by the application of plaited strips of cane presumably for the preservation of tobacco. The Kacha Naga tribe lives in Nagaland and among parts of Manipur, where it cuts itself out from the myriad cultural traditions and indigenous workmanship. Tobacco smoking and storing have been the practices among their customs and social traditions since lost in time.
Natural materials such as gourd shells and cane speak volumes about a sustainable lifestyle and also prove a cleverness in living by using natural resources readily available. Functionally, the tobacco container stands beyond that as a symbol for traditional craftsmanship handed down generations. It narrates the tribe's communion with nature, autonomy, and production of commonplace objects through eco-friendly methods.
As modernization impacts tribal communities, objects like the above gourd shell tobacco container remain the heart of indigenous traditions that are helpful in the preservation of the Kacha Naga's unique cultural identity.