Mikir

a people living in the northern part of the state of Assam in India; population, more than 150,000 (1970, estimate).

The Mikir language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group. The Mikirs’ social structure, economy, and material and spiritual culture are similar to those of the Naga. Their chief occupation is slash-and-burn farming and, in some areas, terrace farming. Clan and communal-village landownership is partly maintained among the Mikir, although at present family landownership also exists. Marriage and family relations are regulated by laws associated with the division into exogamous clans. The Mikir retain their animistic beliefs.