The tribes of Nagaland
The Kuki Tribe
Peren, Dimapur and the southern hills · Festival: Chavang Kut (November 1)
At the Hornbill Festival: The Kuki morung brings Chavang Kut’s harvest energy into the arena, with chordophone and drum music distinct from Naga log-drum style.
Traditional dress and craft
Kuki women’s saipikhup striped skirts and bronze kongvil drums; brass anklets for the top-dance forms.
What to know about the Kuki
The Kuki are the Trans-Border harvest people of Nagaland’s south, celebrating Chavang Kut after the maize and rice harvest with dances and feasts of community.
Meet the Kuki in person
Visit their morung at the Hornbill Festival (December 1–10, Kisama), afternoons are for conversations, not performances. Or travel to Peren, Dimapur and the southern hills for Chavang Kut in November 1, the same culture at home scale. Our [tribes guide](/journal/hornbill-festival-tribes/) covers every community, and the [festivals calendar](/journal/festivals-of-nagaland/) maps the year.
Hornbill Festival packages from ₹3,999, every tribe, one arena, everything included.