View source for Bugun

{{about||the river|Bogen (river)}}
{{Short description|Ethnic group living in Northeast India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Bugun people|
| image            = 
| image_caption    = 
| total            = 3,000
| total_ref        = 
| total_year       = 
| popplace         = India ([[Arunachal Pradesh]])
| languages        = [[Bugun language]]
| religions        = [[Donyi-Polo|Donyi-Polo (sun and moon)]], [[Hinduism]], [[Christianity]]
| related          = 
| footnotes        = 
}}
The '''Buguns''' (formerly '''Khowa''') are one of the earliest recognized schedule tribes of India,<ref>file:///http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule9a.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920212634/http://lawmin.nic.in/ld/subord/rule9a.htm# |date=2017-09-20 }} The constitution (schedule Tribes) Order, 1950</ref><ref name="Tribes of India">[http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=ft8r29p2r8&chunk.id=d0e638&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e638&brand=eschol Tribes of India]</ref> majority of them, inhabiting the Singchung Sub-Division of [[West Kameng]] District of [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. Buguns live in several exogamous clans. Traditionally, the predominant occupation was agriculture, supported with other allied activities like fishing and hunting, cattle rearing etc. Buguns have their own folklores, songs, dances, music and rituals. A rare bird, the [[Bugun liocichla]], was named after the tribe.

They live mainly in the [[subtropical]] Singchung Administrative Sub-Division of [[West Kameng]] district with its, almost whole, native population under [[Thrizino-Buragaon|6-Thrizino-Buragaon]] ST Assembly Constituency of the state of [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Festivals of Kameng|author=Ram Kumar Deuri|publisher=Directorate of Research, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh|year=1983|page=11}}</ref>

==Language==
The [[Bugun language]], one two of the Bugunish/Kamenic language under [[Kho-Bwa languages]] is considered endangered by [[UNESCO]], with only around 10,000 speakers mainly concentrated in the [[West Kameng district|Kameng district]] of [[Arunachal Pradesh]], India.<ref>The Kho-Bwa or Bugunish languages are a small family of Tibeto-Burman languages* spoken in India. They are Khowa (Bugun), Sulung (Puroik), Lishpa, and Sherdukpen. Van Driem (2001) suggested the name Kho-Bwa based on their words *kho 'fire' and *bwa 'water'.</ref>

==Religion==
The Buguns are traditionally followers of the [[animism|animistic]] religion<ref>{{cite book|title=Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh: Identity, Culture, and Languages|author=Dalvindar Singh Grewal|publisher=South Asia Publications|year=1997|isbn=81-7433-019-4|page=53}}</ref> However, the early 20th century witnessed the gradual penetration of some dominant religions like Buddhism ([[Mahayana]]), particularly from the neighbouring ethnic group [[Sherdukpen]], and [[Hinduism]]. Some have come under [[Tibetan Buddhist]] influence. Profound Buddhist influence has led to the adoption of many Buddhist rituals and the invitation of Buddhist lamas to participate in their communal rituals.<ref name="Tribes of India"/> As a result, many Buguns declared themselves as Buddhist in censuses.<ref>{{cite book|title=Peoples of the Buddhist World: A Christian Prayer|author=William Carey Library|publisher=South Asia Publications|year=2004|isbn=0-87808-361-8|page=135}}</ref>

[[Pham Kho Sowai]] is the harvesting festival of the Buguns. It is now celebrated on a fixed date, starting on 10 September.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2017-09-14 |title=Bugun community celebrate Pham Kho-Sowail {{!}} The Arunachal Times |url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2017/09/14/bugun-community-celebrate-pham-kho-sowail/ |access-date=2025-06-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/bgg Endangered Languages]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=C0COAAAAMAAJ Tribal Village Councils of Arunachal Pradesh]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141012084614/http://www.rogerblench.info/Language/South%20Asia/NEI/Kamengic/Bugun/BugunOP.htm LINGUISTIC AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESOURCES FOR THE BUGUN]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080514053915/http://www.kolkatabirds.com/hillbirdsofind/netripreportmw.htm Trip Report : Eastern Himalayas (including Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary)]
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=bgg Ethnologue profile]

{{Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh}}
{{Hill tribes of Northeast India}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bugun}}
<!--Categories-->

[[Category:Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Buddhist communities of India]]
[[Category:Donyi-Polo communities]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]