User:Lucy Raoh oinam/sandbox

= Oinam Earthen pottery making = Oinam is a small village of around 300 hundred houses in a of State of Manipur senapati district Poumai community, a peaceful country side which is 20 kilometers far from the nearest town once had a poor road connectivity and transportation, the people of the village make their living through agriculture and clay pottery (commonly as 'pouli' by the poumai tribe and 'orah la' by the native) making, though a less self sufficient village, 90 percent of the family have a kitchen garden to sustain through out the season. Until late 90s Clay Pottery made by the women in the village is one of the main source of income for the village people, when the production is ready the people export to neibouring villages to exchange with spices like chilly, ginger and salt as well as rice basket. Piglet is also brough back in exchange of clay pot.The neighbouring villages depend on the clay pot for the daily utensils,like plates,water store,cooking etc and barter system was common.

= History of pottery making and facts= Potteries are made by the women whose originality is from the Oinam village,Men gaurd the women folk in the process of getting the clay from a  spicific place (as there is a particular place and clay for the pot a little far from the village men guard the women to proctect from enemies and wild animals) but Men do not mould or shape the pot. It is belief that women who married to Oinam man do not involve in this, as whatever they made are easily broken and not useable,nor the women who are married to other villages,that is why the people are considered to be the blessed among all neighboring villages, a spacial gift from the creator. The beauty in the process of making an earthen pot is that women gather together in groups which is a kind of fellowship among them sharing their pains and joy of their life, as a group they chant the traditional song and learn from each other, through this process unique culture of the people is passed on from one generation to the next, to make and shape the pot with hands,they do not used advance tools or wheels but a simple hand made hammer and skill is what they have.

Indigenous Education
Before the introduction of formal education to the village, The people has its own learning and teaching method which is Experiential. Though the fancy term 'experiential learning' was never known. The elder women who knew the art of molding the pot using clay would gather in a particular place so too the younger women to teach and to learn, theory was never used to teach but an instruction and facilitate the learner. In the same way the men in the village has its own way of educating the young boys not in terms of reading and writing nor something call science but using the intelligence and creativity of a person in a daily life, that is; crafting a basket,rice barn, wall etc.all this are applied to the real life which makes them easier to learn and interested to the particular learning.However after the coming of the western and formal education which looks attractive have led to the mindset of people that only through this kind of education one can live a good and luxurious life.Slowly the indigenous education become dim, however to preserve the culture which is an identity, there are certain occasions and festivals to come together and learn the old golden practice of the indigenous craft.

= Is the Earthen pottery making still practice?= Yes! the culture of making and earthen pot is still practice,However due to the introduction of steel and advance utensils even if the pot is made it is use for different purpose like flower vase, dicoration staff and other usage.During the tradtional festivals, the young girls come together to learn from the elder ones,beacause with the coming of westernize education most children move out of the village to get education and have less time to spend time together,festivals are one of the channel to pass on the culture.

Click the below link to see the immages of earthen pot, the refining process https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1964104207018461&id=1049960828432808