Dimapur, Nagaland – Faculty and students from Tetso College presented their pioneering work in indigenous language documentation at the prestigious IX CoRSAL Symposium, held from December 11–12, 2025, at the Indiana University (IU) India Gateway Office in New Delhi.
Dr. Hewasa L. Khing, Principal, and Dr. Wichamdinbo Mataina, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, presented a research paper titled “Preserving Voices: The North East India Indigenous Peoples Archive (NEIIPA).” Their presentation highlighted the critical documentation efforts and the significant role of the NEIIPA initiative in safeguarding the linguistic and cultural heritage of Northeast India.
Adding a dynamic dimension to the event, Tetso College students showcased their own language documentary materials submitted to the NEIIPA archive, demonstrating the vital engagement of youth in preservation work. The student presenters were Annie Lombi, BA English, 4th Semester, Honi N. Yeptho, BA History, 4th Semester, Otoli H. Awomi, BBA, 4th Semester, and Jaipuile Sankhil, BBA, 4th Semester.
Organised by the Computational Resources for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) archive—a joint project of Indiana University Bloomington Linguistics and the University of North Texas Digital Library—the symposium focused on raising awareness of digital archives, exploring linguistic research, and strengthening academic collaborations. The event gathered scholars, students, and cultural leaders from India and abroad to discuss strategies for creating accessible language resources.
The North East India Indigenous People’s Archive (NEIIPA), launched in September 2023, is a non-profit, community-driven digital initiative by Tetso College. Dedicated to documenting and preserving the region's rich cultural and linguistic heritage, NEIIPA (Neiipa.in) serves as a repository for oral traditions, visual narratives, and written knowledge. It empowers community members to actively safeguard their ancestral wisdom, reflecting a profound commitment to protecting indigenous identity for future generations.
The participation of Tetso College at this international forum underscores the institution's leadership in indigenous language documentation and its growing role in global academic collaboration.
