The tribe was largely unknown up until the British colonisation of India and Burma and is steeped in mystery, set to take their unique culture to the grave when the last member dies.
Today. Most Konyaks are Christian; animal skulls and wood carvings now replace human trophies. The tattooed veterans are few and elderly, and their traditions are being documented rather than practiced. National Geographic Rediff Best single resource. The Konyaks: Last of the Tattooed Headhunters by Phejin Konyak (with photos by Peter Bos) is the definitive modern documentation of tattoo meanings, history, and oral accounts.
