The Mai-Chak-Shuni-Kampar is a wooden spearhead belonging to the Rabha people, an ethnic group that is considered to be indigenous to northeastern India, particularly Assam and certain areas of Meghalaya and West Bengal. Rabha has numerous distinct cultural practices where tools and weapons are unique to reflect their history, craftsmanship, and methods of survival in forest terrains. Particularly, this weapon possesses aspects of indigenous engineering and an intimate relationship with locally available materials. Entirely wooden, this spearhead has a sharp-pointed top for penetration, which on both edges tapers into very thin, aerodynamically shaped edges. An additional ridge from the tip downwards, across both sides serves not only to enhance strength and structural balance but also to promote symmetry in aesthetic factors. At its base a small wooden handle drives in, allowing firm grip critical during hunting, or self-defense.
This wooden spearhead underlines the sustainable relationship the Rabha have with nature, unlike the metallic spearheads. Preference of wood is primarily due to its accessibility supplemented by traditional ecological knowledge passed down generations. However, it cannot compete with metal durability, yet agility and comfort makes craftsmanship and designs compensate for it. The Mai-Chak-Shuni-Kampar is much more than a weapon; it is a cultural representation and metaphor within which Rabha people characterize their resilience, identity, and resourcefulness in creatively and respectfully utilizing their environment.