With immense gratitude and deep sense of responsibility, we present this book titled ‘Khikzizi: Guardian of Sherdukpen Traditional Beliefs and Practices’. It is the result of our collective endeavor to document the indigenous ritualistic practices of Sherdukpen community in response to its urgent need of preservation. There is an imminent threat to the survival of the community’s unique belief system and spiritual practices as the community is facing decline in the number of their main practitioners- zizi (priest) in almost all the villages. The preservation of this belief system is even more challenging as the tradition of priesthood is oral in nature. Against this backdrop, we have made our sincere efforts to document particularly, the ritualistic role and practices of the traditional-community priest i.e. Khikzizi. 

To accomplish the task of documentation through this book, we conducted fieldwork in Rupa town (Thõ thik) - headquarter of Tukpen group of the Sherdukpen community over two seasons of Khiksaba festival in 2018 and 2019 followed by several visits in subsequent years. Participant observation method along with numerous interviews with the Khikzizis, enabled us to gain intricate details of their ritualistic proceedings in sequential order. Further insights were gathered from other members of the community at different stages of this work. Hence, we sincerely mention and acknowledge their support in seeing this work to fruition:

First and foremost, we express our sincere gratitude to the All Megeji Welfare Association (AMWA) for envisioning this significant project.  We thank them for granting us the privilege of being a part of this meaningful journey. 

Our deepest appreciation goes to Shri Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, Honourable Member of the North-East Council, Government of India, whose generous financial support made this monumental project possible. The pivotal role he played in facilitating the accomplishment of this work cannot be overstated.
We are also extremely grateful to the executive members and esteemed village elders of the Tukpen Village Council (TVC) for their invaluable support and guidance. Their contributions were essential to the completion of this book and we truly appreciate their assistance, particularly during our field-visits.

Our sincere gratitude extends to the Khikzizis, who served as our primary informants. Their untiring support and willingness to guide us through the intricacies of various rituals and Khiksaba festival were vital to the success of this research. Their dedication and knowledge have been a source of inspiration throughout this journey. It is our heartfelt aspiration that this book, in its present form, contributes to the preservation and continuity of their sacred institution for posterity.

We also wish to thank the entire Tukpen community for their constant assistance and encouragement. We are appreciative of their helpfulness and patience.

We are extremely grateful to Shri DK Thongdok, President of All Sherdukpen Blu, Former Minister to the Government of Arunachal Pradesh for writing a befitting foreword to our book. His thoughtful insights and generous words have added immense value to our work. He has definitely set a perfect tone for the journey the readers are about to embark on. We also wish to express our gratitude to Shri Tsering Thongdok (social worker and prominent Baidong-Obo), Shri Rinchin Dorjee Thongdok (former Zilla Parishad Chairperson), Shri Dorjee Tsering Khrimey (Secretary, TVC) and Shri Netan Dorjee Thongdok (former Secretary, TVC) for their invaluable assistance in proofreading the initial draft of this book. Their meticulous scrutiny and thoughtful guidance ensured the quality and accuracy of the content. 

We extend our sincere gratitude to Shri RN Thongchi of Jigaon village for his artistic design of the cover-page through which he has beautifully captured the essence of Khikzizi. The design has brought the spirit of the book to life by creating a visual narrative which resonates with the theme. It would be remiss if we do not express our gratitude to Shri Kezang Dorjee Thongdok (Abu Kazi), a renowned artist and fim-maker for generously sharing us the video-clips and photographs, which were invaluable in the reconstruction of events and rituals related to Khikzizi. We owe a deep sense of gratitude to Shri Khandu Thongdok, District Labour and Employment Officer, West Kameng, A.P. as well, whose last-minute suggestions refined the content and significantly enhanced the quality of the final work.

Finally, we hope this work stands as a lasting tribute to the resilience of the Sherdukpen culture and serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to explore the richness of their heritage. The experience has been profoundly enriching-both intellectually and spiritually and we are honored to contribute to the preservation and celebration of this cultural legacy.