Bamboo and cane have been an integral part of the lives and the traditions of the people of North-East India. An imperative component of the wealth of North-East, they grow in natural forests, and are cultivated in homesteads, groves and on private plantations. They form important materials for housing, fencing, functional articles, agricultural implements, basketry, and even fuel and food. Local communities possess traditional knowledge of cultivation and management of the plantations and their deft hands work around the material as only a naturally skilled craftsperson can. They employ many different styles of interlacing and plaiting to create beautiful cane and bamboo products.