The Apatani, or Tanii, are a tribal group of about 26,000 (approximately) in Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh India. However more Apatanis live outside this valley, making the total population to approximately 26,000 all over the state. Their language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family.
The Apatanis used to practice facial tattooing and modification until the 1970s. The females used to have two sets of tattoos: one running from the forehead to the tip of the nose, and another set on the chin. The males used to have a less elaborate tattoo on the chin in the shape of a “T”. The females were the only one practicing facial modification with the use of a nose plugs, called yaping hurlo in the local language. It was done since old times, to make the women look ugly, in order to protect them from invaders.