Kunama people

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Not to be confused with Kunapa people.
Kunama
Flag of the Kunama people.png[dubious – discuss]
Flag of the Kunama people democracy
Total population
260,200[1]
Regions with significant populations
indigenous to  Eritrea: 250,000 (est.)
 Ethiopia: 5,400[2] (Diaspora)
Languages
Kunama
Religion
Christianity (Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Eritrean Catholic Church, P'ent'ay), Islam[3]

The Kunama are an ethnic group native to Eritrea. They are one of the smallest ethnic communities in Eritrea, constituting only 2% of the population. Most of the estimated 260,000 Kunama live in the remote and isolated area between the Gash and Setit rivers near the border with Ethiopia. The Kunama people have ancient ancestry in the land of Eritea [4] The Ethiopian-Eritrean War (1998–2000) forced some 4,000 Kunama to flee their homes to Ethiopia. As refugees they reside in the tense area just over the border with Eritrea and in proximity to the contested border village of Badme.[5] In the 2007 Ethiopian census, however, the number of Kunama in Tigray has dropped to 2,976 as the remaining 2,000 or so members of this ethnic group have migrated into the other Regions of Ethiopia.[6][7][8]

Demographics[]

The Kunama speak the Kunama language. It is conventionally classified as part of the Nilo-Saharan family, which also includes the nearby Nara language although they are not closely related. Although some Kunama still practice traditional beliefs, most have adopted Christianity and Islam. The fertile plains of the Gash-Setit, also known as the Gash-Barka region, where the Kunama live are sometimes referred to as the "breadbasket of Eritrea". Formerly nomadic, today they are farmers and pastoralists. Historically, the Kunama have been dominated by other ethnic groups and they are often forced from their traditional lands. The official policy of the Government of Eritrea is that all land is state property and the Government encourages large commercial farms.[9] The Kunamas are settled agriculturalists and pastoralists living mainly from cattle. They are matriarchal with a prominent role played by women. According to their social system, a child is a member of Kunama society only if his or her mother is Kunama, and relatives are only recognized on the mother's side.[10] The Kunamas are both linguistically and culturally closely related to the Nara people of Eritrea.[11][12]

Culture[]

Many of the Kunama were traditionally hunters and gatherers. They also engaged in hoe-farming. However, some Kunama took up pastoralism as agricultural land became scarce. Contemporary Kunama are mainly sedentary agriculturists and pastoralists who raise cattle.[13]

The Kunama are a matrilineal clan-based society, where some of the most notable clans include the Alaka, Lakka, Serma, Kara, and Nataka.[13]

Majority of the Kunama evenly adhere to Islam or Roman Catholicism. A few still practice their traditional religion.[14] The Kunama converted to Christianity and Islam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[15]

Media[]

The award-winning documentary film Home Across Lands[16] follows a group of Kunama refugees resettled in the United States and their attempts to adapt to life in their new home.

References[]

  1. ^ "Who Are the Kunama People?".
  2. ^ Central Statistical Agency (2008), "Table 5: Population Size of Regions by Nations/Nationalities (Ethnic Group) and Place of Residence: 2007", Census 2007 (PDF), Addis Ababa: Central Statistical Agency, p. 66, archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-18
  3. ^ Project, Joshua. "Kunama in Eritrea".
  4. ^ https://study.com/academy/lesson/eritrean-ethnic-groups.html
  5. ^ "Forgotten People: The Kunama of Eritrea and Ethiopia". Archived from the original on 2007-12-18.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ Census 2007, Table 5
  7. ^ "Refworld | Eritrea: Information on the Kunama ethnic group".
  8. ^ "Kunama and Nara".
  9. ^ Naty, Alexander. "Memories of the Kunama of Eritrea towards Italian colonialism." Africa: Rivista trimestrale di studi e documentazione dell’Istituto italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente 56.4 (2001): 573-589.
  10. ^ "Refworld | Eritrea: Information on the Kunama ethnic group".
  11. ^ Mourant, A.E.; Kopeć, A.C.; Ikin, E.W.; Lehmann, H.; Bowen-Simpkins, P.; Fergusson, I.L.C.; Hellier, M.D.; Jones, R.D.; Roberts, I.A.M. (1974). "The blood groups and haemoglobins of the Kunama and Baria of Eritrea, Ethiopia". Annals of Human Biology. 1 (4): 383–392. doi:10.1080/03014467400000421. PMID 4611324.
  12. ^ Excoffier, Laurent; et al. (1987). "Genetics and history of sub-Saharan Africa". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 30: 151–194. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330300510. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Tesfagiorgis, Mussie G. (2010). Eritrea. ABC-CLIO. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-59884-232-6.
  14. ^ G, Mussie Tesfagiorgis (2010). Eritrea. ABC-CLIO. p. 139. ISBN 978-1-59884-231-9.
  15. ^ Connell, Dan; Killion, Tom (2010). Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. Scarecrow Press. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-8108-7505-0.
  16. ^ "Home Across Lands". 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2018-04-13.

External links[]

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