Nauruans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indigenous peoples of Nauru
Nauruan-warrior-1880ers.jpg
Nauruan warrior, 1880
Total population
c. 15,000
Regions with significant populations
 Nauru11,000
Languages
Nauruan (native), English, Nauru Pidgin
Religion
Christianity, Shamanism, Animism
Related ethnic groups
Polynesians, Melanesians and Micronesians

Nauruans are a nation and an ethnic group indigenous to the Pacific island country of Nauru. They are most likely a blend of Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian ancestry.[1]

The origin of the Nauruan people has not yet been finally determined. It was probably seafaring or shipwrecked Polynesians or Melanesians, who established themselves there because there was not already an indigenous population present, whereas the Micronesians were already crossed with the Melanesians in this area.

The Nauruans have two elements of their population: the native Micronesians and the Polynesians who had immigrated long before. The Micronesians are represented through coarse, dark hair; the Polynesians are lighter brown and have smoother black hair. Through these two extremes, diverse traditions came to exist.

In about 1920, influenza spread through Nauru, which took a heavy toll on the Nauruans. In 1925, the first cases of diabetes were diagnosed by doctors. Today, depending on age, every second to third Nauruan is diabetic – a higher rate than any other country in the world.

Tribes[]

The nauruans were historically divided into 12 tribes, and when a child is born he or she will inherit their tribe from their mother's side. Clothes for each tribe were all different which helped to identify each individual.

Here are the names of the 12 tribes and each of their historically associated concepts:[2]

Eamwit - snake/eel, sly, slippery, good at lying and copier of styles.

Eamwitmwit - cricket/insect, vain beautiful, tidiness, with a shrill noise and manner alike.

Eaoru - destroyer, harms plans, jealous type.

Eamwidara - dragonfly.

Iruwa- stranger, foreigner, a person from other countries, intelligent, beautiful, masculine.

Eano-straightforward, mad, eager.

Iwi - lice (extinct).

Irutsi - cannibalism (extinct).

Deiboe - small black fish, moody, cheater, behavior can change any time.

Ranibok - object washed ashore.

Emea - user of rake, slave, healthy, beautiful hair, cheat in friendship.

Emangum - player, actor

Society[]

Nauruans were classified into three social classes: temonibes (senior members of senior clans), amenengames (middle class) and the itsios (serf class).[3]While temonibes and amenengames were determined at birth, itsio were usually allocated by being prisoners of war, and were often treated as goods. There was a separate class of castaways that were treated as pets, but they were never as low as the itsios.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Report of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the Administration of the Territory of Nauru. 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Tribes of Nauru". naurugov.nr. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
  3. ^ Wedgewood, Camilla H. (September 1936). "Report on Research Work in Nauru Island, Central Pacific". Oceania. 7 (1): 1–33. Retrieved 2021-12-18.


Retrieved from ""