 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 260,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Eritrea | 250,000 (est.)[2][3] |
 Ethiopia | 5,400 (2007)[4] |
| Languages | |
| Kunama | |
| Religion | |
| Islam[5] andChristianity (Roman Catholic[6][2] andP'ent'ay)[7] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Nara | |
TheKunama are an ethnic group native toEritrea and northernEthiopia. They are one of the smallest ethnic communities in Eritrea, constituting only 4% of the population. Most of the estimated 260,000 Kunama live in the remote and isolated area between theGash andSetit rivers near the border withEthiopia. The Kunama people have ancient ancestry in the land of Eritrea.[8] In the 2007 Ethiopian census, however, the number of Kunama inTigray dropped to 2,976, as the remaining 2,000 or so members of this ethnic group had migrated into the other regions of Ethiopia.[4][2][3]
The earliest written mention of the Kunama comes fromYa'qubi, writing around 872 AD. His account is based on travelers' reports. He noted the 'Cunama' tribe living on the eastern borders ofAlodia. They were later mentioned by the 10th century Arab geographerIbn Hawqal. He states they lived in the Barka valley, and fought with bows, poisoned arrows and spears, but did not use shields. He also mentions that the Kunama worship a god called Anna, and were ruled by a community of elders.[9][10][11]
The Kunama were victims of frequent slave raids, the Kunama called these raidssakada masa orbaada. In 1692, the Ethiopian EmperorIyasu I undertook an expedition in theMareb river valley, against the "Shanqella of the Dubani" (the Kunama), in present-dayGash Barka. At the sound of the musket fire, the tribesmen were terrified and fled, but were pursued by Iyasu's men who massacred them and sacked their towns.[12] In local oral traditions, theAbyssinians ofWolkait,Adiyabo andSeraye are still remembered for their devastating raids against the Kunama to obtain slaves, grain and loot. Among the most violent raids ever recorded in the region was conducted by the Tigrayan warlordRas Alula of Ethiopia, who in 1886, killed off two-thirds of the Kunama andNara populations living north of theMareb River.Italian colonialism in the 1890s put an end to the raids.[13][14]
During theEritrean War of Independence, the Kunama were the only tribe in Eritrea to have consistently supported Ethiopian rule. In the 1940s they were raided byHamid Idris Awate and many of their villages were destroyed, another raid by theELF in 1962 forced many Kunama to flee towardsTigray province. In 1977 the Kunama raised a militia to fight alongside the Ethiopians against the Eritrean separatists. As a result, whenever the Ethiopian soldiers went through theGash Barka region, they would burn down the villages belonging to theTigre andNara but leave the Kunama villages alone.In the 1980s, theEPLF sought to gain Kunama support through village self organization programs, social services and education. By the end of the decade some Kunama had begun participating in the EPLF.[15][16]
TheEthiopian-Eritrean War (1998–2000) forced some 4,000 Kunama to flee their homes toEthiopia as the most intense parts of the conflict took place in their own homeland.[17]
The Kunama speak theKunama language. It is conventionally classified as part of theNilo-Saharan family, which also includes the nearbyNara language although they are not closely related. Although some Kunama still practice traditional beliefs, most have adoptedIslam orChristianity.[18][19]
The fertile plains of the Gash-Setit, also known as theGash-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.[20]
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.[2]The Kunamas are both linguistically and culturally closely related to theNara people of Eritrea.[21][22]
Many of the Kunama were traditionally hunters and gatherers. They also engaged inhoe-farming. However, some Kunama took up pastoralism as agricultural land became scarce. Contemporary Kunama are mainly sedentary agriculturists and pastoralists who raise cattle.[23]
The Kunama are amatrilineal clan-based society, where some of the most notable clans include the Alaka, Lakka, Serma, Kara, and Nataka.[23]
The majority of the Kunama are adherents ofIslam orRoman Catholicism, while a few still practice their traditional religion.[24][25] The Kunama converted to Christianity and Islam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[26]
The award-winning documentary filmHome Across Lands[27] follows a group of Kunama refugees resettled in theUnited States and their attempts to adapt to life in their new home.
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