Kambaata people

Kambaata people (Amharic: ከምባታ) are a Cushitic ethnic group that inhabit the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. They speak the Kambaata language, It was a province of Ethiopia beginning in the early 15th century through to the mid-17th century; Ethiopian rule was once again established in the late 19th century under Emperor Menelik II. During this first period, Kambaata province was largely Christianized.[1] The former province is contained within the contemporary Kembata Tembaro Zone of SNNPR.

Kambaata mother with her children in front of their tukul in the Kembata Tembaro Zone, Ethiopia

Demographics

According to Ethiopian statistics, the population of the Kambaata people was 5, 627,565,[2] of which 90.89% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region. Almost one in five – 18.5% – live in urban areas.[3]

The Kambaata people speak the Kambaata language, a Cushitic language.

History

The Kingdom of Kembata was ruled by long line of its own kings known as down. King Dagoye, from the gadena clan, was one of the famous kings known for expanding Kambaata territories. The last independent king of Kambaata was king (Woma) Delbato Degoye.

An important landmark for the Kambaata people is Mount Hambaricho, where their king, Woma, used to live and the people used to celebrate annual festivities in the past. The king and the god of Kambaata lived there.

Subsistence

They have various indigenous traditional cuisines, the most important of which is kocho, which is made from ensete. They also cultivate a variety of tubers, spices, coffee, crops, and vegetables.

Other clans in Kembata province, such as Tembaro, Alaba, and others, live together and form the Kambaata. Tanners Shekla Seriwoch () is the most secluded clan in Kembata province; this clan is unable to participate in any socioeconomic activity with Kambaata. Tanners () clan Kambaata people could never marry.

Kambaata is one of the most densely populated regions in Ethiopia. Due to overpopulation and lack of economic opportunities in their region, they migrate to large cities, industrial areas, and large plantation farms. In recent years they experienced a large influx of migration to South Africa and Middle Eastern countries.

References
  1. Ulrich Braukämper, "Aspects of Religious Syncretism in Southern Ethiopia", in Journal of Religion in Africa, 1992, p.197.
  2. Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census
  3. 2007 Ethiopian census, first draft Archived 14 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (accessed 6 May 2009)

Further reading
  • Arsano, Yacob, "A traditional Institution of Kambata" (2002). In: Bahru Zewde and Siegfried Pausewang(eds.), Ethiopia. The Challenge of Democracy from below. Uppsala
  • Braukämper, Ulrich. 1983. Die Kambata: Geschichte und Gesellschaft eines süd-äthiopischen Bauernvolkes. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner.
  • Gebrewold-Tochalo, Belachew (2002), The Impact of the Socio-Cultural Structures of the Kambata/Ethiopia on their Economic Development. Vienna.
  • Gebrewold, Belachew, "An introduction to the political and social philosophy of the Kambata" (Kambata Development Network website)
  • Daniel Yoseph Baiso, Occupational Minorities in Kambata Ethnic Group, Nairobi, 2007
  • Ashenafi Yonas Abebe, "Resignificacion de algunos valores culturales del pueblo Kambata-Etiope esde el mensaje evangélico", Bogota, 2008.
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