Kambaata people

People

The Kambata ethnic group is one of the indigenous peoples in Ethiopia. Scientists categorize the Kambata as a highland east Cushitic tribe. In a broader sense, the term Kambata people, is used to describe the various clans and groups of Kambata [Kambata, Alaba, Tambaro]. More specifically, it refers to inhabitants around the heartland of Hambaricho massif. These three autonomous groups speaking dialects of the same language are collectively referred to as the Kambata people. The differences between the various groups of Kambata are not very strict. People are astonishingly mingled, intermarried and spoke one another’s languages. It is, therefore, difficult to specify clear boundaries of these groups

Demographics

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

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

History

The Kingdom of Kembata was ruled by a long line of its kings known as Woma. King Hamlmal (locally known as Hamo) was the first King of Kambata Kingdom and the founder of the ruling Oyeta clan. King Dagoye, was one of the famous kings known for expanding Kambata territories. The last independent king of Kambaata was King (Woma) Delbato Degoye, who was killed by the armies of Menelik II toward the end 19th Century.

An important landmark for the Kambaata people is the Hambaricho Mountain, which was the residence of the Kambata kings, ''Woma'''The Kambata people used to celebrate Gifata, their annual annual festivals. The king and Abba Sarecho, the god of Kambaata lived there.

Language

Main article: Kambaata language

Kambata language [self‐name Kambaatissa], [also Kambatigna in Amharic] is one of the working languages of Ethiopia. It is a more known language, spoken by around 4 million speakers. It includes several dialects, such as Tembaaro, Alaba, and Qabeena. It is closely related also to the Hadiyya and Sidama languages, spoken in the neighboring regions. All of these are classified in the group of Highland East Cushitic languages. They are further a part of the Cushitic group of the Afroasiatic language family.

Both the Latin script and Ge'ez script are used for writing. For example, the Bible (full New Testament and part of the Old Testament) has been published in Ge’ez script. The officially established spelling usage [orthography] taught currently in primary schools in the region deviates from the International Phonetic Alphabet convention. For example, in the word Kambaata, the double letters indicate length.

The language of inter‐ethnic communication is Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Kambatas have Amharic names, and some even speak Amharic as their first language. These days, traditional Kambata names are hardly given to children. English is the only spoken foreign language and is the language of teaching in secondary schools.

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 and 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.

Notable people

• Bogaletch Gebre - founder of KMG Ethiopia
• Adane Girma – Ethiopian National Team Football Player
• Lapiso Gedelebo - Ethiopian Historian
• Shimelis Bekele – Ethiopian National Team Football Player
• Loza Abera – Ethiopian National Team Football Player
• Adane Girma -Ethiopia National Team Football player

References

References

1. Fantaye A. Keshebo, A Void in Ethiopian History: Untold History of the Southern Ethiopian Peoples, 2020 p. 58
2. Ulrich Braukämper, "Aspects of Religious Syncretism in Southern Ethiopia", in ''Journal of Religion in Africa'', 1992, p.197.
3. [https://www.ethiopianreview.com/pdf/001/Cen2007_firstdraft(1).pdf Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census]
4. [http://www.csa.gov.et/pdf/Cen2007_firstdraft.pdf 2007 Ethiopian census, first draft] {{webarchive. link. (14 February 2012 , Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (accessed 6 May 2009))