Abstract:
The history of the Kambata and Hadiya people‟s interaction not dealt with. However, the current
attempt to rectify the former unbalanced historiographic attention of these societies is
encouraging. Some of the historical studies that carried out in the region have mostly
concentrated on socio-cultural issues and found scattered in nature. The aim of this thesis,
basing on qualitative analysis of oral traditions, written sources and archives, is to present the
historical developments of these societies interaction. Thus, it sought to avail the reader with
critical information that might help to fill this gap. The shattered archives, shortage of funds and
reluctance of few informants are among the problems faced during this research work. Besides,
the rugged topography and very scattered written sources are the problems that the researcher
experienced in an attempt to come up with this final work. The Kambata and Hadiya people
inhibit the area between the Omo River in the west and the Bilate River in the east. These
societies shared the same origin, that they belong to the Highland East-Cushitic stock
particularily, the Sidama group. Later different refugees from Cushitic, Semitic and Omotic
families caused the formation of the society with diverse lineages in this region. This could be
the main reason for the similarty of their languages, socio-economic activities, cultural and
other issues as well as for the existences of high interactions among the society. Therefore,
political, socio-economic and cultural activities determine the Kambata and Hadiya people‟s
interaction. Furthermore, the Emperor Menelik II‟s incorporation that merged the Hadiya with
Kambata played a great role in the history of these societies interaction. The new territorial
amalgamation resulted in elimination of former ethnic boundaries and further encouraged the
assimilation of the Kambata and Hadiya peoples. This merged administration and assimilation
of these two societies continued under Italian period and the subsequent imperorial era. The
resettlement policy during the Derg regime was key development, which facilitated the Kambata
and Hadiya people‟s interaction at the time. The economic activities like agriculture, trade and
co-operative working were and continued to be major areas of the society‟s inter-connections.
Moreover, the role of cultural issues like marriage, child bearing and circumicision ceremonies
as well as funeral ceremonies and traditional religion contributed for the Kambata and Hadiya
people‟s ethnic interaction. Later, the merged administration came to an end on the 1990s and
they established separate administration. Nevertheless, the people‟s interaction continued
through socio-economic and cultural activities.
