Ethnic Interaction in South Central Ethiopia: The Case of Kambata and Hadya (1890s -1990s)

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.