Oroshan people
 | This article is incomplete because it is pending further input from participants, or it is a work-in-progress by one author. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. Note: To contribute to this article, you may need to seek help from the author(s) of this page. |
Kikŋaʔv | |
|---|---|
 Oroshans in traditional dress | |
| Total population | |
| 250,000 (2010, est.) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Oroshia | |
| Languages | |
| Oroshan | |
| Religion | |
| Oroshan shamanism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Yvlipka |
The Oroshan people or Oroshans (/ˈɔːɹoʊ̯ˌʃæn/, Oroshan: Kikŋaʔv, singular Kikŋav, [kigŋav]) are the primary Indigenous people of the Oroshan Peninsula, whose homeland is in the east of Surucia. Vək kikŋaʔvs, now used as a native name for the country of Oroshia, also refers to the traditional territory of the Oroshans, which has slightly different boundaries. For clarity, the traditional territory is sometimes referred to as Ułvək kikŋaʔvs, "uł" meaning "old".
Ułvək kikŋaʔvs, their traditional territory, spans most of the coast of the Oroshan peninsula, and further southwest, where the Oroshan language is still spoken. Not included, however, are the western lowlands, which are the traditional territory of the Yvlipkan people, and the most interior mountainous regions, which is still occupied primarily by the Namchog people. Both of these areas are today within the country of Oroshia itself. Traditionally, the Oroshans were a reindeer herding nomadic group, however this was brought to an end by Jogin colonization.
History and culture
It is thought, based on archaeological records, that Oroshans migrated to their present location from the west, beginning about 3,000 years ago. This displaced the people who already occupied the peninsula and confined them to the mountains—it is thought that these Indigenous hunter-gatherers are the ancestors of modern-day Namchog people.
The Oroshan people speak Oroshan, a Coast Gujin language in the Gujino-Bintani family. In Oroshan, the language is known as kikŋaʔvəvi kəğači, and is estimated to be spoken by around 2,300,000 people.
The Oroshans led the resistance against the Jogin Empire beginning in its modern form in 1880s, after centuries of oppression. This movement culminated in independence for Oroshia in 1964, when the people experienced a cultural revival, being able to freely express their traditional customs at last. The practice of their traditional beliefs, known as Oroshan shamanism, was finally legalized, and it is one of the dominant faiths in Oroshia today.
Since independence, many cultural organizations, such as the Oroshan Forum for Cultural Teaching and the Oroshan Faithful Education Foundation, have been founded and funded by the government to further cultural initiatives and education.
Notable people
- Siłəği Kaŋvič, current President of Oroshia
- Itikavəŋ Kiłino, first President of Oroshia