Shompen people

Last updated
Shompen
  • Keyet
  • Kalay
Shompen mixed group-1886.jpg
Mixed group of Shompen in 1886
Total population
229 (2011 census); [1] or 200-300 (2015 est.) [2]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of India.svg  India
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Languages
Shompen
Related ethnic groups
Nicobarese people
Austroasiatic people

The Shompen or Shom Pen are the Indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Contents

The Shompen are designated as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group [3] within the list of Scheduled Tribe. [4]

Etymology and endonym

"Shompen" is possibly an English mispronunciation of "Shamhap", the Nicobarese name for the tribe. The Shompens living on the western side of the island call themselves Kalay, and those on the eastern side Keyet, with both groups referring to each other as Buavela. [5] A suggestion from 1886 that the Shompen call themselves Shab Daw'a has not been confirmed by modern research. [6]

History of contact

A group of Shompen in 1886 with variation in hair types. Shompen group mixed hair-1886.jpg
A group of Shompen in 1886 with variation in hair types.

Before the first outside contact with the Shompen in the 1840s, there is no reliable information about these people. Danish Admiral Steen Bille was the first to contact them in 1846 and Frederik Adolph de Roepstorff, a British officer who had already published works on the languages of Nicobar and Andaman, [7] collected ethnographic and linguistic data in 1876. Since then very little has been added to the stock of reliable information on the Shompen, mainly because access to the Nicobar Islands has been restricted for foreign researchers since Indian independence. [6] A polling station was set up in their area for election of 2014. Shompen people for the first time participated in the democratic process. [1] [8] Survival International, a global NGO campaigning for indigenous rights, says that the Shompen are one of the most isolated peoples on earth, with most of them being uncontacted and refusing interactions with outsiders. [9]

Society

In 2001, the population was estimated at approximately 300. [5] Shompen Village-A and Shompen Village-B are home to most Shompens. Before the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the villages were home to 103 and 106 Shompens respectively. [10] However, by the time of 2011 census, only 10 and 44 people were left in these villages respectively. [11]

They practice a hunter-gatherer subsistence economy. In keeping with the tropical climate of the islands, traditional attire includes only clothing below the waist. The traditional attire for men is a short, thin loincloth made of bark cloth, covering only the genitals without a 'tail' of cloth in front. Decoration is limited for men, consisting of bead necklaces and armbands. Women wear a knee-length skirt of bark cloth, occasionally with a shawl of bark cloth covering the shoulders. Decorations include bamboo ear plugs (ahav), bead necklaces (naigaak) and armbands of bamboo (geegap). Both sexes are barefoot. The Shompen probably learned to make and use bows from the Nicobaris. The main weapons are the bow and arrow. They do not use quivers but carry arrows by hand. Numerous types of spears, spear throwers, fire drills and a hatchet are the main tools.

A man usually carried a bow and arrows, a spear and through his loincloth belt, a hatchet, knife and fire drill. The Shompen are a hunter-gatherer subsistence people, hunting wild game such as pigs, birds and small animals while foraging for fruits and forest foods. They also keep pigs and farm yams, roots, vegetables, and tobacco. Shompen huts are built to house 4 people, and villages are made up of 4 to 5 families. Once a child is grown enough, he makes his own hut. The lowland Shompen build their huts on stilts and the walls are made of woven material on a wood frame and the roof of thatched palm fronds, and the structure is raised on stilts. The highland Shompen build their houses on the ground, and the houses are made of the same materials as the raised houses. The interior is covered with mats, with sleeping mats on one end and tools and utensils hung on the walls and rafters. Cooking is done outside.

In the late 1980s, the Shompens were living in ten groups, ranging in size from 2 to 22 individuals, scattered across the interior of the island. [5]

Because of their isolated way of life in the interior of the island, the Shompens were largely protected from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that devastated the coastal regions inhabited by Nicobaris and the Indian population. [5]

Language

Little is known about the Shompen languages, of which there are at least two, but they appear to be unrelated to Nicobarese, an isolated group of Austroasiatic languages, and perhaps even to each other. They may constitute a language isolate. [6] Paul Sidwell (2017) [12] classifies Shompen as a Southern Nicobaric language, rather than a separate branch of Austroasiatic.

Threat and Concern

Due to proposed Great Nicobar Development Plan, hectares of land on Great Nicobar Island will be reclaimed to build a "Hong Kong India" with an airport, an international port, and an industrial park. This may impact 1,700 people, including many Shompens. [13] In February 2024, 39 genocide experts from 13 countries warned that the development  “will be a death sentence for the Shompen, tantamount to the international crime of genocide”. They said that the proposed population increase and exposure to outside populations would lead to mass deaths, because the Shompen have little to no immunity to infectious outside diseases. [14] This project will also increase the non-local population on the island, which may affect the natives.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andaman and Nicobar Islands</span> Union territory of India

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India comprising 572 islands, of which only 38 are inhabited. The islands are grouped into two main clusters: the northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar Islands, separated by a 150 km (93 mi) wide channel. The capital and largest city of the territory, Port Blair, is located approximately 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai and 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata in mainland India. The islands are situated between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. The northernmost point is 901 km (560 mi) from the mouth of the Hooghly River. Indira Point, located at 6°45'10″N and 93°49'36″E on the southern tip of Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobar Islands</span> Island group in the Indian Ocean

The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, 150 kilometres (93 mi) northwest of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) southeast of the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal, they are part of India, as the Nicobar district within the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Together with the Andaman Islands to their north, the Nicobar Islands serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobarese languages</span> Subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family

The Nicobarese languages or Nicobaric languages, form an isolated group of about half a dozen closely related Austroasiatic languages, spoken by most of the inhabitants of the Nicobar Islands of India. They have a total of about 30,000 speakers. Most Nicobarese speakers speak the Car language. Paul Sidwell (2015:179) considers the Nicobarese languages to subgroup with Aslian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India</span> Effect of 2004

According to official estimates in India, 10,749 people were killed, 5,640 people were missing and thousands of people became homeless when a tsunami triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake near the Indonesian island of Sumatra struck the southern coast on 26 December 2004. The earthquake registered 9.1–9.3 Mw and was the largest in five decades. It was followed by strong aftershocks on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The death toll of the earthquake was 1,500 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentinelese</span> Voluntarily isolated tribe in the Bay of Bengal

The Sentinelese, also known as the Sentineli and the North Sentinel Islanders, are an indigenous people who inhabit North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean. Designated a particularly vulnerable tribal group and a Scheduled Tribe, they belong to the broader class of Andamanese peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancowry Island</span>

Nancowry is an island in the central part of the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

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Katchal is one of the Nicobar Islands, India.

Shompen, or Shom Peng, is a language or group of languages spoken on Great Nicobar Island in the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicobarese people</span> Ethnic group of India

The Nicobarese people are an Austroasiatic-speaking people of the Nicobar Islands, a chain of islands in the Bay of Bengal north of Sumatra, forming part of the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The Nicobar Archipelago consists of 19 islands, and only 12 of them are inhabited. These inhabited islands are Car Nicobar, Chowra, Bompoka, Teressa, Nancowry, Pullomillow, Great Nicobar, Camorta, Katchal, Trinket, Kondul, and Little Nicobar. The largest and main island is Great Nicobar. The term "Nicobarese" refers to the dominant tribes of the Nicobar Islands and are most significant tribal population in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to their large numbers and the very wide area they occupy as compared to all the Andaman tribes put together. Each island's inhabitants have specific names, but collectively they are known as the Nicobarese. They call themselves "Holchu," which means "friend." The life of the Nicobarese revolves around nature. The socio-economic conditions of the people of Nancowry islands play an important role in the religious practices and social life of the Nicobarese community.

Southern Nicobarese is a Nicobarese language, spoken on the Southern Nicobar Islands of Little Nicobar (Ong), Great Nicobar (Lo'ong), and a couple small neighboring islands, Kondul (Lamongshe) and Pulo Milo. Each is said to have its own dialect.

Tillangchong, also known as Tillanchang, is an island and a village in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

Shompen Village-B is a village in the Nicobar district of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil.

Shompen Village-A is a village in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil.

Shompen hut is a village in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joginder Nagar, Great Nicobar</span> Village in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

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Car Nicobar Tehsil is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is a subdivision and also a tehsil, roughly equivalent to a county in its range of administrative powers. It is located in the Northern Nicobar Islands.

Nancowry Subdivision is one of three local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederik Adolph de Roepstorff</span>

Frederik Adolph de Roepstorff was a Danish philologist who worked in the Andaman penal colony in India, where he was shot dead by a convict. He studied the languages of Andaman and Nicobar tribes and collected numerous natural history specimens. The Andaman masked owl was named after him by Hume.

Great Nicobar Island Development Project is a planned mega-infrastructure project for the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman Sea of India. The island comes under the Nicobar district administriation in the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

References

  1. 1 2 "Andaman and Nicobar elections: Shompens vote for the first time". India.com. Press Trust of India. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Singh, Shiv Sahay (1 November 2015). "The less known Shompens of Great Nicobar Island". The Hindu. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "List of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups" (PDF). tribal.nic.in. Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  4. ↑ "List of notified Scheduled Tribes" (PDF). Census India. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Weber, George. "The Shompen People". The Andaman Association. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 Blench, Roger. "The language of the Shom Pen: a language isolate in the Nicobar islands" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  7. ↑ de Röepstorff, Frederik Adolph (1875). Vocabulary of dialects spoken in the Nicobar and Andaman Isles (2nd ed.). Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2021-12-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ International, Survival. "Shompen". www.survivalinternational.org. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
  10. ↑ "Press Note: Safety and population profile of the primitive tribes in the andaman and nicobar islands". Ministry of Home Affairs. 2005-01-05. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-07. Maximum Shom Pens population are found in Shompen village (A) & Shompen village (B) with 103 & 106 population respectively.
  11. ↑ "District Census Handbook - Andaman & Nicobar Islands" (PDF). 2011 Census of India . Directorate of Census Operations, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  12. ↑ Sidwell, Paul (2017). "Proto-Nicobarese Phonology, Morphology, Syntax: work in progress" (PDF). International Conference on Austroasiatic Linguistics 7, Kiel, Sept 29-Oct 1, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  13. ↑ "Proposed Megaproject in Great Nicobar Island Could Spell Trouble for Its People, Wildlife". The Wire. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  14. ↑ Dhillon, Amrit (2024-02-07). "India's plan for untouched Nicobar isles will be 'death sentence' for isolated tribe". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-02-09.
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