Danta people
Encyclopedia
The Danta people, historically and commonly known as Dubamo are an ethnic group in Ethiopia
. The homeland of the Danta is in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), specifically the Hadiya Zone
, and less so in the Kembata Tembaro Zone (KT).
. However, the Danta have made a significant linguistic transition since the Hadiya
migrated into their homeland at the beginning of the 19th century. A sizable number of Danta living in their original home have so far resisted assimilation by the Hadiya and still speak their original Kizinya dialect.
Historically, Danta is thought to be a "state formed in Kambata about 1550-1570", and the "Dubamo people were known to have slave trade with Jimma
even after the anti-slavery proclamation of 1923". The Danta "were organized in a small kingship whose rulers claim descent from 'King Solomon' of Gondar
, i.e. from Amharic nobility". The Danta still maintain "a tradition that they came from Gondar about 15 generations ago" and "conserved an outstanding consciousness as an upper stratum tracing their origin to the North Ethiopian Christian area, a stratum which had at one time superimposed itself upon a Kushitic" substratum of the indigenous people.
To date, it is a common practice for an average Danta to name his or her paternal genealogy going back to more than 20 generations. Braukämper, in one of his other articles on the Danta, suggests that their allusion of their origin to King Solomon and the Amharic nobility may be an astute strategy to legitimization of status and power rather than evidence of an actual hereditary relationship with the north. However, a layman’s analysis of their genealogy (e.g. tribe names and distant ancestral names of individuals) occasionally yields, albeit weakly, names that connote northern connection.
Hawzula is a supra-natural deity worshiped by all Danta in the past and still by some to date. The Hawzula spirit 'speaks' and 'works' through the Hawzulmancho, a hereditary Dubamo man on whom the Hawzula spirit descends and dwells on. Hawzula was the arbitrator, councilor and judge on all matters not only for Danta but also for the neighboring peoples such as the Hadiya, Donga, Kambaata and Timbaro. Many Danta confessed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity after Menelik II’s conquest in the 1880s but evangelical Christianity
has become the dominant religion since the 1970s.
, Duna and Misha
woreda
s of the Hadiya Zone, although a large number of Danta also live in the adjoining Doyo Gena woreda of the KT. Reportedly, relatively small clusters of people of some Danta tribes live in the Silt'e and Wolaita Zones. They are known for their intensive cultivation of ensete
and barley and for breeding of horses. Dantich farasho, literally meaning "the flying horse of Danta", is a phrase that is commonly used for eulogy.
radio Amharic service has made a lengthy report on the case on 12 May 2009.
In the current political configuration, most Danta are either neutral or affiliated with the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
. This aside, because of the increasing consciousness of their distinct historical and cultural identity, a few Danta elites living in the area had opted for establishing a legally registered ethnic based political party called the "Danta, Dubamo and Kinchichila Democratic Organization", and named two candidates for the 2005 general elections.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The homeland of the Danta is in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), specifically the Hadiya Zone
Hadiya Zone
Hadiya is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . This zone is named after the Hadiya of the Hadiya kingdom, whose homeland covers part of the administrative division...
, and less so in the Kembata Tembaro Zone (KT).
Origin, Language and Religion
The Danta, historically and commonly known as Dubamo are a small ethnic group in Ethiopia. Their symbolic center of settlement is the highland area of Danta, after which they are sometimes named. The Danta originally spoke the Kizinya dialect of KambaataKambaata language
Kambaata is a Highland East Cushitic language, part of the larger Afro-Asiatic family and spoken by the Kambaata. Dialects are Donga, Kambaata and Tambaro. It is one of the official languages of Ethiopia. The language has a large number of verbal affixes. When these are affixed to verbal roots,...
. However, the Danta have made a significant linguistic transition since the Hadiya
Hadiya
The Hadiya Kingdom was an ancient kingdom in located in southwestern Ethiopia, south of the Abbay River and west of Shewa. It was ruled by the Hadiya people, who spoke the Cushitic Hadiyya language. The historical Hadiya area was situated between Kembata, Gamo, and Waj, southwest of Shewa...
migrated into their homeland at the beginning of the 19th century. A sizable number of Danta living in their original home have so far resisted assimilation by the Hadiya and still speak their original Kizinya dialect.
Historically, Danta is thought to be a "state formed in Kambata about 1550-1570", and the "Dubamo people were known to have slave trade with Jimma
Kingdom of Jimma
The Kingdom of Jimma was one of the kingdoms in the Gibe region of Ethiopia that emerged in the 19th century. It shared its western border with Limmu-Ennarea, its eastern border with the Sidamo kingdom of Janjero, and was separated from the Kingdom of Kaffa to the south by the Gojeb River. Jimma...
even after the anti-slavery proclamation of 1923". The Danta "were organized in a small kingship whose rulers claim descent from 'King Solomon' of Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
, i.e. from Amharic nobility". The Danta still maintain "a tradition that they came from Gondar about 15 generations ago" and "conserved an outstanding consciousness as an upper stratum tracing their origin to the North Ethiopian Christian area, a stratum which had at one time superimposed itself upon a Kushitic" substratum of the indigenous people.
To date, it is a common practice for an average Danta to name his or her paternal genealogy going back to more than 20 generations. Braukämper, in one of his other articles on the Danta, suggests that their allusion of their origin to King Solomon and the Amharic nobility may be an astute strategy to legitimization of status and power rather than evidence of an actual hereditary relationship with the north. However, a layman’s analysis of their genealogy (e.g. tribe names and distant ancestral names of individuals) occasionally yields, albeit weakly, names that connote northern connection.
Hawzula is a supra-natural deity worshiped by all Danta in the past and still by some to date. The Hawzula spirit 'speaks' and 'works' through the Hawzulmancho, a hereditary Dubamo man on whom the Hawzula spirit descends and dwells on. Hawzula was the arbitrator, councilor and judge on all matters not only for Danta but also for the neighboring peoples such as the Hadiya, Donga, Kambaata and Timbaro. Many Danta confessed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity after Menelik II’s conquest in the 1880s but evangelical Christianity
P'ent'ay
P'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
has become the dominant religion since the 1970s.
The Danta-Dubamo land
The Danta nationality are mainly concentrated in the cool highlands of the SoroSoro (woreda)
Soro is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Hadiya Zone, Soro is bordered on the south and east by the Kembata Tembaro Zone, on the west by the Omo River which separates it from the Oromia Region and the Yem special woreda, on...
, Duna and Misha
Misha
Misha , also known as Mishka or The Olympic Mishka is the name of the Russian Bear, the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games . He was designed by children's books illustrator Victor Chizhikov....
woreda
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s of the Hadiya Zone, although a large number of Danta also live in the adjoining Doyo Gena woreda of the KT. Reportedly, relatively small clusters of people of some Danta tribes live in the Silt'e and Wolaita Zones. They are known for their intensive cultivation of ensete
Ensete
Ensete, or Enset, is a genus of plants, native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It is one of the three genera in the banana family, Musaceae.- Domesticated enset in Ethiopia :...
and barley and for breeding of horses. Dantich farasho, literally meaning "the flying horse of Danta", is a phrase that is commonly used for eulogy.
Current Political Organization and Representation
Since the federal rearrangement of the Ethiopian state in the 1990s, "the Dubamo increasingly became aware of their non-Hadiya origin and started demanding an administrative district of their own". From that time, the Danta have repeatedly petitioned the government for recognition and representation as an ethnic group. In the 1990s, the Dubamo refused to acknowledge the Hadiya-dominated local administrators as their legitimate rulers and stopped paying taxes as a token of resistance. Ever since the Danta have been making peaceful political struggle for representation at all administrative levels including the councils at the district, zonal and regional levels and the Houses of Peoples Representatives and Federation at the national level. No definitive answer has so far been given and the case is still active and pending. Local media have reported on the demands of the Dubamo at various times and the Deutsche WelleDeutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
radio Amharic service has made a lengthy report on the case on 12 May 2009.
In the current political configuration, most Danta are either neutral or affiliated with the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front is the ruling political coalition in Ethiopia. It is an alliance of four other groups: the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization , the Amhara National Democratic Movement , the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front The Ethiopian People's...
. This aside, because of the increasing consciousness of their distinct historical and cultural identity, a few Danta elites living in the area had opted for establishing a legally registered ethnic based political party called the "Danta, Dubamo and Kinchichila Democratic Organization", and named two candidates for the 2005 general elections.