Difference between revisions of "Wymgani"

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This article is about the Wymgani people. For the language of the same name, see: Wymgani (language).

The Wymgani, also referred to as Indigenous Ariddians, are the native people of the Ariddian Isles, and make up about 30% of the Isles’ population, although their numbers are rising. They are found in the People’s Democratic Social Republic of Ariddia, the Sovereign State of West Ariddia, the City of North-West Ariddia, the Sovereign Village of San Adriano, Lwellsl and the Ariddian Arctic Islands. Additionally, small numbers of Wymgani are found amongst expatriate Ariddians in countries such as Knootoss, Pacitalia, Andossa Se Mitrin Vega, Audioslavia, Tanah Burung or Uhuh-Topia.

Ethnic characteristics

Wymgani of unmixed ethnic heritage have fairly pale brown skin, brown or black hair, and eyes that are usually dark. Their features are reminiscent of those of Polynesians, although Wymgani form a distinct ethnic group of their own.

Today, many Wymgani are of mixed ethnic descent. Blood quantum is not a factor in determining Ariddian aboriginality, and an individual in the Ariddian Isles is considered Wymgani if he or she is of at least partial Wymgani ethnic descent, if he or she is recognised by an Indigenous community, and if he or she identifies as being Wymgani. Thus, individuals such as Ariddian head of State Nuriyah Khadhim and Ariddian female boxer Aa Shey are Wymgani, although their ethnic appearance is not predominantly Wymgani.

Names

Although Wymgani in the Ariddian Isles share a common language, albeit with regional variations, centuries of cultural evolution in distinct (but inter-communicating) groups has produced some differences in naming conventions. However, almost all Indigenous Ariddians with an Indigenous name have a given name and a second, "family" name. The latter often indicates a person's genealogy, although in somes cases it may also be an ancestor's name, or a name linked in some way to the individual's place of birth. In most communities, there is no clear patrilineal or matrilineal convention in terms of genealogical names, and parents either reach an agreement or confer with their wider family or community.

Names are most often short (Aj Ud, Wa We, Sho Ea, Ue Alt...), and rarely exceed three syllables in all.

Of course, some Wymgani today have a name which does not reflect their Indigenous heritage. The most famous example being Nuriyah Khadhim, who is of primarily Arab ethnic background.

History

See: History of the Wymgani.

Culture & traditional society

Pre-colonial Wymgani culture in the Ariddian Isles and elsewhere was notable in a number of ways, but the most striking to outsiders they encountered was the utter absence of the concept of spirituality. Wymgani were all atheists, conceiving neither of a monotheistic God nor of polytheistic deities or ancestral spirits. Wymgani today remain overwhelmingly atheists, except in San Adriano where a significant number (albeit still a minority) have adopted one religion or another.

Wymgani held a deeply respectful, symbiotic relationship with nature, and the thick, semi-tropical forests of the Ariddian Isles. They practiced sustainable economic and agricultural practices, mindful not to over-exploit resources. Today, Wymgani who still live in rural areas or even in the forests continue to uphold the wisdom of their ancestors in these matters.

Wymgani traditional society is communistic, democratic and egalitarian. In pre-colonial times, Wymgani communities had no leaders, decisions being instead made communally. All Wymgani who had reached puberty were allowed a vote in community decisions. This is still the case today in fairly small Wymgani communities in the Ariddian Isles.

Land

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Part of the boundary between the O’ia and Lwes people on Ewesaha island. The rock is said to have been placed there 700 years ago by the Lwes to indicate that the O’ia could proceed no further without authorisation; it was also a look-out spot for boundary guards in case of tension. The “bridge”, by contrast, showed (and shows) the continued relations and interactions between the two peoples.

There is no individual ownership of land. Land is managed collectively by small communities and extended families. Land management implies a form of custodianship and care, which excludes exploitation beyond the scope of reasonable needs.

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This forked tree is one of several markers of the border between the O’ia and the Susushi peoples. The land encompassed by the right-hand branch is under custodianship of the O’ia.

Land is inalianable, and inherited from the extended family, along very flexible traditional laws which emphasise consensus and fair sharing. No person is ever fully deprived of access to land.

Wymgani practiced (and still practice) small-scale agriculture in communal gardens. Agriculture in Ariddia is thought to be at least 2,300 years old, and may be a lot older. Interestingly, Wymgani in pre-colonial times did not domesticate animals (with the exception of a very small number of communities).

Land ownership is justified through stories which links features of the landscape to historical events. A Wymgani is at home on an area of land when his ancestors are connected to these stories. Hence there was no conflict between communities over land; the idea of seizing land which you have no historical connection to was always alien to the Wymgani.

Burial sites are among the most important marks of historical custodianship of land. Such sites are very often located on the boundaries of a community’s traditional lands, close to the burial sites of a neighbouring community.

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This distinctive white tree is another boundary marker between O’ia and Susushi lands.

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One of the most distinctive landmarks on O’ia land, this rock formation confirms their historical claim to custodianship. O’ia oral genealogies remember the names of individuals who first decided to use this site as an eleshel, a place of communal assembly and debate, well over two millenia ago.

Wymgani today

In the PDSRA

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Aia Lembrun, reporter for Shanal 7 (Channel Seven)

Wymgani in Ariddia exercise self-government to a significant degree, and have their own Parliament, laws and courts. Historically, expropriation of Indigenous land by settlers was a source of inter-ethnic conflict, but today traditional ownership of most Wymgani land has been restored, and an Indigenous Land Court (Wehela Aui u Sheho) deals with the few remaining contentious cases.

Wymgani culture and traditions remain strong, and are respected by non-Indigenous Ariddians. In the city of Haven, the Wymgani Cultural Centre coordinates Wymgani cultural exhibitations and events throughout the city and the nation, and contains a permanent indoor and outdoor museum dedicated to Wymgani culture, history, society, beliefs, way of life and art. Autonomous Wymgani communities maintain traditional ways of life, in rural communities and small towns but also in cities. Many Wymgani have become urbanised, but retain ties to their traditional lands, and others still live in the forests as they have for three thousand years.

The political empowerment of Indigenous Ariddians is reflected not only in the existence of the Wehela Iolih (Indigenous Parliament), but also in the fact that the country’s head of State (Aj Ud) and acting head of State (Nuriyah Khadhim) are both Wymgani.

Wymgani also feature prominently in sports, represented for example by Ue Alt, captain of the national football team from World Cup 25 to World Cup 28 included, or speedskater Linda Uosh, first ever Ariddian to win an Olympic medal, a gold at the Aeropag Winter Olympic Games.

On television, Channel Seven (Shanal 7) is operated by Wymgani for Wymgani in Wymgani, with programmes partaining to various issues of interest to Indigenous Ariddians.

In West Ariddia

The relations between Wymgani and the government in West Ariddia are somewhat less harmonious than in the PDSRA, although they possess fairly similar rights of self-government.

Aqeyr’s capitalist, individualistic policies are anathema to traditional Wymgani values, and Indigenous West Ariddians are amongst the most outspoken critics of the stark environmental effects of West Ariddia’s economic laissez-faire doctrine. Many West Ariddian Wymgani have called their country an “ecological disaster”, and have responded to the destruction of its natural environment in various ways. Some, unable to stay and watch, have emigrated to communist Ariddia. Others have stayed, and swelled the ranks of the West Ariddian branch of the Democratic Communist Party, hoping to bring about a change in government. The DCP is headed by a blind Wymgani woman, Ea L'lew, who intends to stand for President in the country’s next elections.

In North-West Ariddia

The situation in North-West Ariddia is fairly similar to that in the PDSRA, although the City-State is far more urbanised, a fact which has pushed some North-West Ariddian Wymgani to emigrate to Ariddia.

In San Adriano

Wymgani have been living in San Adriano, on the Uhuhland mainland, since the seventeenth century, and helped establish it as a sovereign village-nation. The country’s tiny population is of predominantly mixed ethnicity, and Wymgani of course are not an Indigenous people. Wymgani cultural traditions have evolved (some might say diminished) over the centuries, merging into a national Sanadrianese culture. Thus, being Wymgani no longer has the same meaning as in the Ariddian Isles. Nonetheless, San Adriano maintains close diplomatic ties with Ariddia, due to their shared cultural heritage.

San Adriano’s ruling monarch, Princess Serena Eu, is of mixed, partly Wymgani ethnic descent, as is Benjamin Eash, a table tennis player and one of the country’s few international athletes.

In Lwellsl

The island of Lwellsl is a protectorate of West Ariddia. It has a population of about seven hundred, all of them descendants of Wymgani who settled there almost two millennia ago. Over the centuries, the Lwellsl Wymgani evolved their own distinct culture, language and society. Lwellsl is fully self-governing, and has a queen who rules through consensus with the island’s elders and a partially democratic council.

Lwellsl Wymgani still live in a “stone age” society, technologically speaking. West Ariddia has promised not to interfere with their traditional way of life, and keeps the island off limits to outsiders.

Lwellsl Wymgani have acquired some measure of fame due to the ulek, an ancient war chant and dance originally from the Ariddian Isles but long forgotten by Ariddian Wymgani. It is now sung and performed by Ariddia's football team at the start of every match, as a marker of Wymgani (and Ariddian) identity, and to impress the opposite team.

In the Ariddian Arctic Islands

It was in the fifteenth century that Indigenous Ariddian explorers settled in what would later become the Ariddian Arctic Islands. Just like Sanadrianese and Lwellsl Wymgani, their culture and language has evolved over the centuries since they left the Ariddian Isles. In the Arctic Islands, Wymgani were integrated into a society composed of Indigenous Arctic Islanders and Korean settlers who had lived there since the twelfth century. A multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society evolved from the mix.

Arctic Islanders of Wymgani or part-Wymgani descent are by no means Indigenous, and hence their sense of identity is somewhat different to that of Wymgani in Ariddia. Many do, however, feel some sense of cultural affinity with their ancestors’ homeland.

Ariddian Arctic Wymgani, the language derived from that of the fifteenth-century Wymgani settlers, is considered an endangered language, and efforts are underway to revive it.

Elsewhere

Expatriate Wymgani often live amidst immigrant Ariddian communities in richer, more developed countries. Many appear to identify as Ariddian first and Wymgani second, maintaining ties with fellow Ariddian immigrants of all ethnic backgrounds. They mostly inhabit major urban centres. Ariddian expatriate communities, containing small numbers of Wymgani, can be found in cities such as Timiocato and Saronno (Pacitalia), Knootcap (Knootoss), Soundgardiana (Audioslavia), as well as various cities and towns in Andossa Se Mitrin Vega. Ariddian expatriate communities wishing to retain their own cultural practices often establish a cultural centre (the most notable being in Saronno), and Wymgani expatriates contribute greatly to these endeavours. There is also one or more Ariddian vegetarian restaurant in most of these cities, and some are owned and operated by Wymgani.

Lank Jan

Lank Jan is a pidgin language, derived from French, spoken by some Wymgani on the Ariddian island of Se'asho. See the article on Lank Jan for more.

See also

• Native Pacific Islanders