Endangered Kusunda culture on brink of extinction

By Amar Raj Naharki,Tanahun, Nov. 24: The language and culture of the Kusunda community are on the brink of extinction due to the lack of preservation efforts.

As the population of the community declines, its unique language and traditions are on the verge of disappearing. Indra Maya Kusunda, a resident of Dihigaun in Byas Municipality-10, knows only a little of the Kusunda language.

Indra Maya shared her concern about losing her language, despite her late husband, Raja Mama, having taught her some of it. She said, “I know a bit, but my daughter cannot speak the language and without anyone to converse with, I am also forgetting it.”

Since Raja Mama's passing three years ago, Indra Maya has had no one to speak her indigenous language with. Raja Mama, who was fluent in the language, passed away on April 18, 2018. 

According to Basundhara Gharti, former chair of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) District Coordination Council in Tanahun, Indra Maya has only a limited knowledge of the language, unlike her late husband, who was an expert.

Gharti said that the Kusunda language's decline is partly due to Raja Mama’s marriage outside the Kusunda community, which disrupted the intergenerational transmission of the language. Raja Mama and Indra Maya’s only daughter, Simanta, cannot speak the Kusunda language.

The Kusunda community, with its rich language, culture, values and traditions, is nearing extinction. Gharti stressed the need for state intervention, saying, “Policies mandating the study of mother tongues and cultures are essential for preserving endangered languages like Kusunda. Without such measures, these treasures will be limited to archives like Google.”

Historically, the Kusunda were known as “Kings of the Jungle” for their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, relying on hunting wild animals and gathering forest roots for survival. However, rapid development, deforestation, social changes and challenges such as non-endogamous marriages have eroded their way of life.

According to NEFIN, the Kusunda community, which once embodied humanity's early cultural stages, has gradually assimilated into mainstream society, abandoning its distinctive identity. The Kusunda, a nomadic group, did not engage in agriculture, living instead in forests where they claimed territorial rights.

Currently, there is only one Kusunda household in Tanahun. Indra Mama’s family resides in a three-room house built on land purchased by the National Foundation for Indigenous Nationalities. The foundation arranged Raja Mama's marriage to Indra Maya Tamang in 2004 to support the community’s survival.

The Kusunda traditionally lived in temporary shelters made of forest materials, such as large leaves for bedding and roofing. They hunted deer, wild chickens, jackals and more while relying on wild roots and vegetables like tarul, niguro, and githa for sustenance. 

However, their lack of healthcare and reliance on forest resources led to high child mortality and a declining population, prompting efforts to integrate them into mainstream society.