Chepang people
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चेपाङ | |
---|---|
Prakriti 9.7%[2] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Bhujel |
The Chepang (
With increasing populations, lack of arable land and few irrigation options,
Geographical distribution
The 2011 Nepal census classifies the Chepang within the broader social group of Mountain/Hill Janajati.[8] At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 68,399 people (0.3% of the population of Nepal) were Chepang. The frequency of Chepang people by province was as follows:
- Bagmati Province (1.2%)
- Gandaki Province (0.2%)
- Koshi Province (0.0%)
- Lumbini Province (0.0%)
- Madhesh Province (0.0%)
- Karnali Province (0.0%)
- Sudurpashchim Province (0.0%)
The frequency of Chepang people was higher than national average (0.3%) in the following districts:[9]
Livelihood
Over the past two or three generations, the Chepang have begun to slowly shift from a semi-nomadic (slash-and-burn) lifestyle to a more settled way of life, relying increasingly upon the production of permanent fields of maize, millet and bananas. The severe topography, however, has made permanent farming difficult (and usually insufficient), and the forest has remained an important (although decreasingly so) source of food for the Chepang. Historically, the collection of wild yams and tubers, fish caught from nearby rivers, bats and wild birds, and periodically wild deer hunted from nearby forests, have supplemented their need for carbohydrates and protein.[10]
Religion
According to the 2011 Nepal Census, there are almost 70,000 Chepang in the country, of which 65% were
In the 5th National Gathering of Chepang, 2004, it was stated they practiced Prakriti (Nature), with ancestor worship as most important. They worship many deities including Bhumi, Aita Bare, Gaidu, Namrung (earth deity) etc. They also observe other different festivals like, Maghe Sakranti, Saune Sakranti, Dashain, Tihar.[7]
In recent years, many of the Chepang have converted to Christianity.[12][13]
Language
The language is also known as
2015 earthquake and political crisis
Chepang are among the most vulnerable due to the combination of April 2015 Nepal earthquake and 2015 Nepal blockade. More than 50 per cent of the people killed were from marginalised communities ranked low in the Human Development Index (HDI).[14] Chepang communities were already suffering from severe malnutrition before the blockade,[14] along with the Tamang. Due to historic discrimination and neglect and remote communities, Chepang have suffered discrimination even at the hands of the Nepali Food Corporation in charge of emergency food distribution.[15] It is said that Chepangs compulsorily eat rice during Dashain, where meat is often eaten by more wealthy groups, but they are unlikely to afford even rice this year (2015).[15] Hence they are among the most vulnerable ethnic groups facing potential population bottleneck in the winter of 2015/16 despite their already small numbers.
External links
- Chepangs in Lothhar fight cold with donated clothes (photo feature) Kathmandu Post
- The Chepang Language - Linguistics research and language documentation -
- [2] Videos on the traditional practices and cultures of the Chepang.
References
- ^ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, Caste/Ethnicity Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
- ^ Central Bureau of Statistics (2014). Population monograph of Nepal (PDF) (Report). Vol. II. Government of Nepal.
- ^ https://www.ncard.org.np/categorydetail/chepang.html ; visum 2020-06-10
- ^ a b Beine, Caughley and Shrestha. 2012. Chepang Then and Now: Life and Change Among the Chepang of Nepal. Blurb Books.
- ^ "Scores of teen moms in Chepang community". The Himalayan Times. 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
- ^ "Children in Chitwan deprived of education past primary level".
- ^ a b c "Indigenous Chepang : NNEM". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-02.
- ^ Population Monograph of Nepal, Volume II [1]
- ^ "2011 Nepal Census, District Level Detail Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- ISSN 1018-5291.
- ^ "NEFIN - Chepang". nefin.org.np. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012.
- ^ "The Chepang people of Chitwan and their conversion to Christianity". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
- ^ "Nepal - The people". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
- ^ a b "The Tamang epicentre | Nation | Nepali Times".
- ^ a b "Food crisis grips Chepang villages".