Aïnous

The Aïnus or Aïnous (" ainu" アイヌ, which means " human " in Aïnu, (蝦夷) in Japanese, also called " Utari " ウタリ in aïnu, which means " camarade"), are a population Aborigène. They live in the North of the Japan and to the extreme Is Russia: Towards -1300 before JC, they migrated towards Hokkaido, the Îles Kouriles, the island of Sakhaline and the south of the peninsula of the Kamchatka. That is to say 1000 years before the representatives of the people of the Wa which are the ancestors of the current Japanese, arrived by the island of Honshu (probably from Korea).

Yesterday in the process of disappearance, one counts approximately 150 000 members of this Ethnicity nowadays. However, no exact Recensement was held, much of Aïnus hide their origin or in many cases do not even know it, their parents theirs having dissimulated to protect them from discrimination and the Racisme.

History

Origins, various assumptions

Caucasian assumption

Morphologiquement, Aïnus do not resemble to the Japanese. They are larger, more resistant, their breadth and pilosity is more marked, their skin is clearer, their less smooth face and their eyes are not attached. In short, they are not mongoloïde S (standard morphological of the Japanese, Korean S and Chinese). With these physical characteristics, they were associated a long time with the type Caucasien. The genetic tests carried out show that this assumption is false

Assumption of relationships with the Central Asia

The genetic tests carried out on Aïnus show that those have for Haplogroupe the Haplogroupe D. However this haplogroupe is rare and is found in significant quantity only with the Tibet and in the islands Andaman what suggests a relationship with the people of Central Asia. The ethnicity from which would descend Aïnus was if one follows this assumption installed in Central Asia and Eastern and would have been driven out by the expansion of the Han.

Mixing with the Nivkhes

Aïnu on eight has also the characters of the Haplogroupe C3 which are most common among the populations of the extreme is Russia and among the populations of Mongolia. Some have advanced that this haplogroupe would be the result of an one-way genetic mixing with the Nivkhes with which Aïnus have common points besides on the cultural level (woodcarving, festival of the bear, reasons for the dress). This assumption of mixing with Nivkhes is still supported by the additional presence of the Haplogroupe Y which is found high frequency only at Nivkhes and Aïnus like by the similarity of the languages of the two people.

Originating in the South Asia?

Certain scientists have advanced the fact that Aïnus go down from a prehistoric ethnicity which would have also generated the aboriginals of Australia. This assumption is based on the discovery of bones of the Period Jōmon going back 10.000 years. These bones have a facies similar to that of the people of Australia and New Guinea.

Difference between Aïnus and Japanese

Aïnus are related to the culture Jōmon. They are only people Jōmon not to have undergone genetic mixing with the people Yayoi (arrived from Korea). Of this fact Aïnus are close to the inhabitants of the Ryu-Kyu islands which result also from the Jōmon people and only few mixings with the Yayoi people underwent. The Japanese come from the mixture between Jōmon and immigrants of Korea.

Period pre-Japanese woman

One does not know large thing of the history pre-Japanese woman of Aïnus.
At the beginning, the first contacts with the Japanese were friendly and both Peuple S tied commercial relations of equal footing. With the wire of time, the Japan starts to dominate the relation and to establish large colonies on the Territoire aïnu. The aïnus for the first time are mentioned by Japanese in the Kojiki.

Repression of Aïnus towards Hokkaido

When the Japanese move towards North to take the control of the grounds aïnus, Aïnus generally give up them without resistance, one knows however Guerre S: 1268 (first known revolt), 1457 ( battles of Koshamain ), 1669 ( battles of Shiyakushiyain between Aïnus and the Mastumae clan) and 1789 all lost by Aïnus. In 1799, Aïnus of the east of Hokkaido are subjected to the control of the shogun and in 1807, it is with the turn of those of the west of the island. One can explain this quasi-absence of resistance by their beliefs according to which the ground does not belong to anybody, including themselves. And how could they defend their grounds since they do not belong to them?

Disappearance of the Aïnu culture

During these centuries when Europeans practice the Colonisation and the Esclavage (16th century - middle of the 19th century), where the Americans make hunting for the native, the Japanese exert “the assimilation forced”, inter alia on Aïnus: clothing, the religion and the education of all the populations of the Japanese territory must be Japanese. Then, the Japanese rules during the Period Meiji (19th century - beginning of the 20th century) stick “to reform” the aïnu lifestyle in its daily newspaper, prohibiting their language and confining them with agriculture on pieces provided by the government. Aïnus are also employed under conditions close to the Esclavage by the Industrie of the fishing. They were also forced (by the Clan Matsumae) to be used as intermediary between the Japanese and the Russians.

It was the same in Russia where they were converted with the orthodoxe religion. After 1945, much of Aïnus of Russia joined Japan. The presence of Aïnus in Russia was hidden besides. The Guerre Russo-Japanese woman had also an influence on the disappearance of Aïnus of Russia. Thus when the island of Sakhaline was attached to Japan (taking the name of Karafuto ), Aïnus were sent on the island of Hokkaido.

Rebirth of the Aïnu identity

Until the end of the Second world war, Aïnus are constrained with “becoming Japanese”, to disavow their rites, their arts, their lifestyle, their religion (ceremonies of marriages, of burials, ceremonies of the animal spirits… abandoned). From 1960, Aïnus start to gather to acquire “the right to the difference”. Their regular requests, carried out by Association Utari and Giichi Nomura, do not have any result, but they continue their efforts and support their bill to take advantage of this “right to the difference”. But it is only in 1994, thanks to the pressure exerted by UNO in favor of the people autochtones, which they manage to make enter one as of their, Shigeru Kayano, with the Kokkai (Japanese Parliament).

Devoted to its people since always, Shigeru Kayano did not cease fighting to obtain recognition. Then, in 1997, is promulgated the Loi for the promotion of the culture aïnu and the dissemination and the support of the traditions aïnus and the culture aïnu. Since, Aïnus have the right and the duty to promote their culture, their difference. Several tens of museums and arts centres dedicated to the culture aïnu are the receptacles to know to them, of their traditions. But discrimination always exists (according to a survey of the government of Hokkaïdo in 1999, Aïnu on two only was not pilot of discrimination towards of Aïnus (that it is itself victim or not) and Aïnus hope today to obtain from advantage that “right to show their culture”: “right to live according to their culture”.

Today, a newspaper in language aïnu is published: Ainu Times. As the aïnus did not know the writing, a spelling-book close to the katakana was developed and is used by this newspaper.

It should be stressed that although they fight for the recognition of their culture, nothing in the Japanese school handbooks treats them

Religion

Aïnus are animists. They think that all in nature has a kamuy (spirit: one writes also kamui ) inside. There is a hierarchy in the kamuy . Most important is that of fire (Apehuci-Kamuy); then one finds the kamuy animals of mountain and still behind, the kamuy of the animals of the sea. Aïnus thank the gods before eating and request the kamuy fire when they are sick. They believe that the spirits are immortal, and that those will be rewarded by the access to the ground for the gods.

They also believe in the existence of " lutins" : the Koropokkuru

List Kamuy

Ae-oina Kamui , it would have taught with the men domestic arts
Akkorokamui
Apasam Kamui
Apehuci-Kamuy (kamuy of fire)
Cep Kamuy (kamuy of salmon)
Chikap Kamui , kamuy of the owls and the ground
Chup Kamui , kamuy of the sun
the Hash-Inau-U.K. Kamui , kamuy of hunting
Kamui Fuchi , kamuy of the hearth
Kanna Kamuy , the kamuy of the storm
Kenash Unarabe , a monster drinker of blood who attacks the hunters
Kim-un Kamui , kamuy of the bears
Kinashut Kamui , kamuy of the snakes
Moshirikara Kamui , creator of the ground
Nusakoro Kamui , messenger of the gods and representative of dead the
Pauchi Kamui , malignant spirit responsible for the disease
Repun Kamui , kamuy of the orc and the sea
Shinda (kamuy of the fertility)
Tuntu (kamuy of the sky), also called Kamui
Shiramba Kamui , kamuy of wood, nature
Waka-ush Kamui , kamuy drinking water
Yushkep Kamui , kamuy of the spider

Certains Aïnus living in the extreme north of the archipelago is now members of the Russian orthodoxe church.

Cosmogony

For Aïnus, there exist 6 skies and 6 hells where the gods, the demons and the animals live. The demons live in the skies low. On the level of the clouds and stars live the least important gods. In highest of the skies, lives Tuntu, creative God and his servants. Its kingdom is surrounded by a wall of metal and the only way of entering there is to pass by a large iron door.

Tuntu created this world like a large ocean resting on the spinal column of a gigantic trout. When this fish moves, the ground trembles.

One Tuntu day looked towards this water world and decided to do something of it. It sent to it a bird which while flying above the ocean drove out water and thus islands emerged.

When the animals of the skies transfer how much this new world was beautiful, there they asked for Tuntu the permission of go to live. This one accepted. But Tuntu manufactured also creatures only made for this world. first Aïnus had been born, they had a ground body and hair containing plants. Tuntu sent also Aioina, a divine man, on ground to teach in Ainus how to drive out and make the kitchen.

Habitat

Ainus are established at the sea or river banks, in zones where they are estimated protected from the natural disasters. They live in community, gathered in villages called kotan , where each family has her cise (house). On average, a kotan is composed of ten cise .

Ainus have many constructions apart from the cise: guard-mangers ( been able , where they make in particular dry fish), driers, lean-to building, etc… One finds also cages for the bears and of many vertical “furnace bridges” protecting the kotan .

The entry of the houses aïnus is in the west. They have only one part. The center of the house is occupied by a hearth for fire. The houses do not have a chimney. The evacuation of smoke is not made holes located at the angle of the roof.

The dwellings aïnus always have three windows (one can note it besides on the image of right-hand side). Two of them are always in the same direction. It there forever of window in north.

Lifestyle

In the beginning, the Japanese territory was covered with forests. Under the hard conditions of the Scandinavian environment, Aïnus provided for their needs by the practice for hunting, fishing, the gathering of the plants and other activities of this kind, in contact with nature. They built the tools useful and necessary to these practices with a single and specific know-how.

Many tools are used according to the task: complex arcs and arrows, traps (trap doors and others), hooks ( marek ), harpoons ( kite ), nets of hunting, systems of digging, pickaxes for the plants, weaving looms ( karepinki ), knives ( makiri ), etc…

In addition to the resources obtained by the traditional activities, Aïnus preserved certain articles with an aim of exchanging them with the close populations. The fur and the skins (stag S of Yezo, Sable S, feathers of Falcon…) were reserved for this purpose. Aïnus were large tradesmen. The witnesses of their exchanges with the Wajins , all the minority populations bordering, but also with the Chinese and even the European , are often exposed in the museums of culture aïnu (blown glasses, of silk fabrics, the tools out of metal, etc…). Aïnus built their lives in liaison with the other populations, dividing and exchanging their “goods” as much as their knowledge.

Culture

Aïnus preserved, developed and enriched by many traditions during the centuries, forging a great diversity of knowledge-faires and artistic expressions. Still today, these arts are exerted.

Aïnus and their body

The men have as a practice after a certain age more to shave and let push their hair librement.
The women, they, tattoo themselves as of puberty. The tattooed parts are the arms, the mouth, the moustache, the clitoris, the arms and sometimes the face. They use also soot to give color to their face. The women, just like the men, carry earrings (in aïnu: ninkari ). The jewels are carried by the aïnus only since the 12th century, date where metal was introduced on their premises.

weaving and the embroidery

First of all, the embroidery aïnu is a single and specific art, of a complexity such as it could not be explained in some lines. The textiles aïnus, woven according to the cultural traditions aïnus, are covered with embroidered reasons.

These reasons, represented at the base to protect the owners from the intrusion of bad spirits (diseases, moulds, wounds…), are prone to many studies. They vary from a kotan (village) with the other and are woven on weaving looms (called karepinki ) quite as single in their kind, Aïnus have a powerful know-how as regards textile.

They manufacture in particular their clothing containing feathers of birds, of fibers drawn from barks.

engraving on wood

It is told that the Aïnus boys became men only when they were skilful in arts of hunting, fishing, and engraving on wood. This art is thus regarded as a rite of passage at the adulthood. The tools and the pieces of furniture aïnus are always engraved. In addition to being functional, these articles thus take on an esthetic characteristic.

The only tool of the Aïnu engraver is his makiri (knife). This technique, as well as its esthetics, are single in the world. Many museums and arts centres Aïnus expose these works proudly. Today, of the modern Aïnus artists still work this art, living technique which they inherited their ancestors. Works are sold to the galerists, and to the tourists. The sculptor Bikki (March 6th, 1931 - January 25th, 1989) thus acquired an international repute, license the beginning of collaborations Aïnus-Canadian, worked out several municipal monuments, etc Two astronomers Japanese gave his name (Bikki) to a planet (K. Endate and K. Watanabe, on September 1st, 1993, with planet 5372).

dance and the song

Since always, Aïnus sing and dance their ceremonies (Iyomante, ceremony of the bear spirit, for example) and during their celebrations (births, festivals, marriages, burials…). They sing and dance their prayers, they sing and dance their legends (Kutune-Shirka or Yukar), but also they sing and dance in family, at friendly meetings and even during daily work (gathering, return of hunting, clothes industry of the pulps, etc). There exist many dances: rimse, upopo, horippa (dances in circle), the dances of prayer, the dances of play, the dances of exorcism, dances of work, the dances which describe the movements of the animals… These dances vary from one area to another, from one kotan to another, so many, if are varied, that they are indénombrables, and obtained today the recognition to be “intangible folk cultural goods”.

Generally, the dances are done without instruments, only the voice and the slappings of hands (applause type) guide these dances. The voice sings, imitates cries of animals or chant of the onomatopoeias. The dancers are not professionals because all Aïnus dance. The majority of the dances are mixed but, they are primarily women who dance and, only certain dances are dances of men. For Aïnus, to dance is one moment of pleasure which is divided with the kamuys (spirits). The son of Bikki, Oki, defends these arts.

the mukkuri and the tonkori

Aïnus have two types of instruments: the Mukkuri, also called oral toothing-stone, or Japanese lute, which is a made musical instrument of bamboo and string. Cut like a fine spoon punt measuring 10 to 15 cm length and 1 cm broad, the center of the mukkuri is dug form of one language to which a string is attached at the two ends. To play about it, it is necessary to place the string in a hand and to pose with the other hand the mukkuri against the edge of the mouth. It is necessary to draw the string to create a vibration. The players vary the sonorities emitted by opening the mouth more or less while they blow while drawing the string more or less quickly. These instruments, close to the old crocks, also exist in native-born people of Taiwan and certain Nordiques ethnos groups as well as other native-born people in the whole world. The technique of construction and the technique of use of the mukkuri are two indissociable arts.

The Tonkori is an musical instrument cut like a Japanese zither and first of all used by Aïnus of Sakhaline. A tree is emptied to compose the body of the instrument, above which is attached a flat piece of wood. It measures between 70 and 150 cm of length and roughly 15 cm broad. It has 5 cords in general, but one can see some less often with either 3 or 6 cords. The tonkori is carried and played by gripping the cords with the two hands but by taking care not to pose the fingers on the cords. It is a complex art which requires a great dexterity.

The son of Bikki, Oki, allows to make hear these instruments in Japan and abroad.

the gastronomy

The culinary techniques and the Aïnus dishes belong to gastronomical arts as much as intangible cultural goods, they are thus without possible dispute one of the witnesses of the culture aïnu.

Association Rera proposes to taste with these testimonys in a Aïnu restaurant located in the district of Nakano at Tōkyō.

Ingredients used

Beans
millet
buckwheat
corn

Pukusa , in Japanese gyôja ninniku (ギョウジャニンニク), in French: Garlic with réticulées tunics.

Meats:

Bear (it is an animal crowned for Aïnus, whose consumption is ritual)
Cervidés
Renard
viverrine Chien
rabbit
Phoque
Baleine (the aïnus drove out the whale with poisoned harpoons)

Poisson:

Saumon (the aïnus knew sophisticated systems of fishings (enclosed) to catch the salmons
Truite
Carpe

Mets

Kitokamu
Munchiro Sayo
Ohaw , name of the soups made by the aïnus. There exists about it much of kinds.
Munini-imo , a type of wafer

Policy

Political organization of the Aïnu company

These people of fishermen and hunters have a patriarchal social structure and polygamic. Their religion is of type Animiste: the bear is the most venerated entity there.

Nowadays, Aïnus are placed under the laws of Japan. Before that, their system Politique was based on a system of Chef S hereditary, three in each Village. Administratively, their country was divided into three counties: Saru, Usu and Ishikari. The relations between these various counties were distant and the Mariage S between inhabitants from various avoided counties. The functions of Juge S were not attached to the chiefs of the village, in the place an unspecified number members of the community sat down to judge the criminals. The imprisonment did not exist and was replaced by blows which were regarded as sufficient. In the case of the Murder S however, the Nose and the Oreille S of the assassin were cut or the tendons of its distinct feet.

Current policy

Currently, following the example Indian of America, those which were not assimilated by the Japanese community find confined in reserves. Aïnus comparable suffer from discrimination (about half of between-them suffered from it) and they live under conditions lower than the Japanese average. They make also less studies.

Nowadays, number of them reject the term Aïnu and that of Utari prefers to him (“comrade” in language aïnu). In the official documents the two terms are used. In Japan, Aïnus are also called Ebisu (夷, “savage”), Emishi or Ezo (蝦夷).

The current Aïnus claims relate to the requirement of a legal representation of the Japanese minority populations in the corridors of the capacity (constitutional rooms). Indeed, with share Shigeru Kayano, no representative of Japanese minority had the word in the high places of the Japanese capacity! Aïnus go until asking for the creation of a federal state in which them voice will carry as much as that of the Japanese government, excessive requirement for Japanese.

A project, whose development started with the promulgation of the Law for the Promotion of the Aïnu Culture in 1997, tends to make possible the Aïnus claims without sullying the Japanese government: it is the park Iwor . This project, known as of “historical park”, would make it possible “to reproduce spaces of traditional life” and to act for the “safeguarding of the environment”. A space pertaining to Aïnus, managed by Aïnus, in which to preserve and transmit the traditions and the Aïnus lifestyle. But today, for the political reasons mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the Iwor park cannot still be built.

The hope relates now to the UNO and its Authority of the Autochtones People which must prepare a declaration of the rights of the indigenous people, which could help to resolve the situation.

The ethnos group aïnu claims also a compensation rising for 1,5 billion yens near the authority Japanese women to have undergone Japanese colonization.

Language

Just like that of the people aïnu, the origins of the language are dubious.

The aïnou is a isolate, the specialists did not succeed in establishing its linguistic relationship with other languages. From a typological point of view, it is rather close to the languages known as paléo-Siberian. One notes a certain number of common words between the aïnou and the nivkhe like between the aïnou and the Japanese, but it is about loans

Many toponyms originate in the language aïnu in spite them Japanese efforts to avoid this fact. For example Shiretoko comes from the aïnu " sir-etok" which means " the end of the ground "

Sub-groups

Aïnus of the Tohoku (Emishi)
Aïnus of Hokkaido
Aïnus of Sakhaline
Aïnus of the islands Kouriles (not of known alive individuals)
Aïnus of the valley of the Love (probably more individuals)

An explanation of domestication?

Like many indigenous people, the aïnus were observed.

Their ritual of the bear, in particular, struck the ethnologists, since one is in the presence of a religious ritual, without the least economic, but clearly related utility with the breeding, whereas these people do not practice it. The same ritual, applied to a wolf (not yet a dog), or to bovine or another animal domesticable, would have given effects easy to imagine (the Domestication), so much commun runs that the ritual would not have even drawn the attention besides; as the bear east does not seem it domesticable, the ritual could be preserved without too many variations, and seems an invaluable cultural fossil, which can help us to imagine the cultural process in the beginning of the breeding.

Thus, it would be a ritual which could give rise to the breeding, practical which appears profitable to us economically, whereas it is on the contrary expensive, and even very expensive: the ritual requirement makes it possible to justify the efforts to preserve and nourish an animal during years, in spite them difficulties (to find what to nourish it, avoid the diseases to him, to suffer its parasites, its dejections, its badly controllable behavior, etc) whereas the same meat could be found in one day of hunting.

Anecdotes and rumors

It appears that the first Japanese representatives with the Olympic Games (Olympic Games of summer of 1912 with Stockholm) were all Aïnus, aberration when it is known that at that time (end XIXe - beginning 20th century), Aïnus were discredited and rejected by the Japanese people.

It seems that Hayao Miyazaki, the famous Japanese realizer (Nausicaä of the valley of the wind, My neighbor Totoro, the voyage of Chihiro…), would have taken as a starting point the Aïnus to carry out one of its greater successes: " Princess Mononoké " (original title: Mononoke Hime ). If the man always affirmed the opposite (http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mh/faq.html), certain elements of his film however seem to stick to this theory. Examples:

Ashitaka a main character belongs to a named hidden tribe Emishi S in the French version.
the Inaos, typically and unquestionably witness of the Aïnu culture, present in front of the house of gathering of the village where Ashitaka saw.
the presence of forging mills to the accesses of " the endroit" where its village (knowing is that Wajin (people of Wa), ancestors of Japanese, started to settle in Hokkaïdo where lived Aïnus to build " there; zones of commerce" and… of the forging mills).
the period in which the film is located (according to a quotation of Miyazaki: Period Muromachi), period when the Aïnu people were the human population most represented on Hokkaïdo.
And especially the presence of woodland imps (called kodama in the original version. If the French translation in film is " sylvains" , the literal translation of the term means " spirits of the arbres"), obvious representations of " Koropokkuru ", present in the Aïnus legends.

Aïnus appear, as well as the koropokkuru, in the manga Shaman King and its version animated. One of the Horohoro main characters and members of this tribe and uses a koropokkuru like spirit to fight. One also sees a representative of the Aïnu people named Okuru in Samuraï Champloo (double episode " Lullabies Off The Lost"), in its fight against the Matsumae clan.

See too

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