KAIKE is an independent indigenous community having its own existence in society. They are believed to be of Tibetan origin and have a unique culture and way of life.
Population in the Project Area :
2000
The People
Dolpa
The Kaike people are an indigenous community found in the Tichurong Valley of the Dolpa district of Nepal. Kaike speakers are often called Tarali, which in fact refers to any inhabitant of the Tichurong Valley or Tichurongba in Tibetan. Kaike speakers predominantly occupy three villages in the Tichurong Valley, referred to here as Shartara, Tupatara, and Tarakot, and ten other villages in Tichurong Valley. Kham Magar practices the Buddhist religion.
People largely practice subsistence agriculture in Kaike villages, growing several varieties of millet, sweet and sour buckwheat, amaranth, corn, potatoes, and a few other vegetables. Household incomes are heavily supplemented by harvesting yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), a highly prized fungus sold primarily to China that grows at around 4,000 meters and is used medicinally and as an aphrodisiac. Kaike-speaking Taralis residing in Dunai are employed primarily as shopkeepers, and some also engage in yarsagumba trading. Taralis, like everyone else in the world, stratify themselves hierarchically in terms of marriage and according to social, political, and economic categories. Villagers in the Tichurong Valley rely heavily upon the forest, not only for firewood for warmth and cooking fuel but also for building houses. The Mid-Western Region has a very low literacy rate. Dolpa district has a literacy rate of 53% with 67% male and 41% female can read and write. 30% males, 56% female are illiterate.
The Project
Mother-Tongue literacy.
Kaike Magar is classified under the group of Central Himalayas underneath the Himalayan languages of the Tibeto-Burman family of Sino-Tibetan Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, West Bodish languages. The language is not yet well documented, and there is limited information available on its grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. A survey has been conducted in the respected area in order to find out the attitude towards the mother tongue and multilingual ability of the people. People of KAIKE are basically mono-lingual with an exception of a small number of the bi or multilingual young generation. People engaging in trading activities with the outside world use Nepali. Also, People gaining education from outside places have knowledge of English as well. The attitudes of Taralis toward their language have changed over time. Taralis thought of Kaike as unsophisticated and primitive. Now, Taralis in Tichurong Valley, Dunai, and Kathmandu alike embrace the Kaike language as important and valued.
We have planned to form a language commity including the selective mother tongue speakers under the assistance of linguists. They will engage in the process of creating language materials like spelling guides, maths books, literature works, etc. Orthography development has achieved remarkable progress.
Mother-tongue literacy is illustrated as a stepping stone to further education and securing the future of the members of the community. Materials are tested within the community and adapted to suit acceptance, intelligibility, and relevance. Literacy classes will take place when the materials have been developed.
Progress
As of March 2023
The Kaike literacy team, in collaboration with mother-tongue speakers, has taken a significant step towards launching their literacy campaign. They have conducted a sociolinguistic survey to determine people’s attitudes towards their mother tongue, multilingual abilities, and the vitality and strength of the ethnic group. In-depth knowledge of language and culture has been acquired, and dialects and language challenges have been identified. Alphabet charts and spelling guides have been introduced in community villages, resulting in Kaike people learning their native language in a novel and engaging manner. The literacy team has been assembled and started literacy workshops and training sessions. Substantial progress has been made toward the development of literacy materials, which will soon be authored and illustrated by community members. We have started testing the primers (Literacy materials) among the people and consistently recording the progress. The program facilitates students in discovering the relationship between reading, writing, thinking, and learning. This cognitive process occurs naturally and effortlessly because it transpires in the language they think and communicate in best.