- Tsamai people
The Tsamai people (also spelled Tsemay, Tsamay, Tsemai, Tsamako, or Tsamakko) are an ethnic group of southwestern
Ethiopia . They speak an East Cushitic language called Tsamai, which is in theDullay subgroup. As such, it is related to the Bussa andGawwada languages.According to the 1998 Ethiopian census, the Tsamai number 9,702. The number of speakers of the Tsamai language is 8,621, with 5,298 monolinguals. [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tsb] Many Tsamai use the
Konso language for trade purposes. [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tsb]Most Tsamai live in the
Hamer Bena woreda of theDebub Omo Zone of theSouthern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region , in the LowerOmo River Valley and just to the west of theKonso special woreda . Many Tsamai live in the town ofWeyto , which is approximately 50 km from the town ofJinka , on theKonso -Jinka road.Most Tsamai are agro-pastoralists, herding cattle as well as growing crops. Many Tsamai women wear clothing made from leather. Many Tsamai men carry small stools around with them, which they use in case they need to sit down.
They have a very low level of literacy: below 1% in their first language and 2.8% in their second language. [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tsb]
The Tsamai live in an area that is frequented by adventure tours, and thus are a frequently photographed people. [http://www.sydertravel.com/mad/webpage.php?cat=276] [http://www.infohub.com/vacation_packages/7125.html]
External links
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tsb Ethnologue entry for Tsamai]
* [http://www.davestamboulis.com/omo.html Article about Tsamai] by Dave Stamboulis
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davestamboulis/23177655/in/set-533674/ Photo of young Tsamai girl] by Dave Stamboulis
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davestamboulis/23177656/in/set-533674/ Photo of Tsamai men] by Dave Stamboulis
* [http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-59341.html Article about Tsamai]
* [http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Africa/Ethiopia/photo330417.htm Photo of Tsamai woman]
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