Roots of Ainu
Our People Are Critically Endangered!
Dating back to the Paleolithic Era, the Ainu are argued to be the first original peoples to migrate away from Africa. The Ainu and the mystery of their language/origin hold the key to uncovering the true roots of human diversity and rich traditions that are integral to our global cultural landscape.
The Significance of the Ainu
The Original Settlers of Asia
The Ainu took an entirely independent evolutionary path. Revealing the truth about the original migration of the Ainu ancestors over 60 thousand years ago will reveal how humans first migrated/settled across Asia and beyond.
Haplogroup D
The Ainu are an isolated genetic population found only sparsely in Tibet, Burma, and the extremely isolated islands off Bengal. However, the phenotype of Haplogroup D ranges widely for reasons unknown to scientists. Knowing why such diversity occurs in those with almost identical genotypes will help us understand the inner workings of human genetic diversity.
Itak: The Language
Scientists have been unable to tie Itak to any other language known today. Although it has now been translated into Katakana from its oral origins, Itak has been named a critically endangered language by UNESCO. With less than a handful of native speakers alive, and the lack of government support to revive it, the language isolate is on the fast track to extinction.
Inomi: Universe
The Ainu know that God is in all things. They choose to live in harmony with the "Kamuy" (omnipresent guardians from flora to fauna, the elements, etc.). Knowing that kamuy are spirits who bear gifts to the human world, they do not take more than they need and leave the roots for the ecosystem to revitalize itself. Modernized humanity must learn to live "with" the Kamuy instead of simply taking.
How Did We Get Here?
Although the Ainu had been here many generations before the People of the Sun, they were not recognized by the Japanese government until 2008. After the Meiji Restoration in 1889, Japan pushed north to colonize all the way to Hokkaido, displacing the indigenous peoples, forcing them to adopt new Japanese names, and banning their language and traditional way of life. Forced to assimilate, though not recognized as citizens of Japan, they continue to be discriminated against legally and culturally till today; Left vulnerable, 1930s scholars stole/coerced artifacts, tombs of ancestors, the blood of the people, and much more in the name of "research", never to benefit the Ainu. Although some recent laws have been passed in Japan to promote the culture and research of the Ainu, the people have been disproportionately affected for centuries, with many in poverty, struggling to get higher education/employment, displaced, and treated with prejudice to this day. Our initiative aims to support the revitalization of this keystone society, its language, culture, and the rights of its peoples and their way of life.
Our Mission
1
Education
We seek to educate to world about the Ainu people, who hold the keys to the knowledge of the human race. We will use our strength of engagement through creative ventures to raise awareness of their situation and significance to center stage in order to bolster greater support/efforts to protect such an important community.
2
Language Revival
We will partner, alongside the Ainu, with current organizations, activists, and researchers to record, implement protections for, and educate the new generation of the Ainu. Itak and their other traditional cultural practices will become part of Hokkaido's education and we will foster humane research into their origins.
3
Traditional Rights
We are bringing awareness to the struggle for indigenous rights; fighting for the people, we will cultivate the acknowledgement and respect of the traditional Ainu way of life, fishing, and living off the land. We assist Ainu seeking higher education, along with promoting greater employment/economic opportunities.