Tigrinya Eritreans & Tegaru Ethiopians are off the same people

The Tigrigna speaking Eritreans and Ethiopians are the same people. Period. I saw a comment on a

facebook group that stated ‘Agame, Adwa and Tembien* used to work in Eritrea like slaves and they speak Eritrean Tigrigna so they think they speak the right Tigrigna’. This was as accurately as I could remember it. It is not verbatim as the comment was deleted soon after it was posted. It was obvious that some people were offended by it. The person making the comment seems to be expressing that people from the names mentioned above have the attitude/belief that their dialect is the right dialect of Tigrigna. However he seems to disagree and states that, these mentioned above are in fact using an Eritrean dialect. So I thought this is a great opportunity to say something I always felt. When it comes to the relationship between Eritrea and Tigray, sometimes I feel like some members of our community (whether if that be our family or friends) have lack of understanding on some of the basic simple facts…

Fact #1. The Tigrigna speaking Eritreans aka Tigrinya (as they are referred in Eritrea) and the Tigrigna speaking Ethiopians aka Tegaru come from the same Semitic family tree, along the likes of Amharic and Tigre speaking ethnics. Of course over time it is inevitable that groups could grow apart and even develop distinct difference in their culture and language as well as other beliefs. This is true anywhere in the world. That is why we have so many different ethnic groups, languages and religions (belief) all around the world. Otherwise no matter if you believe in creation or evolution there weren’t that many different groups at the beginning right? Distance and lack of connectivity creates people to adopt and foster their own ways of life. Which are both a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is a blessing, because it allows people to have new perspective on things and choices. It is a curse because this simple fact could be source of problems between the different groups due to the lack of understanding and the gap of information between them.

So one is neither superior nor inferior to the other, the Eritreans and Tegaru along with their similarities and difference are just the same family tree that could and might have grown to show a very very small signs of difference between them here and there, this can be attributed to distance and time in isolation from one another.

Fact #2. Geography and connectivity has a huge influence on the spread of culture, language and religion or anything of that sort. Hence, if the Tegaru residents of the Tigray region closer to the borders speak much more similar Tigrigna dialect with their Tigrigna speaking Eritreans residing across the boarder, this should be expected than the dialects of Tigrigna speaking Ethiopians who live farther away. Why? Because humans interact with other humans that reside in their close approximately, and their interactions are not limited to buying and selling goods and services, but also borrowing and lending culture, language, faith and other intangible fundamental things. Therefore, it means the bond will remain fairly in tact. If one wants to argue that, the relationship/bond was a a by product of Tegaru crossing to Eritrea for economic reasons or the Eritreans crossing to Tigray, Ethiopia for economic or other reasons, that is the natural flow of people across the glob. If our people crossed the boarder for employment or trade reasons, that should not be a thing to be ashamed of. It means people went seeking after their interests what ever that is. Aren’t Ethiopians coming to America or Europe for one reason or another? If there is one thing that we should learn from the Western countries is the respect for work in a pursuit to better one’s life.  That brings me to my last fact.

Fact #3. When Ethiopian and Eritreans used to cross the boarders seeking for employment purpose, they were travelling with in their own country, remember we were just one country Ethiopia, Eritrea as a state with in Ethiopia, therefore people moving around with in their own boarder for different opportunities is just a normal thing to do. To those who consider that as a sign of superiority, pride, disdain or shame, please trust me when I say that is just a sign of your ignorance reconsider your belief.   

What should concern us is, for our people Ethiopians and Eritreans not being able to cross each other’s boarder. In time when the world is becoming a small village by the day with new treaties, it is being separated that should alarm us from our neighbors not having a history of connectivity and close relationship. Often times, I notice, Tegaru Ethiopians being offended to hear an Eritrean/s stating or implying that people from “Agame” or “Tigray” used to go to Eritrea for employment opportunities. So what?

Obama during his speech at Nelson Mandela memorial services today said, something so beautiful, there are too many of us Obama echoed, “…there are too many of us, too many of us on the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or cynicism when our voices must be heard.” When we see our fellow family and friends either being offended or attempting to offend with such things, things that are not even offensive things to begin with, we should discuss our differences and explain what we think. We all have our moments when our ignorance gets the best of us, we should jump on the opportunity to discuss and by that educate one another not dismiss it and leave it covered. Because covering it is not a solution, addressing it is. You can’t solve ignorance and the lack of knowledge by burying it, its cure is exposing it to light by that I mean to the process of learning.

*Agame, Adwa and Tembien (local names in Tigray Region of Ethiopia who speak Tigrigna)

Cheers,

Daniel