The Samara

The Samara are an ancient people from the lower Samara River basin. They are the descendants of one of the seven tribes that formed the Samaran Alliance for the War of the Rivers. The Samara are indigenous to the Sarad region, which sits on the eastern side of the Samara river between it and the River Tria which flows into the Samara.

History

The Samara have a long history of being subjected to colonization and ethnicism by the Isendreen tribe and government. This began at the Massacre of the Cheifs when King Faolán had their chief along with many others brutally murdered. This was followed by hundreds of years of attempted rebellions and patience. One of the largest rebellions, known as the People's Rebellion, started after the peoples of the lower Quioté River successfully left the Kingdom of Isendree and started their own country. This prompted many peoples across the country to rise up and call for equality. These actions were met with violence leading to the deaths of hundreds of people. Despite this these uprisings lead to many people reconnecting with their roots and practicing their cultural traditions. Most people did this in private, but eventually, people began to do this in public and openly defy the Isendreen government. So many people started to do this that it became a burden on the police and justice systems causing some of these laws to be abolished. This only applied to a select few though, and many others simply had their punishments changed from jail time to fines. Eventually, in 732 AnCog, a large protest in the capital of Isendree succeeded in getting all of the conquered tribes representation at the capital, working with the king for more sovereignty for their respective tribes. As the years went on these representatives got many of these laws removed and those jailed for breaking them released.
Even today many of these tribes do not have full autonomy and recognition from the Isendreen government, but they continue to fight for their rights, traditions, and for future generations. The Samara are one of the leaders in this fight. Because their lands border those of the Isendree, they often have more privileges than tribes that are further afield from the capital. The Samaran leaders have been very conscious in their efforts to help bring other tribes up out of this discrimination and mistreatment with them, making them, whether by force or by choice, not only leaders of their own tribes but often the leaders and spokespeople for all of the tribes.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Family names are typically the name of a famous ancestor that has been adapted to fit the fashionable surname at the point when the family takes on that name. Typically this occurs when said family member dies, although if a member of the family dislikes taking on or possessing the name of said ancestor they will often choose another, or if they are married drop their family surname altogether for their spouses. When Samaran couples marry they each take on their spouse's surname in addition to their own. Names are put in this order: Given name, middle, original family name, spouse's family name. If a couple divorces or one member dies, and the other remarries the new spouse's name is added on after the old one. There are a few exceptions to this in cases of abuse, where a spouse may remove the abuser's name from theirs to disown and publically declare them to be abusive. Children will often take on both parents' surnames until they are old enough to choose the one they wish to use. Children may also remove one or both parents' names from their own name in cases of abuse, in which case they may choose a new family name, which are often based on famous heroes, mythical or historical.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Much of the Samara's cultural heritage was lost during the hundreds of years of they were kept from practicing their culture by the Isendreen government. In the past five hundred years or so many of them have begun to try and reconnect with their heritage. While this is often very difficult because of how long they have suffered under the Isendreen government, thru archeology and the historical record the process of reconnection is becoming easier every year.

Major organizations

The most famous organization the Samarans are associated with is the Kingdom of Isendree. That said the founding of Isendree was done jointly by seven tribes in the lower Samara River basin, and then quickly taken over by the Isendreen. After this, the Samarans were not allowed gather or organize in large groups. The Isendreen government also removed all members of the Samara and the other five tribes from the government and suppressed their traditions and culture.