Asian Ethnology 83-2 | article Decline of the Kusunda of Nepal

Timotheus A. Bodt, Uday Raj Aaley

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The people belonging to the Kusunda indigenous ethnic group of Nepal used to speak a language isolate that is commonly known by the same name. In this article, we provide an account of the decline of the Kusunda and their language, identifying a range of internal and external factors that contributed to this decline, including their earlier existence as nomadic hunter-gatherers, their clan system and marriage customs, inward migration by other ethnic groups and gradual displacement of the Kusunda, the imposition of the Hindu caste system and the national integration policies of Nepal as a nation-state, stigmatization and discrimination, decreased livelihood opportunities, and a lack of alternative options. We describe how this decline was a gradual process, culminating in the present situation of a mere 160 people who ethnically identify as Kusunda and only a single speaker of their language left.