NATIVE CHALDEANS DAY
The First Sunday of July
By Dr. Amer Hanna Fatuhi
"If Iraq's people are the dough of Iraq, then
the indigenous Chaldeans are its yeast." ~ Amer
Who Are the Indigenous Chaldeans, the Salt of Iraq
& the Diehard People Who Have Endured Since 5300 BC?
Historical records and archaeological evidence unequivocally demonstrate that the Chaldeans are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia. They descend from the earliest Chaldeans (the Proto-Chaldeans), who founded the first cities of Mesopotamia around 5300 BC, including Eridu and Sippar during the pre-Flood era, followed by Uruk (Kulaba–Eanna) and Ur, as well as the earliest cities of central and northern Mesopotamia in the post-Flood period, including Babylon, Kish, and Nineveh.
Likewise, archaeological discoveries and written sources "including the Holy Bible" indicate that the Chaldeans were the indigenous inhabitants of the two principal regions of ancient Mesopotamia: Babylonia (Sumer and Akkad) in the south and center, and Assyria in the north. For further information about the Chaldeans, readers are encouraged to consult Chaldean Legacy, published in the United States in 2021.
It is also worth noting that the academic term "Proto-Chaldeans", aka "Proto-Kaldi", was first introduced in 1988 by historian Dr. Amer Hanna Fatuhi, who applied it to the indigenous inhabitants of the pre-Sumerian cultural period. The term first appeared in his study entitled Ur of the Chaldeans… An Iraqi Perspective. During the 1990s, the designation Proto-Kaldi gained acceptance among Iraqi scholars specializing in Mesopotamian history, and since 2004 it has been adopted internationally.
It is likewise well established through numerous academic studies that, among all the ancient names associated with Mesopotamia, "such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria," only one indigenous ethnic name is historically attested as encompassing all of the great native dynasties: Kaldu/Kaldi (Kaldim), which is translated into English as Chaldeans.
Over the past two decades, numerous published studies on the Sumerians have linked them directly to the Proto-Kaldi, who are also identified, in relation to the capital of Akkad, as the Akkadians. By contrast, other well-known historical names, "such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Assyria, and Aramu," derive either from places of settlement or from geographical and topographical regions. Furthermore, except for Chaldean, these ancient designations are either archaeological translations or later scholarly constructs.
It is also important to note that the subject of ancient Mesopotamian ethnonyms has been examined in depth and comprehensively documented in Dr. Amer Hanna Fatuhi's three most recent studies:
The
Untold Story of the Indigenous People of Iraq: The Chaldeans (2012)
The
Chaldeans: The Indigenous People of Iraq—An Ancient History and Contemporary
Challenges (2019)
Chaldean Legacy (2021)
For those interested in learning more about the Chaldeans, the documented references available at the link below provide additional information.
Why Is the Native Chaldeans Day
Observed on the First Sunday of July?
First Sunday of July: ܚܕ ܒܫܒܐ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܕܬܡܘܙ
To prevent non-Chaldeans from falsely claiming to be the indigenous people of Iraq, the idea of establishing the Native Chaldeans Day was first proposed at the Chaldean Educational Center of America on August 13, 2013. The proposal was subsequently presented to Chaldean political parties, cultural, educational, and social organizations, as well as Chaldean activists around the world for discussion and voting.
Following careful and extensive deliberations, the proposal was unanimously approved. It was then incorporated into the 2014 Chaldean National Calendar, and the occasion was celebrated internationally for the first time in 2014.
The
observance of the Native Chaldeans Day on the first Sunday of July is a
symbolic occasion rooted in the historical Babylonian calendar. Its purpose is
to encourage the Iraqi government to constitutionally recognize the Chaldeans
as the indigenous people of Iraq.
The Technical Basis for the
Native Chaldeans Day
Why Sunday (ūm issēn in Proto-Kaldi)? Because in the ancient Babylonian calendar, Sunday was the first day of the week. This tradition survives in the Chaldean language through the term Khushaba (Kha b'Shabta), which literally means the first day of the week.
This symbolism reflects the historical primacy of the ancestors of the Chaldeans, "Proto-Kaldi," who were pioneers of science and human knowledge. They were the earliest innovators in mathematics, calendrical systems, civilization, and urban development.
Since the Chaldeans were the first inhabitants of the land, designating the first Sunday of the month appropriately reflects their historical precedence. Celebrating the first Sunday of the first week of the month of Tammuz (July), while emphasizing its significance in Iraqi and international forums, reinforces the distinct identity of the Chaldeans as the indigenous people of Iraq and strengthens their rightful legal and constitutional status in their ancestral homeland.
The month of Tammuz, according to Mesopotamian belief and the Babylonian calendar, symbolizes well-being and prosperity. It derives its name from the god Tammuz, the deity associated with the rebirth of life and the guardian of the gateway to Mesopotamian immortality.
Furthermore, the biblical concept of the Garden of Eden is understood as a precise translation of two Proto-Chaldean words: Id, meaning river, and En, meaning Lord. This interpretation corresponds with the biblical description of Paradise and aligns with the traditional Chaldean adopted term Pardesa (Luke 23:41–43).
Nevertheless,
the most common ancient Chaldean term for Paradise was Ganna, translated into
Arabic as Jannah ("garden" or "paradise"), meaning
"the flourishing garden." It referred to the vast plain of the Land
of the Sea / Land of the Rivers, namely Kaldu. The name Gan is literally derived
from the cuneiform components Ganna-NG-En-Na, with the abbreviated form
NG-En-Na, meaning "the Plain of the Lord."
This term also applies to Gan / Gannah: In Biblical Hebrew, Gan (גן) means "garden" or "orchard," while Gannah (גנה) is its feminine form.
The significance of selecting the first Sunday of Tammuz as the Native Chaldeans Day lies in affirming and safeguarding the legitimate rights of the Chaldeans as the indigenous people of Mesopotamia. This observance also enables people everywhere to better understand the legitimacy of the Chaldean presence in Iraq, "the ancestral homeland of the Chaldeans," and strengthens the constitutional recognition they rightfully deserve.
It is well known that the United Nations designated August 9 as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, based on events and historical milestones associated with Western institutions.
Naturally, the date adopted by the United Nations does not conflict with the Chaldeans' observance of the Day of the Indigenous Chaldean People of Iraq on the first Sunday of July, a date that authentically and objectively reflects the deep-rooted connection of the Chaldeans to their Mesopotamian heritage.
Moreover, differing commemorative dates are common practice. Iraqis, for example, celebrate Mother's Day, Labor Day, and other national observances on dates that differ from those recognized by the United Nations.
Celebrating the Native Chaldeans Day on the first Sunday of July in a meaningful and distinctive manner also provides Chaldeans with an opportunity to connect with relatives, friends, and fellow Chaldeans around the world. It serves to raise awareness of the unique status of the Chaldeans as the indigenous people of Iraq and to promote appreciation of their profound and remarkable heritage, spanning from 5300 BC to the present day.
This annual observance also provides an opportunity to advocate for constitutional recognition befitting the Chaldeans within the Iraqi Constitution as the indigenous people of Mesopotamia.
To learn more about the history and present-day reality of the Chaldeans, readers are encouraged to explore the unique book published in the United States in English in 2021, entitled Chaldean Legacy.
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