SORGÜL ŞÊXO 

Hasakah- Syriac people, one of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, have repeatedly faced attacks and massacres throughout history. After each massacre and attack, they are reborn from their ashes and rebuild their lives by developing themselves in art, culture and science. Most of Syriac people settled in Hasakah’s Til Temir town and its 33 villages while some went abroad after the attacks of ISIS on the region. 

Atra Syriac Folklore Group was formed in the Til Temir town of Hasakah Canton on April 1, 2019. Atra means “homeland”. The aim of the group is to revive Syriac folk dances in the country, where Syriac people were killed and kidnapped. Since it was formed, the group has performed in many festivals and celebrations. NuJINHA spoke to 18-year-old Talîta Şemûn Kako, a member of the group, about how the group was formed and what the aims of the group are. 

 ‘Each folk dance has a story’ 

“The aim of the Atra group is to revive Syriac folk dances and preserve Syriac culture,” said Talîta Şemûn Kako. “We have 16 different folk dances. However, we perform mostly five of them. Their names are şêxanî, bêriyo, gubarê, ezînletema and dimdimê. Surely, each folk dance has a story telling the history of our people. Ezînletema means perseverance and determination to achieve your goals and objectives. To perform Şêxanî dance, you have to constantly move your arms, legs and hands.” 

‘Our duty is to prevent our culture from disappearing’ 

Talîta Şemûn Kako noted that they undertook a historical duty as the grandchildren of their grandparents who lost their lives in the massacres. “Today, our duty is to revive our community. We know what our grandfathers faced in the Seyfo genocide, in the Simele massacre and in the Khabur massacre (ISIS attack on Syriac people in 2015). As the new generation of Syriac people, our duty is to prevent our culture from disappearing by performing our folk dances, singing our songs. We have an important role in guiding new generations.” 

‘I will never forget the moment when I first started performing folk dances’ 

Talîta Şemûn Kako had a hard time singing and performing folk dances, “But my parents supported me to learn how to sing Syriac songs and perform our folk dances. Not only my parents but also my friends supported me. As friends, we always supported each other and thus our journey started. Performing folk dances in front of people was an important experience for me. You feel fear, joy and excitement together. I will never forget the moment when I first started performing folk dances.” 

Talîta Şemûn Kako thinks everyone should make great efforts to preserve their culture. “The attacks on Syriac villages are genocidal attacks on Syriac culture and civilization, all people living in the region and the Kurds. Our duty is to preserve our culture. We hope all Syriac people living in other countries will return.”