Kayoah-Ko

Kayoah-Ko Province Propinsi Kayoah-Ko مقاطعة كايواه-كو
Province
Harbor of Santa Maria de Orientale
Flag
Nickname(s):  The Star Island
Country	Slokais Islands
Establishment	01 January 1999
Capital and largest city	Santa Maria de Orientale
Ethnic groups	80.8% Indigenous 58% Koahnans 7% Amung 6% Yapung 10% Other Indigenous 10% Mescaldo (Mostly Mixed Koahnans) 4% Blancos 3% Kaijanese 1% Rén 0.5% Costenos 0.5% Other
Demonym(s)	Kayoahian
Government
• Governor	Gilford Pokana (Centrist Party)
• Speaker of the Kayoah-Ko Assembly	Gavey-Akamo Taligatus
• Upper house	Kayoah-Ko Senate
• Lower house	Kayoah-Ko Assembly
National representation
• Slokaisian Legislature	1/643
Population
• 2025 census	130,430 (30th)
Postal	KA

Kayoah-Ko is a province in Slokais Islands home to 130,430 people, the smallest in population and one of the smallest by land area. Created in 1999 from Bimhjar Province, the province has the highest percentage of Indigenous people yet also one of the least developed and poorest province with an average income of $40,489 Slokasian Marks. Kayoah-Ko remained largely uncontacted under the 1200s with some Kaijanse settlement this was followed by Costenoian and Ambonar control until the 1920s when authority came under Dolphin Isle Province. In the 1990s, Kayoah-Ko pushed for it's status as a independent province due to cultural difference and the overwhelming indigenous population. The largest settlement in the province is Santa Maria de Orientale with 31,980 people.

History

Genetic studies have estimated that indigenous people have lived in Kayoah-Ko since before 30,000 year's ago. Genetically, Kayoahian's are predecessors of groups from the Hesperidan mainland, being a geographic isolate. Volcanic activity occurred around 500 BCE, which was widely documented in early Kaijanese texts. This event gave Kayoah-Ko, a negative reputation within the folklore of indigenous communities in Kaijan and Bimhjar which considered the island the location of tortured souls. This negative reputation led to general isolation until the 1200s, when the Pindai explorer Jian-Ji catalogued the island's and declared "they are full of a deep jungles and high peaks, and a mysterious people who view outsiders with great conspiracy". In 1305, a group of Islamic traders visited Kayoah-Ko and where initially viewed with hostility where excepted. Around this time, ethnic Kayoahns experienced a large decrease in population due to disease. Those who survived largely retreated inland with some converting to Islam. Kaijanese traders eventually established a permanent presence on in the island in 1500s, with Majagari being the primary point of contact between Amung fishermen and pearl traders.

In the 1700s, Costeno was transferred the island in the Treaty of Ciudad Victoria. In 1756, Santa Maria de Orientale was founded by missionaries who intended to spread Catholicism to the interior Koahans. However after several failed attempts, Costeno declared a large interior tract as off-limits. The pearl trade grew with fortune seekers flooding Santa Maria in the 1790s, although soon the number of pearls became depilated due to demand among San Fernando elites. This left large numbers of prospectors out of work, many of which settled in small faming communities. In 1805, Costeno sold the island to Ambonar Kingdom as a gesture of goodwill. Over the following decades, several companies from Ambonar where set up on the island to export volcanic stone. Mainly using servant labor, Kayoah-Ko became prosperous with Santa Maria becoming a popular destination for Ambonar elites. In the 1870s, the Church of God declared the "spiritual liberation" of inland Kayoah-Ko, which was believed to harbor evil sprits. In the resulting decades, multiple incident's occurred with Koahans attacking Revivalist camps and Revivalist militia's destroying villages and forcing the survivors into servitude. In 1892, a bulletin by John Paul Kanrangari, Deacon of the Santa Maria Church of God declared "the people of the interior are outcasts among there own people, they embrace the devil who lives within them". In 1895, a representative of the Republic of Slokais visited Santa Maria asking Kanrangari to join the new republic. Kanrangari refused as news of the happenings on the island has elicited a negative response from citizens of New Liverpool and San Fernando. Eventually, Karangari agreed for Kayoah-Ko to become part of the Ambonar Territory, an independent entity within the Republic.

Provincehood Movement

COMPREX mine workers on strike

In 1995, COMPREX, a mining company was given a contract to mine within the Kayoah-Akh National Reserve which was home to several Kani-Koah (Inland Koah) ethnic groups. Immediately reports of abuse and violence by workers grew which led to protests in Santa Maria by the Koah Sovereign Movement (KSM). On July 17th, 5 KSM activists where killed while assisting a Yapung tribesmen who had his home bulldozed. While an official investigation did not determine a clear perpetrator, public opinion believed that COMPREX was behind there death's. On August 17th, thousands of COMPREX workers, most of them being indigenous walked out of there jobs. These workers demanded via the Union of Mine Workers (UMW) that COMPREX halt all operations within the National Reserve, and that workers receive a wage increase to 250 Slokasian Marks an hour. COMPREX administration asked the Ambonar Provincial Guard to break the strike which they did on August 21st. KSM began not only demanding further protections for Kani-Koah, but a list of demands which included a separate province. In 1996, Joy Pokanni, a MSL of mixed-Koahian descent introduced a bill to the Slokasian Legislature which would give the island province status per Article 16 of the 1973 Constitution. Pokani argued due to religious and language differences, Kayoah-Koh should be granted provincehood until the principle of "A Province of One's Own". Pokanni's bill was rejected by her own Conservative Party who joined with other parties to reject the bill 417-196.

In 1997, COMPREX was revealed to have polluted the Akhani-Rah River with industrial runoff. This led to environmentalists including Sean Khan calling for COMPREX to be fined for damages and for all contacts to be terminated. COMPREX ended up suing multiple parties for defamation including the Ministry of Industry and Economic Development. Meanwhile, KSM began a renewed push for provincehood, arguing COMPREX was threat of indigenous rights and a local government could easily deal with the issue. On May 4th, 1998 50,000 people marched on the COMPREX office in Santa Maria, this accounted for almost half the entire population of the island. Overwhelmed, COMPREX closed there office and moved operations to a secure annex within a company site. The May 4th March would also lead to increased political organization and a referendum within Santa Maria Township for provincehood to occur in the 1998 Election. COMPREX would attempt to stop the referendum from being approved by the Ambonar Board of Elections. Yet, it was approved with the referendum passing with 93.6% of the vote. Joy Pokanni would once again introduce a resolution in 1999 which this time passed, largely due to a shift with the Conservative leadership who believed it's passage along with the ascension of Far'awe Province would led to indigenous support of President Weasley in the 2000 Election. On March 18th, Kayoah-Ko was declared as the 29th Province of Slokais Islands, with a foundation date of December 31st.

Koanian Conflict

Upon the creation of the Province, the KSM won the 2000 Provincial Election with 7 out of 10 seats in Kayoah Senate and 21 out of 28 in the Kayoah Legislature. Joy Pokanni was elected as the first governor of Kayoah-Ko with 60% of the vote as well, although she was affiliated with the Center Party. In 2001, the interior region was designated as Akh-Akhani Rah Tribal Township, with laws prohibiting large-scale development and protections for tribal languages. However in 2003, the Supreme Court of Slokais Islands ruled that restrictions on development and construction of new properties was a violation of land rights. In 2005, COMPREX began surveying near Mt Cao-aki which led to members of the Free Kayoah Movement capturing the surveyors and holding them hostage. When COMPREX refused to halt development, these surveyors where executed in early 2006. This prompted calls for miltary intervention, which Governor Pokanni initially refused to act upon. However after several major tourism companies refused to do business within the Province, Governor Pokanni allowed for the Slokasian Interior Force to enter the Aki-Akhani region. In response, FKM began attack non-Indigenous infrastructure under the demand of "Ha'anni Dua Aki-Nah" or "Leave our lands alone". COMPREX meanwhile began construction on the Gomes-Bravos Mine in 2010 with construction being delayed by several attacks. In 2012, Samuel Tian-Wagyoro was elected governor under a promise of halting development and ending the conflict. In 2014, Governor Wagyoro and President Zhang as well as Ti'am Shani, leader of the FKM agreed to the Santa Maria Agreement which outlawed further development on indigenous land and allowed for residents to receive government aid. Despite this there have been several incidents mostly relating to the Ambonar Church of God missionaries being assaulted or held for ransom.

Geography

Kayoah-Ko Province is made up primarily of Kayoah-Ko Island, although includes several outlying islands. Kayoah-Ko is a volcanic island, being formed by Cao-Aki volcano. Cao-Aki forms the large inland plateau which is covered in dense jungle.

Demographics

Kayoah-Ko is overwhelmingly indigenous, with over 85% of the population having some indigenous ancestry. Koahans are the largest group with 58% of the population, with most living in the coastal regions. This is followed by Mestizos, who are largely of mixed background and live in Santa Maria primarily. The Amung, Yapung and Poh-Aki are also recognized groups that can often be classified together as "inland Koahans" and have a homogenous ethnic background dating back more than 30,000 years. The rest of the population is largely non-Koahan's who largely work in the tourism or mining industry with a longstanding Kaijanese community dating to the 1300s.

Religion

Kayoah-Ko is largely Catholic, with 60% to 70% identifying as such. This is largely the result of general growth in the 20th century and has thus resulted in the addition of biblical surnames by many local residents. Around 10% is considered Revivalist due to the efforts of the Church of God in the 21st century, and several Revivalist holiday communities have been built. 10% is considered as "Animist Traditional", a combination of Koahanian spiritualism and a belief in the holiness of Mt Cao-Aki, a semi-active volcano which is believed to be the home of God. In addition, around 5% of the population are classified as Muslim, mostly being ethnic Kaijanese people who work in pearl industry.

Language

Kayoah-Ko has the greatest language diversity with dozens of languages, although the lingua franca is typically Slokasian with around 75% being proficient. Additionally, English as well as some Arabic is also spoken. In terms of the indigenous language, Koah-Nah is the most widely spoken and is the most influenced by nearby languages on other islands such as Timori. There has been much research and documentation to preserve the Koah-Nah language as during the period of Ambonar control, the language was made illegal and children where punished for speaking it. However, since 2000, the Koah-Nah, as well as others such as the Amung, Yapung, and Konte-Te are taught and respected, with SIBC Santa Maria Orinetale having daily radio programming in all 4 languages which reach the remote inland villages where much of the linguistic diversity can be found.