{{Short description|Ethnic group in Middle Belt, Nigeria}} {{infobox ethnic group |group= Pyem |image= | population = 25,000<ref name="JP">{{cite web|url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11784/NI|title=Fyem in Nigeria|website=Joshua Project|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref><ref name=Ethno>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/pym/ |title=Pyam |website=Ethnologue |publisher=SIL International |access-date=January 7, 2024}}</ref> |popplace= Nigeria |languages= Pyem | religions = Islam, Christianity, Ethnic religion |related = Afizere, Irigwe, Berom, Ron}}
The '''Pyem people''' (Pyam; Hausa: {{Lang|ha|Fyam}}, {{Lang|ha|Genawa}}) are found mainly in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Middle Belt (central) Nigeria.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.plateaustate.gov.ng/government/lgas/mangu|title=Mangu Local Government Area|website=Plateau State Government|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref> They speak the Pyem language, a Plateau language.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peoplegroups.org/explore/GroupDetails.aspx?peid=13784|title=People Groups: Pyem|website=International Mission Board|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> Their headquarters are in the town of Gindiri, about 51 km due southwest of the city of Jos.
==History== The Pyem people were said to have migrated from the Gobir Kingdom when Bawa Jangwarzo (1777-1795) reigned as king. The people left in two groups. One group established a settlement in Tulai, located southeast of Gindiri, and the second group in an area located in Bokkos.<ref name="His">{{cite news|url=https://dailytrust.com/pyam-nation-moves-to-revive-language-publishes-books-in-mother-tongue/#google_vignette|title=Pyam Nation Moves To Revive Language, Publishes Books In Mother Tongue|last=Adama|first=Dickson S.|date=November 8, 2018|location=Jos|access-date=June 6, 2024|newspaper=Daily Trust}}</ref>
{{Block quote|text=The Pyem came from Gobir while a splinter group went to Lankan and later left again to Bokkos and founded the Ron.|author=C.G. Ames.|title=Reconstructing The Origins Of The Peoples Of Plateau State: Questioning The "We Are All Settlers" Theory.|source=Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41857137 | jstor=41857137 | title=Reconstructing the Origins of the Peoples of Plateau State: Questioning the "We Are All Settlers" Theory | last1=Fwatshak | first1=S. U. | journal=Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria | date=2005 | volume=16 | pages=122–140 }}</ref>}}
In one of Ames' contexts, a part of the migrants migrated to Pengiji, founding the Pyem people. A part of the people then moved to Fier from Pengiji and intermarried with an offshoot of the Ngas people. Furthermore, a large portion of them subsequently left for Lankan, in Mupunland, and again journeyed through . From there, through Mwaghavulland and then settled finally in the Bokkos area where they became the Ron people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Ron-Migration-Map-adopted-from-C-G-Ames-Anthropological-Map-of-Migration-of-ethnic_fig3_357769822|title=An Archaeological Survey of Mangor in Ronland on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria|last=Mangut|first=Macham|date=January 2015|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Demographics== ===Distribution=== The Pyem people today are mainly found in the Pyem Chiefdom in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Some of their towns include Gindiri, Chanso, Kaduna, Pyem, Dyere (also Pengiji) and Badni.<ref name="His"/>
===Religion=== According to ''Joshua Project'', the Pyem people are 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, with 10% practicing ethnic religion.<ref name="JP"/>
==Language== {{Main|Pyem language}} The Pyem people speak a Plateau language related to Horom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.webonary.org/pyam/overview/introduction/|title=Pyam Dictionary|website=SIL International|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>
In 2018, the Ba-Pyam Azonci Association with support from some U.S. partners, commissioned the publication of books in Pyem to save it from going extinct. Examples of such books are ''Shalai na Waari na DePyam'', "Reading and Writing in Pyem"; ''Beer, Kwor, Na Cikam Arye'', "Relationship, Counting, Proverbs, Names, and Directions"; etc.<ref name="His"/>
==Politics== ===History=== The Pyem people were initially led by a priest-king, the ''Hwali-bwangha''. The leadership Council had six members.<ref name="His"/>
===Present-day=== Today, most Pyem people are located in the Pyem Chiefdom, with headquarters in the town of Gindiri. The Chiefdom is led by the ''Sum Pyem'', who as of 2021 was Sum Charles Mato Dakat,<ref name="DT">{{cite news|url=https://dailytrust.com/comprehensive-college-gindiri-86-years-and-still-standing/|title=Comprehensive College Gindiri: 86 Years And Still Standing|date=December 4, 2021|access-date=June 18, 2024|newspaper=Daily Trust}}</ref> a second class chief.<ref name="VPN">{{cite web|url=https://viewpointnigeria.org/gov-lalong-approves-the-creation-of-new-chiefdoms-in-plateau/|title=Gov Lalong approves the creation of new chiefdoms in Plateau|last=Nanmwa|first=Golok|location=Jos|website=Viewpoint Nigeria|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>
==Notable people== * Ibrahim Mantu (1947 – 2021), Nigerian deputy Senate President (2001 – 2007). * Eliezer Paul-Gindiri, U.S. amateur golfer * Ilijah Paul (b. 2002), U.S. soccer player
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Ethnic groups in Nigeria Category:Nenzit