The Omatikaya Clan (ENG: Blue Flute clan) are a Na'vi clan that lives in the forest of Pandora. They are currently led by Tarsem and Mo'at.
The clan's members share a deep connection with the forest and especially Eywa herself due to them being responsible for protecting the Tree of Souls. Three Toruk Maktos have been members of the clan, most notably Jake Sully, the sixth Toruk Makto, and Entu, the first. The clan is led by an Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk, who are typically a mated pair.
Culture[]
They are primarily hunter-gatherers. They do not use written language, and they do not use money.[1]
Mother Loom
While other clans such as the Anurai organize themselves around carving or pottery, the Omatikaya are renowned for their brilliant textiles and weaving skills. Thus, the loom plays a key role in the daily life of the clan. The largest of the Omatikayan looms is more massive than a Terran pipe organ. This 'mother loom' is given a place of honor in the common area of Hometree.[2]
The Omatikaya believe that if a job is done correctly it should never be done again; thus they will take as long as needed to perfectly construct a single bow, axe, or spear. The Omatikaya build practical items and tools for everyday survival, totemic storytelling and enjoyment. They use sustainable materials from the rainforest such as wood, minerals, gourds, reeds and plant leaves, and even the remains of deceased animals such as their bones. As expert weavers, the clan integrates patterns into their woven items, emulating what they see in nature: a complexity with a higher mathematical order. In general, rather than rigid 90 degree lines or grids, they weave and form in a holistic and organic way with rounded edges, sacred spirals and labyrinth-like patterns.
A hexapede toy
All members specialize in at least one craft-making skill. One Na'vi may be an expert in braiding tight bow strings while another can stitch saddles. Through combined individual efforts, the Na'vi contribute to each other's resources, forming a cooperative system and clan bonding that has sustained them for tens of thousands of years.
The clan encourages their children to make crafts (such as toy banshees) based on animals they see in the forest to help them understand their functions and forms.[3]
Music is of great importance to the clan, more so than any other, hence the clan being named after their most incredible and elusive instrument, the Blue Flute.
Habitat[]
The Omatikaya's ginormous Hometree
The Omatikaya are a jungle-dwelling clan that previously made their home in one of Pandora's massive Hometrees. Their Hometree was over 20,000 years old and 300 meters (~900 feet) tall. The clan made use of all of its levels, with the deepest, underground chamber being reserved for ceremonies, the surface level for general living and gatherings as well as housing the mother loom and Toruk Makto totem, the upper chambers for cultivating hammocks to sleep on, and the canopy for sheltering the hunters' ikrans.
After the Omatikaya's ancestral hometree was destroyed, Jake Sully temporarily relocated the clan to a living area near Hell's Gate while the clan waited to claim a new hometree for themselves.[4] They then migrated back into the jungle and lived in scattered villages. As of 2170, the clan lives in High Camp.
Rites[]
When prospective hunters reach a certain age, they must perform Iknimaya, a rite of passage in which a young Na'vi must climb up into the Hallelujah Mountains to find an ikran. Through tsaheylu, the initiate creates a lifelong bond with it. Not all Omatikaya clan members practice this rite because not all clan members are hunters.
To be considered an "adult" member of the clan, initiates must complete Uniltaron (Dream Hunt) in which the Na'vi hallucinate due to venom being injected into their body. The purpose of this is so that they can receive spiritual wisdom and discover their their spirit animal. After this, the initiate is accepted by the clan as one of the People and is allowed to carve a bow from a branch of the Hometree. The new clan member may also choose a mate.
The Omatikaya perform a funerary rite for a deceased member.
When a member of the clan dies, the Omatikaya dig a hole near the roots of Hometree and place the deceased inside. The friends and family of the deceased line the grave with flowers and a Woodsprite is placed over them, along with their songcord. The clan honors the fallen member with singing and chanting.[5]
History[]
Entu, the first Toruk Makto
Some of the earliest Omatikaya tales speak of Entu, the first-ever Toruk Makto who, with his friends Ralu and Tsyal, tamed the beast in order to save the Tree of Souls from destruction. Several millennia later, Neytiri's great-great-grandfather became the fifth Toruk Makto. The clan greatly honors Toruk Makto because of this, constructing a totem in remembrance of the legendary hero. The story of Toruk Makto is frequently recounted to children as they grow and learn.
Relationship with Humanity[]
Grace, Neytiri and other Na'vi children at the schoolhouse
The Omatikaya were the first clan to make contact with humans and established peaceful negotiations with them.[6] However, tensions formed due to the organizations more harmful practices to the environment, one of them being the mining of a mineral known as unobtanium which the RDA had largely been in pursuit of. The clan was against this goal since it violated the Three Laws of Eywa. Even so, the Omatikaya did not interfere and interactions went on with Grace Augustine having founded a schoolhouse in 2142, to teach the clan English and strengthen diplomatic ties.
At one point, there was an incident involving the accidental contamination in the water which resulted in an ailment in the Omatikaya. This threatened to damage relations between the clan and the RDA but fortunately, this was resolved thanks to the efforts of Grace Augustine.
Sadly, tragedy occurred sometime later when security forces disastrously killed a number of the students in response to them attacking and destroying RDA equipment. Among the fatalities was Sylwanin, the daughter of Mo'at and Eytukan and the tsahìk-in-training. Following this, the Omatikaya severed all peaceful relations they had with the RDA and conflicts continued to increase until both sides were on the brink of war.
Relations briefly improved after the clan accepted Jake Sully who had been sent in a final diplomatic attempt by the RDA. Their ancestral Hometree unfortunately resided over one of the largest deposits of unobtanium which was why the RDA needed them to move. After negotiations failed between the RDA and the Omatikaya, the former shifted to more forceful means. In an attempt to make the clan leave, non-lethal teargas canisters were deployed first, but this led to retaliation and the Hometree subsequently was destroyed with incendiary missiles. Numerous Omatikaya were killed and the survivors were forced to take shelter at the Tree of Souls.
With the start of all out war, the Omatikaya clan together with other clans, Jake Sully, and like-minded humans rallied against the RDA. Meanwhile, the organization planned to destroy the Tree of Souls in a preemptive strike to stop this uprising. With the aid of the Pandoran wildlife, the sacred site was successfully defended, and most of the RDA were expelled from Pandora.
Riots after the war (Avatar: The Next Shadow)[]
Omatikaya settling near Hell's Gate
About two weeks after the battle, Jake Sully set up a temporary home near Hell's Gate so the Na'vi and humans could grow closer and learn to coexist, and the remaining humans help heal some members who were badly injured in the battle. There was still conflict between the two races, with some members, including Ka'ani, protesting against the establishment of new mines to keep Hell's Gate running. Jake managed to introduce a temporary solution to the matter.
Dissatisfied with the state of affairs and furious that a dreamwalker was given the title of Olo'eyktan, the late Tsu'tey's parents, Ateyo and Artsut, persuaded their youngest son, Arvok, to challenge Jake to ritualistic combat known as First Blood. The winner of this rarely practiced ritual was to assume (or retain) the title of clan leader. Although Jake won the duel, he was poisoned with a substance that is lethal to the Na'vi, but survived, likely thanks to the human DNA in his avatar body. Arvok and his parents were banished from the Omatikaya clan as punishment.
A New Home (Avatar: The High Ground & Avatar: The Way of Water)[]
The Omatikaya welcomes Neteyam son of Jake Sully and Neytiri.
In 2155, the Omatikaya Clan welcomed Jake and Neytiri's newborn son, Neteyam, and later their adoptive daughter, Kiri. The two had their first communion with Eywa at the Tree of Souls, celebrated by the entire clan.
A few years after in 2168, by the decision of Mo'at and the elders of the Omatikaya clan, they moved to a new Hometree. Jake, however, convinced them not to move into it as it would easily give away the location of the Omatikaya if the RDA ever returned. He also trained the warriors of the Omatikaya how to fight in zero-G by shuttling them into space on the Valkyrie shuttle, equipped with specialized space suits. He also established the High Camp in the Hallelujah Mountains as an emergency hideout.
Return of the RDA[]
Battle in space
Following the arrival of a new human transport in Pandora's orbit in 2169, Jake evacuated the Omatikaya and allied scientists to High Camp. Jake led a group of warriors to ambush the ISV Venture Star, with General Frances Ardmore aboard. While he, Neytiri, and their pilot Josh Winslow spoke with Ardmore to negotiate a peace, the Omatikaya warriors remained hidden, rolling around the ISV's hull to blow it up. The Na'vi and Hell's Gate rebels were, however, sabotaged when Nash McCosker betrayed them and the Omatikaya were forced to retreat back to Pandora. General Ardmore and her associates also survived and descended into Pandora's atmosphere aboard the ISV Manifest Destiny. Its high-powered engines' thrust created firestorms which set the forest below ablaze and killed the animals within a dozen kilometers. After the forest was burned down, the RDA dropped their Landing Modules onto the burned land to remove the remains of animals and forest vegetation with bulldozers and AMPs, thus the construction of Bridgehead began.
Migration of the Sully Family[]
A year later in 2170, having ensured everyone's safety, the Omatikaya clan engaged the RDA in organized guerilla warfare under Jake and Neytiri's leadership, targeting and destroying their supply lines. Although the RDA suspected that the Omatikaya clan's new location was somewhere in the Hallelujah Mountains, they were unable to find the camp as Eywa's "immune system" would cause the banshees in the area to attack the RDA's aircraft after a short amount of time. Miles Quaritch and his recom squad were ordered to track down the location of the base and kill Jake Sully, as it was theorized their Pandoran bodies would not trigger the immune response. The squad captured Spider and interrogated him on the whereabouts of Jake Sully and the Omatikaya clan, but Spider did not reveal it.
The family leaves to protect the children from getting involved with the war.
Knowing that Quaritch was a threat to his family and the entire clan, and fearing that Spider might reveal the location of the High Camp, Jake Sully convinced Neytiri to flee the forest. He relinquished leadership of the clan to Tarsem, a young but extremely wise warrior. The transfer of power took place at the Tree of Souls, and immediately after the ceremony, the family traveled to the Metkayina clan village of Awa'atlu several hundred kilometers away.
Members of the clan[]
| Na'vi | Status | Title | Portrait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Sully | Alive | The sixth Toruk Makto/Warrior/Former Olo'eyktan of Omatikaya clan/Former leader of Na'vi insurgency | |
| Neytiri | Alive | Daughter of the clan's previous leaders/Former Tsakarem/Warrior/Hunter | |
| Neteyam | Deceased | Jake Sully's first son/Firstborn | |
| Lo'ak | Alive | Jake Sully's second son/Second firstborn | |
| Tuktirey | Alive | Jake Sully's youngest daughter | |
| Kiri | Alive | Sully family's adoptive daughter/Daughter of Grace's avatar | |
| Mo'at | Alive | Tsahìk of Omatikaya clan | |
| Tsu'tey | Deceased | Former Neytiri's fiancé/Olo'eyktan in training | |
| Eytukan | Deceased | Previous leader of the clan | |
| Ka'ani | Unknown | Tsu'tey's apprentice (formerly) | |
| Saeyla | Unknown | Tsu'tey's apprentice (formerly) | |
| Takuk | Unknown | Tsu'tey's apprentice (formerly) | |
| Atan | Deceased | Tsu'tey's apprentice (formerly) | |
| Maru | Unknown | Tsu'tey's apprentice (formerly) | |
| Na'vi Child | Unknown | Unnamed Na'vi child from the clan | |
| Na'vi Man Unnamed | Unknown | Na'vi child's father | |
| Sylwanin | Deceased | Eldest daughter of the clan's previous leaders/Previous Tsakarem in training/Previous fiancée of Tsu'tey | |
| Tarsem | Alive | Current leader of the Omatikaya | |
| Ateyo | Unknown | Tsu'tey's father (exiled) | |
| Arvok | Unknown | Tsu'tey's brother (exiled) | |
| Artsut | Unknown | Tsu'tey's mother (exiled) | |
| Yeyongo | Unknown | An unnamed child's mother | |
| Yeyongo's Child | Unknown | Yeyong's unnamed son | |
| Nekawn | Unknown | Former student of Grace Augustine | |
| Entu | 3000 years ago | The first Na'vi to be Toruk Makto | |
| Ralu | 3000 years ago | Entu's lifelong friend | |
| The Shaman | 3000 years ago | Shaman of the Omatikaya clan (First Songs' epoch) | |
| Ninat | Unknown | Best singer of the clan | |
| Txopu | Future | Na'vi River Journey Sentry Guide | |
| Shaman of Songs | Future | Welcomes guests traveling the Na'vi River Journey |
Non-Canon[]
| Na'vi | Title | Portrait |
|---|---|---|
| Syura'ewan | A warrior who swears eternal revenge for the loss of his father |
Mentioned[]
- Anuk †
- Neytep †
- Peyral
- Kamun
- Neytiri's great-great-grandfather † (the fifth Toruk Makto)
- Popiti
Trivia[]
- In the original Avatar screenplay (Project 880), the Omatikaya were known as the Tsumongwi.
- Their clan name has been written as Omaticaya in early sources and the subtitles of Avatar. This version has been phased out of canon with recent guidebooks writing it as Omatikaya as there is no C in the Na'vi language. This name change has been confirmed by Joshua Izzo at OmatiCon 2023.[7]
- The Omatikaya are the only Na'vi clan so far to use guns.
- In the non-canon Wii game, the Omatikaya clan lived in a region called the Chill Fields.
Gallery[]
Locations[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ Expedition Pandora, episode 3
- ↑ https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk/pandora?explore
- ↑ Avatar: The Way of Water: The Visual Dictionary
- ↑ The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration Hometree
- ↑ The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration Ceremonies and Rites
- ↑ The World of Avatar: A Visual Exploration Clan Members
- ↑ https://james-camerons-avatar.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Ollympian/Canonicity_Clarifications_from_Joshua_Izzo
| Na'vi Culture | |
|---|---|
| Clans | |
| Armor |
'Awvea Tsamsiyu • Battle Band • Eyktan • Helmet • Karyu • Leggings • Nawm • Nawma Ni'awve • Nawma Taronyu • Nawma Tsamsiyu • Taronyu • Tirea • Tsteu
|
| Clothing | |
| Culinary |
Basket • Butchering Tool • Cooking Pot • Fire Pit • Fire Pit Tools • Fish Yoke • Food Wrap • Ground Rack • Leaf Plate • Na'vi Diet • Water Carrier
|
| Music | |
| Other |
Eywa • Mountain Banshee • Octal Arithmetic • Hometree • Toruk Makto • Tree of Souls • Direhorse • Heartlands Ikran • Clan Leader • Songcord • Three Laws of Eywa • Iknimaya • Tsaheylu • The Circle • Tsahìk • Na'vi Language • Mating • Loom • Hammock • Na'vi Dance Costume
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