Standing out in BBC’s 2023 list of 100 most inspiring women, Afroze Numa from the Karakoram Highlands of northern Pakistan, is not a politician, executive or influencer. She is a woman deeply immersed in centuries-old traditions, “a shepherdess whose unique way of life is at the verge of extinction.” The Wakhi people of Shimshal valley have maintained the tradition for centuries. Women take the herd to high-altitude pastures of Pamirs and keep it there for months. Afroze is among the few Wakhi shepherdesses who have unique knowledge and experience.

Afroze belongs to the Quli family of Passu, the famous tourist spot in upper Hunza. She is the second to the youngest among five siblings. Afroze’s only brother, Hunar Baig, was among the pioneers who introduced party politics to the region. After the death of her first husband, Afroze was married again and settled in Shimshal. She has children from both her husbands, whom she has raised and educated with dignity.

Unlike those from downstream Pakistan, the Wakhi people generally do not associate themselves with different castes and tribes. The Wakhi are ethno-linguistic groups occupying remote areas of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang and northern Pakistan. If a person or group has spoken the language for as long as they can remember, they are members of the Wakhi culture.

In Pakistan, the Wakhi oral history suggests, their forebears resided along the shores of the Oxus River. They considered the Wakhan Corridor their original homeland. Over time, they migrated to northern Pakistan and other present-day locations. The specific reasons for these historical movements remain largely ambiguous. However, it’s understood that various Wakhi groups departed from their ancestral region at different times due to factors such as wars, the slave trade, natural calamities, heavy taxation and political suppression by local leaders and Afghan monarchs.

Many Wakhis, while continuing their agro-pastoral way of life, also have income through wage labour. They often work as guides and porters for high-altitude mountain treks.

The Wakhis of the Shimshal Valley practice a slightly different lifestyle. While farming is integral to the lives of all Wakhis, those from Shimshal predominantly focus on animal husbandry, raising yaks, cattle, sheep and goats. These animals are valuable for their skins, meat and various by-products, which can either be used within the community or sold for profit. For having access to abundant grazing lands in the Passau, Batura and Chipurson valleys, Shimshali Wakhis practice of yak herding distinguishes the cultural practices of Shimshal and other Wakhis.

Zafar Iqbal, a prolific writer and a native Wakhi, deliberated in detail about the origins of Shimshali Wakhis in his book, Diverse and Tribal Domains: Gojal Hunza. The Wakhis of Shimshal are believed to be descendants of Mamu Singh, who along with his wife, discovered the far-flung valley of Shimshal. According to some accounts, the valley was originally named Singh-shal. The word shal signifies abode in Burushaski language. Some accounts tell a different story: Shah Shams, the saint, visited Mamu and his wife and predicted the birth of their son, Sher. It is also believed that the valley is named after Shams. Their son, Sher, and his wife had six sons. While three of them died childless, the other three raised children and are patriarchs of three clans of Shimshal — Bachtikator, Graziktor and Baquiktor. From Sher to the present, there are fifteen generations, at least in the Graziktor genealogy.

Among the many traditions raised and left by those early generations, one owned by Afroze and a few other women is about to die out. With that, a unique lifestyle and many sources of organic food systems/ chains will become extinct. While it’s important to get equipped with ways and means to learn modern skills, it’s equally crucial to provide these mountain communities with facilities to preserve their unique traditions and culture and pass them on to the next generations.

The writer is a freelance contributor