Kakuri Stift

Kakuri Stift is a former member state of Vittmark. It was a so-called non-territorial state founded in 7578 and formally ended in 7611. Despite the name stift it was not and never has been a religious congregation or gathering. The Kakuri community in Sokoku can be seen as the successor entity of the state, even though it is not continuous nor does it encompass exactly the same.

History

In 7570 Fisks Islands applied for membership of Vittmark as an overseas entity. Fisks however only had registered its population with Anarian roots under their own administration and hardly any of the native population of the islands. So in 7575 the Kakuri people reached out to Vittmark's federal government about their status. They were opposing Fisks rule over their island, but were exploring the possibility of the federal government taking an interest in their situation.

That same year Vittmark designated half the island of Carlsö as Eastern Crown Domain, officially to provide training ground for federal military in this island group. This correlated exactly with the living area of the Kakuri people. Soon afterwards, the Kakuri registered as members of Fjällsta Stift, making them citizens of Vittmark by default. At the time, they had a population of about 5,000 people. They asked for statehood in 7878, which they were granted as a non-territorial entity. Their land was managed as federal crown domain instead, avoiding a conflict with Fisks about jurisdiction.

In the 7590's, with Vittmark at war with Aedeland and the Häverist Commonwealth, the Kakuri had to align with Fisks in order to secure their way of living. Connections with Vittmark were scarce and the Häverist threat was nearby in the Hellish colony of Schangtienrand. The unlikely combination helped liberating the island of Shuuen from colonial rule. At the start of the Wolgos Scourge, the lifeline with Vittmark by airship was severed, which made the Kakuri Stift a construction on paper only. The Kakuri aligned themselves with the new state of Sokoku instead.

There were no routines for a Vittmarker member state to leave the federation. Declaring a secession seemed disloyal by the Kakuri leadership, who had a lot to thank Vittmark for in their geopolitical development. Instead a request was made in 7606 by the new leadership Usugi to dismantle Kakuri Stift. This request was granted in 7611, when Vittmark carried out a state reform.

State government

Local government was completely up to the state to decide upon, just like any other member state of Vittmark. In the case of the Kakuri community, it was the locally elected leadership of Nokumo Nobono, who ruled the Kakuri community from 7574 to 7606. Officially, crown princess Tovemor was a member of the Nokumo Nobono's outer circle, making her a member of the Kakuri Stift by default as well. The Kakuri had its own police force the Gacha Kuru, for federal issues a direct representation of the federal police was present in the purpose-built settlement of Nushuwadara.

As a member state of Vittmark, the Kakuri were entitled their own member of parliament and senator. During the entire period, Fukai Yuma served as Kakuri MP in the Förbundsdag. She aligned herself with the Loyalist Party. At her inauguration she was the youngest MP ever at an age of 21, a record she still holds today. Baroness Arimu av Blåkulla served the entire time as Kakuri senator, which in itself was a peculiar choice since she was banned from Kakuri society by the Nokumo Nobono, but now represented the administration that banned her in Östervallen. Arimu worked closely together with the senators of Kulla, Kram, Kletudderland, Kopparbruk and Östervallen, forming the so-called "Ko-faction" in the senate.

Legacy

The aim of Kakuri Stift was to be able to continue their typical, isolated lifestyle regardless of who administered the island they were living on. As such, few Kakuri were allowed to travel abroad. This meant that there hardly was any visible presence of Kakuri society in Vittmark or Östervallen during those days of statehood. The few exceptions are mostly connected to the few government officials mentioned above.

Fukai Yuma combined her work as MP with her work in hospitality as a host and artist at a bar and restaurant called Hvita Hästen. Together with Arimu av Blåkulla she ran a music and culture project. In 7685 a new music theatre opened at the exact location of Hvita Hästen carrying her name: Yumas. Arimu av Blåkulla published one of the official biographies of Queen Anna of Vittmark, providing an interesting perspective from an outsider who became almost an extended family member. Arimu was a close, personal friend of crown princess Tovemor and resided at the Blåkulla mansion her whole life. Together with Tovemor's older sister Sanna av Blåkulla she was involved in the bathing facility, spa and wellness called Murasaki's in Östervallen's New Town, which still is operational today.

Sanna was even the main designer of the planned settlement Nushuwadaru, originally built as Ny Skiöldavik, intended as interface between Kakuri and federal communities. This is where traders, federal defence forces and other representation like the deputy governor and federal police were operating, avoiding the Kakuri heartland. Even today, Nushudawaru has this function within the Kakuri community and state of Mirei.

Chika Mirei was actually one of the few Kakuri allowed to pursue college and university education in Vittmark. This laid the basis of her future role as founding mother of Sokoku as well.

Even today, many Kakuri are still Orkanan and member of the Mellanhand Fjällsta Stift. When Kakuri Stift was dismantled, the registration at Fjällsta as religious affinity did not end automatically. In fact, the Kakuri founding father Gacha was registered as an Orkanan Exemplar in 7878 at Grönkulla and Herkulla registries by representatives of the Nokumo Nobono and Fjällsta Stift. Even Mirei is a registered Exemplar.

A few Kakuri born in Kakuri Stift are still alive today, but they are well into their 80's. They all had Vittmarker nationality by default, but apart from a handful, the vast majority has let go of this right a long time ago.

Land ownership

Despite all the political changes in the region, the area formerly known as the Eastern Crown Domain still is the property of the Royal family of Vittmark. When Kakuri Stift was dismantled, the issue of land ownership was not addressed. Since the area was a crown domain and not a federal territory, it came under the management of the Royal Court of Vittmark, at the time directly under Queen Tovemor and later Queen Iduna of Vittmark. At the foundation of the state of Sokoku, land ownership that wasn't contested would remain under the same ownership. Since the Kakuri did not work with the concept of land ownership at all, the issue was put on the agenda. In the 7620's Queen Iduna didn't want to sell the land to the Kakuri, not even for a symbolic sum, since she thought that would be immoral. At the same time, legislation in Vittmark prevented a donation of the land as well.

As a result, the area that is under the direct jurisdiction of the Kakuri community today is exactly the area of the former crown domain. By agreement, the Kakuri community pays a voluntary lease sum each year, which the Royal Court then re-invest "for at least 100%" in improving the living conditions in the area. Several Kakuri leaderships have exploited this loophole by paying a high lease in order to get a project funded without popular approval. For example in 7660 when Gia no Unmei paid for a telecommunications cable to Carlsby in the form of a land lease, after having agreed with the Royal Court to invest it in exactly this piece of infrastructure.