Southern Water Tribe

The Southern Water Tribe is the southern division of the Water Tribes. Its people are scattered in tiny villages and settlements located across the South Pole, making it the smallest nation in the Avatar World. Only one of these villages was visited by Team Avatar.

The Southern Water Tribe was formerly concentrated in one large city and home to Katara and Sokka prior to their travels. During the Hundred Year War, the tribe was subject to constant Fire Nation raids, making it extremely weak and for all purposes defenseless against future invasions and attacks.

The tribe teetered on the edge of extinction until its sister tribe administrated a relief venture led by Master Pakku, who brought along a number of warriors, waterbenders and healers to aid in the redevelopment of the tribe.

By the time of Avatar Korra's birth, the tribe has improved significantly, expanding into several small settlements throughout the South Pole.

The inhabitants of the Southern Water Tribe tend to have light brown-colored skin, dark hair, and blue or gray eyes.

Raids


Originally, the Water Tribe existed as one, solely in the North Pole. However, following civil unrest, a large group of warriors, waterbenders and healers journeyed to the South Pole to engender a brand new tribe. Due to the division, the two sects evolved differently. The Southern Water Tribe was once a massive, wide, beautiful city filled with hundreds and hundreds of capable waterbenders of both men and women, unlike the Northern Water Tribe which allowed only men, but was destroyed following attacks from the Fire Nation. The firebenders came and started to capture as many waterbenders from the southern faction as they could. Despite being outnumbered, the Southern waterbenders put up a good fight and won minor victories, such as successfully trapping a Fire Nation ship in solid ice, thus creating the shipwreck. However, their determination was not good enough. Eventually Hama was the only waterbender left, and she, too, was taken.

Contact between the two tribes was severed, and the Southern Tribe was split into much smaller groups and scattered across the South Pole, its natives reduced to dwelling within simple sealskin tents and small igloos.



In 94 ASC, the Southern Water Tribe was attacked by the Southern Raiders, an elite Fire Nation naval force assigned to raid the South Pole when ordered to. They knew that one waterbender remained in the Southern Water Tribe, and were assigned to kill her. This turned out to be eight-year-old Katara. The Water Tribe warriors, led by Chief Hakoda, fought off the attackers bravely, but the leader, Yon Rha, managed to infiltrate the village. He captured Katara's mother, Kya, and interrogated her, demanding to know the identity of the last Southern waterbender. At first Kya denied the accusations, stating that there were no waterbenders left, as the Fire Nation had taken them all away long ago. Yon Rha was not convinced, saying that a reliable source had told him that one waterbender remained in the Southern Water Tribe. He continued to state that his men would not back down until the waterbender was found. Kya then deliberately told Yon Rha that she was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, lying to protect both her daughter and the village. Kya told Yon Rha that she was ready to be taken as their prisoner, but Yon Rha said that he was not ordered to take back any prisoners and ruthlessly murdered her.



In the final years of the War, the Southern Water Tribe was in dire straits, teetering on the brink of extinction. Its remaining population was dwindling due to Fire Nation raids and was defenseless, as its warriors had left for the Earth Kingdom to aid them against the Fire Nation. With the departure of the sole remaining waterbender, Katara, and warrior, Sokka, the tribe consisted mostly of elderly, middle-aged women, mothers and very young children. After the Siege of the North, a group of waterbenders and healers from the Northern Tribe were sent to the Southern Tribe to help it rebuild.

After the War
Within seventy years of the Hundred Year War's end, the next Avatar in the cycle, Korra, was born into the Southern Water Tribe, making her Avatar Aang's immediate successor and the next Avatar to hail from the Southern Water Tribe. The Southern Water Tribe was greatly expanded, showing the success of the Northern Water Tribe volunteers who promised to develop the Southern Water Tribe.

In Korra's childhood, the Order of the White Lotus visited the Southern Tribe to investigate a claim involving the next Avatar. Their search had come to an end upon discovering that Korra was the 'chosen one'. Katara, the former Avatar's wife and also a member of the tribe, helped the new Avatar master waterbending, as she did for the previous one.

Years later, Tenzin and his family visited the Southern Water Tribe to deliver the news that he could not train Korra because of his duties in Republic City. After staying the night, he returned home. Korra decided to run away soon after, desiring Tenzin's airbending tutelage.

The Southern Water Tribe also gained a seat on the United Republic Council, charging one of its residents with helping to oversee the United Republic of Nations.

Government
Government system: Tribal Chiefdom

Head of state and government: Chief

It is not clear who leads the Southern Water Tribe, although some evidence suggests that Hakoda serves as chief. He wears braids similar to those worn by Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe. This is supported by Sokka's statement of being considered prince back in his tribe, albeit in an attempt to impress Princess Yue. More so, Aang addressed Hakoda as "Chief Hakoda".

The Southern Water Tribe is a much smaller and less stratified society, unlike the Northern Tribe.

Village (former city)


The village, positioned on a northern shoreline, is surrounded by a low, roughly circular snow wall, broken up by a snow watchtower, which was built by Sokka, to the north and a non-gated entrance to the south. Inside are eight residential tents, arranged semi circularly around a communal fire pit. A giant igloo hugs the east wall, while a handful of smaller units cluster the north wall. Outside, to the right of the entrance, is a small igloo-structure that serves as the village outhouse. The remaining population stands at less than two dozen, with ten older women, ten young children and one domesticated polar dog.

The village was much larger sixty years ago, and consisted of dozens of tents and igloos surrounded by a very large ice wall. A central igloo lay in the center of the village, which was circular in design. However, the village has since shrunk in size due to constant raids by the Fire Nation and the departure of the Water Tribe warriors.

The shipwreck
West of the village lies a Fire Navy ship, torn open by jutting ice shelves. Though the shipwreck is a relic of the Fire Nation's historic first strike, its booby-traps are still in working order. Aang accidentally set off a flare that was meant to signal the Fire Nation. It is later revealed that Hama and the Southern waterbenders were responsible for the wrecking of the vessel, as a brief scene shows them raising the ship up with ice and grounding it. The location appears to be the same seen when Aang and Katara explored it.

Compound


The Southern Water Tribe compound lies deep within the South Pole. It is a small, isolated encampment secured by thick ice walls and a large gate. The enclosure features several watchtowers, large buildings for shelter, an obstacle course and sub-level pens lined with hay for fauna, such as Naga. A large raised platform made of ice is located in the center of the camp, both for Korra's bending training and combat practice. Members of the Order stand on a wooden pavilion overlooking the platform, where they monitor Korra's progress. Sentries from the White Lotus also man the watchtowers and clear any individual wishing to enter or exit the encampment.

Ice dodging


The tribe has a unique rite of passage called ice dodging. This is a coming-of-age ritual that serves as a young boy's first step towards being realized as a true warrior. The rite is described as a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery and trust.

When a boy reaches the age of fourteen, his father takes him out to sea and challenges him to guide the boat through iceberg-studded waters. The father watches, but does not interfere. If and when the boy succeeds, his father places a ceremonial mark on his forehead symbolizing the virtue he demonstrated most prominently during the test. The Mark of the Wise is awarded to those who show leadership and decisiveness. The Mark of the Brave is given for inspirational displays of courage. Finally, the Mark of the Trusted is bestowed upon those who prove themselves to be exceptionally steady and dependable.

The Southern Water Tribe is willing to adapt traditions such as ice dodging when circumstances warrant it. When Bato realized that Sokka had never undergone the ritual due to Hakoda's departure, he took Sokka, Katara, and Aang on an ice dodging expedition in rocky Earth Kingdom waters. When they succeeded, he marked all three and declared even Aang an honorary member of the Water Tribe.

Games
Children of the Tribe play a game called penguin sledding, which consists of catching a penguin and riding its back as a makeshift sled.

Gender equality


While the Northern Water Tribe is an exceptionally strict patriarchal culture, gender roles in the Southern Water Tribe are far less rigid. Katara was shocked to learn that the Northern Tribe forbade women from learning waterbending apart for healing purposes, seeing how her father, Hakoda, recognized her bending abilities early on and unsuccessfully sought a master to teach her. Female waterbenders took an active part in battle; a possible reason may be the practicality as the Southern Water Tribe is shown to be more vulnerable to attack. Furthermore, girls are never forced into arranged marriages, but are instead free to marry whomever they see fit.

Nevertheless, the Southern Tribe does not seem to be entirely free of gender roles. During the first few episodes of the series, up until his encounter with the Kyoshi Warriors, Sokka displayed a sexist attitude, claiming on numerous occasions that men are naturally better than women at tasks like hunting, fishing, and combat. In addition, during the siblings' childhood, Katara was responsible for "women's work" like midwifery and washing and mending clothes, including Sokka's; in contrast, Sokka was allowed to spend his time building fortifications and training younger boys to defend the village against the Fire Nation, despite the fact that his preparations were obviously inadequate to deal with any real attack. However, notably, even Sokka was shocked and confused to learn of the Northern Water Tribe's sexist customs. In general, the Southern Water Tribe seems to have a simpler, less hierarchical culture and a more open-minded and flexible mindset.

Housing
In Sokka and Katara's village, most of the residents sleep in tents made of sealskin. However, in the past, the Southern Water Tribe lived in igloo-like structures.

The inside of a typical Southern Water Tribe's hut contains a number of animal pelts that are placed on bamboo floors. At one end of the hut, a sealskin tent is set up. This is used as a sleeping chamber. Ceremonial animal headdresses, spears, and animal skins are usually displayed on the walls of the hut.

In the center of the hut is a square fire pit, surrounded by a single line of bricks. The fire provides heat for the hut, and is also used to prepare food. There are mats for sitting on all four sides of the fire pit. A stew post, used for cooking, hangs suspended from the ceiling, hovering above the fire.

Warriors


Warriors of the Southern Water Tribe wield weaponry that includes clubs, scimitars, bone spears used in spear fishing, bladed boomerangs, machetes with whale teeth on the dull side of the blade, and shields. Black and white warpaint in a pattern reminiscent of a wolf is traditionally applied to the face before entering a battle. During the Invasion of the Fire Nation, all the warriors wore wolf-headed helmets and suits of armor.

It seems as though all adult men of the tribe are expected to be fully trained warriors. Two years prior to Avatar Aang's reawakening, all the tribe's men sailed to the Earth Kingdom to join the war effort. It is unclear whether women without waterbending abilities are ever allowed to train as warriors; however, there are very few women left behind, so the lack of women in the war party may simply reflect the tribe's overall population decline as a result of Fire Nation attacks. It is clear, however, that women who are waterbenders are accepted as fighters in the Southern Water Tribe; the northern faction's custom of restricting female waterbenders from combat takes Katara completely by surprise, and a flashback shows Hama and other women using their waterbending abilities to defend the tribe against the first Fire Nation raid.

Natural resources and foods
Inhabiting frozen poles near the seas, the Water Tribes inherently are dependent on the oceans for a majority of their natural resources and well as the bounty of the frozen tundra. Sea prunes are a particular favorite. Squid and seaweed can be used to make a wide variety of dishes, including soup, seasoning, and even bread and cookies.

Skins from seals are used to create tents, while pelts from polar bears and other furry animals are used for clothing and as covering for barren surfaces. Naturally, hunters and fishermen of the Water Tribes are some of the best in the world in their field.

Fauna

 * Otter penguins
 * Polar dogs
 * Tiger seals
 * White hamsters
 * Polar bear dogs