Here we have Ainu, which is both a people, and a language.
It is odd then, that the people were sufficiently well known to merit inclusion in this set, yet they were already removed from their traditional way of life, forcibly moved to barren lands, and often killed if they refused.
Their language is currently only in daily use by a few elders on the Japanese island of Hokkaidu - in fact the language is also known as Hokkaido Ainu. It is therefore regarded as an isolate, or a language with only one point of use.
More than that, though, for this language, and the race itself, are of unknown origin, and their language bears no similarities to any other words spoken in the entire world. Yet, until the start of the 1900s, it was the main language of the island, and had sibling languages, Kuril Ainu and Sakhalin Ainu, which are both now lost.
The cause of this was that the Japanese government pretty much outlawed it, along with the Ainu people themselves. And all attempts to speak it were met with fierce opposition.
Strange then that in June 2008 the government of that time actually recognised it as a native language, and, ten years after, also recognised the Ainu themselves, after denying of their existence. They felt strongly enough in this belief that the year after they opened a museum and cultural centre in Hokkaido, along with a memorial ground to the lost people and their culture. However, no apologies for the centuries of maltreatment have been offered.
Despite this, interest has started to blossom, and there are attempts to revive the language, with several schools and online tuition classes.
This set is recorded in our original Australasian Miscellaneous Booklet, RB.20, published in 1951, as :
27. NATIVES OF THE WORLD (adopted title). Size 68 x 36 m/m. Fronts in colour, with captions, Blue "Standard" backs (type 1), no initials at base, Issued 1904-8 period. Unnumbered series of 25
1. Abyssinian 10. Hairy Ainu 19. Samoan
2. Afghan 11. Hindoo 20. Solomon Islander
3. Arab Lady 12. Java Woman 21. Somali
4. Australia (Aboriginal) 13. Kaffir Warrior 22. Tibetan
5. Bedouin 14. Laplander 23. Turkish Lady
6. Burmese Girl 15. Maori 24. Uled Nail Woman
7. Chinaman 16. Norwegian Bride 25. Zulu Woman
8. Congo Warrior 17. Pygmy, Central Africa
9. Daughter of Japan 18. Red IndianSimilar series issued by Taddy (see Reference Book No. 12, Item 22), and L.C.C.C. Handbook, H.419
By the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, it appears as simply :
NATIVES OF THE WORLD (A). Sm. Unnd. (25). See RB.20/27 and H.419 ... S88-24
This is almost identical in our updated version but by that time the original Australasian Booklet was long out of print, and so the code to RB.20/27 is no longer included - and there is also a new card code for the listing, namely S587-290.
I presumed that I already had this set featured by Taddy, but it does not look like I do, so I will add the info on that later.