The Shikaki Kurdish are actually part of a much greater Kurd population. They are made up of a number of clans, tribes, and tribal confederations, many of which have been in existence for thousands of years. This large people group shares several important and common ties. Not only do they speak closely related languages, but they also share a common culture, geographical homeland, and sense of identity.
Kurdish people are basically more alike than are other people groups, and they feel it.
The Shikaki Kurd are a confederacy of tribes of Northern Kurdistan. They live primarily in the mountainous area where the borders of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq meet, in the district of Dustan and Qotur, northwest of Lake Urmia. These various tribes and clans are distinguished by the languages they speak. The Shikaki language is possibly a dialect of Kurmanji. Apart from the Shikaki Kurd of Iran, other large communities can also be found in Turkey and Iraq.