The Himba are indigenous peoples with an estimated population of about 50,000
people living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene region and on the other side
of the Kunene River in Angola. There are also a few groups left of the Ovatwa,
who are also OvaHimba, but are hunters and gatherers. The OvaHimba are a
semi-nomadic, pastoral people, culturally distinguishable from the
Herero people in northern Namibia and southern Angola, and speak OtjiHimba,
which belongs to the language family of the Bantu. The OvaHimba are considered
the last nomadic people of Namibia. Culture
= Subsistence economy= The OvaHimba are predominantly livestock
farmers who breed fat-tailed sheep and goats, but count their wealth in the
number of their cattle. They also grow and farm rain-fed crops such as maize
and millet. Livestock are the major source of milk and meat for the
OvaHimba, their milk-and-meat nutrition diet is also supplemented by maize
cornmeal, chicken eggs, wild herbs and honey. Only occasionally, and
opportunistically, are the livestock sold for cash. Non-farming businesses,
wages and salaries, pensions, and other cash remittances make up a very small
portion of the OvaHimba livelihood, which is gained chiefly from their work
in conservancies, old-age pensions, and drought relief aid from the government
of Namibia. = Daily life=
Women and girls tend to perform more labor-intensive work than men and boys
do, such as carrying water to the village, earthen plastering the mopane
wood homes with a traditional mixture of red clay soil and cow manure binding
agent, collecting firewood, attend to the calabash vines used for producing
and ensuring a secure supply of soured milk, cooking and serving meals, as well
as artisans making handicrafts, clothing and jewelry. The responsibility for
milking the cows and goats also lies with the women and girls. Women and
girls take care of the children, and one woman or girl will take care of another
woman's children. The men's main task is preoccupied tending to the livestock
farming, herding where the men will often be away from the family home for
extended periods, animal slaughtering, construction, and holding council with
village headmen. Members of a single extended family
typically dwell in a homestead, a small family-village, consisting of a circular
hamlet of huts and work shelters that surround an okuruwo and a central
enclosure for the sacred livestock. Both the fire and the livestock are closely
tied to their veneration of the dead, the sacred fire representing ancestral
protection and the sacred livestock allowing "proper relations between human
and ancestor". = Clothing and hair style=
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional
clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot
semi-arid climate of their area, in most occurrences this consists simply of
skirt-like clothing made from calfskins or increasingly from more modern
textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear, with foot soles often found
made from old car tires. Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are
remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic
mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods
due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and
dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites. The
cosmetic mixture, often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba
shrub, gives their skin and hair plaits a distinctive orange or red-tinge
characteristic, as well as texture and style. Otjize is considered foremost a
highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red
color and blood the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of
beauty. Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant
role among the OvaHimba, it indicates age and social status within their
community. An infant or child will generally have their head kept shaved of
hair or a small crop of hair on their head crown, this soon is sculptured to
one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head for young boys and
young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often
parallel to their eyes, the form of wear being determined by the oruzo
membership, the style remains during preadolescence until reaching puberty.
Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait
extended forwards, which means they are one of a pair of twins.
From pubescence, boys continue to have one braided hair plait, girls will have
many otjize textured hair plaits, some arranged to veil the girl's face, in
daily practice the hair plaits are often tied together and held parted back from
the face. Women who have been married for about a year, or have had a child,
wear an ornate headpiece called the Erembe, sculptured from sheepskin, with
many streams of braided hair, coloured and put in shape with otjize paste.
Unmarried young men continue to wear one braided hair plait extended to the rear
of the head, while married men wear a cap or head-wrap and un-braided hair
beneath. Widowed men will remove their cap or head-wrap and expose un-braided
hair. The OvaHimba are also accustomed to use wood ash for hair cleansing due
to water scarcity. = Customary practices=
The OvaHimba are polygamous, with the average Himba man being husband to two
wives at the same time. They also practice early arranged marriages. Young
Himba girls are married to male partners chosen by their fathers, and this can be
as early as 13 years of age or otherwise at the onset of puberty. Among the Himba
people, it is customary as a rite of passage to circumcise boys before
puberty. Upon marriage, a Himba boy is considered a man, unlike a Himba girl
who is not considered a fully-fledged woman until she bears a child.
= Socially dynamic= Despite the fact a majority of OvaHimba
live a distinct cultural lifestyle in their remote rural environment and
homesteads, they are however socially dynamic, and not all are isolated from
the trends of local urban cultures. The OvaHimba coexist and interact with
members of their country's other ethnic groups and the social trends of urban
townsfolk. Especially those in proximity to the Kunene Region capital of Opuwo,
travelling frequently to shop at the local town supermarkets for the
convenience of commercial consumer products, market food produce and to
acquire health care. Tribal structure
Because of the harsh desert climate in the region where they live and their
seclusion from outside influences, the OvaHimba have managed to maintain and
preserve much of their traditional lifestyle. Members live under a tribal
structure based on bilateral descent that helps them live in one of the most
extreme environments on earth. Under bilateral descent, every tribe
member belongs to two clans: one through the father and another through the
mother. Himba clans are led by the eldest male in the clan. Sons live with
their father's clan, and when daughters marry, they go to live with the clan of
their husband. However, inheritance of wealth does not follow the patriclan but
is determined by the matriclan, that is, a son does not inherit his father's
cattle but his maternal uncle's instead. Bilateral descent is found among only a
few groups in West Africa, India, Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia, and
anthropologists consider the system advantageous for groups that live in
extreme environments because it allows individuals to rely on two sets of
families dispersed over a wide area. History
The OvaHimba history is fraught with disasters, including severe droughts and
guerrilla warfare, especially during Namibia's war of independence and as a
result of the civil war in neighboring Angola. Between 1904–1908, they suffered
from the same attempt at genocide during the Herero Wars conducted by the German
Empire colonist government in German South-West Africa under Lothar von
Trotha that decimated notably the Herero people and the Nama people during the
Herero and Namaqua Genocide. In the 1980s it appeared the OvaHimba
way of life was coming to a close due to a climax in adverse climatic conditions
and political conflicts. A severe drought killed 90% of their livestock,
and many gave up their herds and became refugees in the town of Opuwo living in
slums on international humanitarian aid or joined Koevoet paramilitary units to
cope with the livestock losses and widespread famine. OvaHimba living over
the border in Angola, were occasionally victims of kidnapping during the South
African Border war, either taken as hostages or abducted to join the Angolan
branch of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia.
= Religion= The OvaHimba are a monotheistic people
who worship the God Mukuru, as well as their clan's ancestors. Mukuru only
blesses, while the ancestors can bless and curse. Each family has its own
sacred ancestral fire, which is kept by the fire-keeper. The fire-keeper
approaches the sacred ancestral fire every seven to eight days in order to
communicate with Mukuru and the ancestors on behalf of his family.
Often, because Mukuru is busy in a distant realm, the ancestors act as
Mukuru's representatives. The OvaHimba traditionally believe in
omiti, which some translate to mean witchcraft but which others call "black
magic" or "bad medicine". Some OvaHimba believe that death is caused by omiti,
or rather, by someone using omiti for malicious purposes. Additionally, some
believe that evil people who use omiti have the power to place bad thoughts
into another's mind or cause extraordinary events to happen. But
users of omiti do not always attack their victim directly; sometimes they
target a relative or loved one. Some OvaHimba will consult a traditional
African diviner-healer to reveal the reason behind an extraordinary event, or
the source of the omiti. = Since Namibian independence=
The OvaHimba have been successful in maintaining their culture and
traditional way of life. As such, the OvaHimba have worked with
international activists to block a proposed hydroelectric dam along the
Kunene River that would have flooded their ancestral lands, 2011, Namibia
announced its new plan to build a dam in Orokawe, in the Baynes Mountains. The
OvaHimba submitted in February 2012 their protest Declaration against the
hydroelectric dam to the United Nations, the African Union and to the Government
of Namibia. The government of Norway and Iceland
funded mobile schools for Himba children, but since Namibia took them
over in 2010, they have been converted to permanent schools and are no longer
mobile. The Himba leaders complain in their declaration about the culturally
inappropriate school system, that they say would threaten their culture,
identity and way of life as a people. = Human rights=
Groups of the last remaining hunters and gatherers Ovatwa are held in secured
camps in the northern part of Namibia's Kunene region, despite complaints by the
traditional Himba chiefs that the Ovatwa are held there without their consent and
against their wishes. In February 2012, traditional Himba
chiefs issued two separate Declarations to the African Union and to the OHCHR of
the United Nations. The first, titled "Declaration of the
most affected Ovahimba, Ovatwa, Ovatjimba and Ovazemba against the
Orokawe Dam in the Baynes Mountains" outlines the objections from regional
Himba chiefs and communities that reside near the Kunene River.
The second, titled "Declaration by the traditional Himba leaders of Kaokoland
in Namibia" lists violations of civil, cultural, economic, environmental,
social and political rights perpetrated by the government of Namibia.
September 2012, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples visited the OvaHimba and heard their concerns that they do
not have recognized traditional authorities and that they are placed
under the jurisdictions of chiefs of neighboring dominant tribes, who make
decisions on behalf of the minority communities. In his view, the lack of
recognition of traditional chiefs, in accordance with Namibian law, relates to
a lack of recognition of the minority indigenous tribes' communal lands.
November 23, 2012, hundreds of OvaHimba and Zemba from Omuhonga and Epupa region
protested in Okanguati against Namibia's plans to construct a dam in the Kunene
River in the Baynes Mountains, against increasing mining operations on their
traditional land and human rights violations against them.
March 25, 2013, over 1,000 Himba people marched in protest again, this time in
Opuwo, against the ongoing human rights violations that they endure in Namibia.
They expressed their frustration over the lack of recognition of their
traditional chiefs as "Traditional Authorities" by the government;
Namibia's plans to built the Orokawe dam in the Baynes Mountains at the Kunene
River without consulting with the OvaHimba, who do not consent to the
construction plans; culturally inappropriate education; the illegal
fencing of parts of their traditional land; and their lack of property rights
to the territory that they have lived upon for centuries. They also protested
against the implementation of the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002.
On October 14, 2013, Himba chief Kaipka, on behalf of his region Epupa and the
community which was featured in German RTL reality TV show Wild Girls condemned
the misuse of Himba people, individuals and villagers in the show, and demanded
the halt of broadcasting any further episodes as they would mock the culture
and way of being of the Himba people. March 29, 2014, OvaHimba from both
countries, Angola and Namibia, march again in protest against the dam's
construction plans as well as against the government attempt to bribe their
regional Himba chief. In the signed letter of the Himba community from
Epupa, the region that would be directly affected by the dam, the traditional
leaders explain that any consent form signed by a former chief as a result of
bribery wasn't valid as they remain opposed to the dam.
Anthropological investigations = Color perception=
Several researchers have studied the OvaHimba perception of colours. The
OvaHimba use four colour names: zuzu stands for dark shades of blue, red,
green and purple; vapa is white and some shades of yellow; buru is some shades of
green and blue; and dambu is some other shades of green, red and brown. It is
thought that this may increase the time it takes for the OvaHimba to distinguish
between two colours that fall under the same Herero colour category, compared to
people whose language separates the colours into two different colour
categories. See also
Herero people Ovambo people
Nama people Oorlam people
Gallery Literature
Kamaku Consultancy Services cc., Commissioned by: Country Pilot
Partnership Programme Namibia. Strategies That Integrate Environmental
Sustainability Into National Development Planning Process to Address Livelihood
Concerns of the OvaHimba Tribe in Namibia - A Summary. Windhoek, Namibia:
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Republic of Namibia.
Goyal, O.P. Nomads at the Crossroads. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House. pp.
9–11. ISBN 9788182051492. Bollig, Michael. Risk Management in a
Hazardous Environment: A Comparative Study of two Pastoral Societies. New
York: Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. ISBN 9780387275819.
Sherman, Rina. Ma vie avec les Ovahimba. References
Further reading Crandall, David P.. The Place of Stunted
Ironwood Trees: A Year in the Lives of the Cattle-Herding Himba of Namibia. New
York: Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. pp. 18, 33, 38–39, 47, 48,
66, 67, 102, 188. ISBN 0-8264-1270-X. Peter Pickford, Beverly Pickford,
Margaret Jacobsohn: Himba; ed. New Holland Publishers Ltd, 1990; ISBN
978-1-85368-084-7 Klaus G. Förg, Gerhard Burkl: Himba.
Namibias ockerrotes Volk; Rosenheim: Rosenheimer Verlagshaus, 2004; ISBN
3-475-53572-6 Rina Sherman: Ma vie avec les Ovahimba;
Paris: Hugo et Cie, 2009; ISBN 978-2-7556-0261-6
External links Himbas, struggle for survive; a
documentary photo story by photojournalist and filmmaker Delmi
Alvarez The Ovahimba Years I Les années Ovahimba
Keep the Dance Alive I Que la danse continue
Sept années chez les Ovahimba A Peace Corps volunteer works among the
Himba HIMBA CUSTOMS from Namibia. Extract from
Last Free Men by José Manuel Novoa HIMBA DANCE in Omuhonga, Kaokoland,
Namibia, video by Rebecca Sommer = Photographs=
The Ovahimba Years – Photography by Rina Sherman.
Photos of the Himba People in Okangwati – Photography by Benjamin Rennicke.
Photographs of the Himba in Namibia Photos from Himba village near Opuwo,
Namibia – Photographs and information. Africa on the Matrix: Himba People of
Namibia – Photographs and information.