Movement and migration- The Nomadic San People
The San, often referred to as 'Bushmen' are the indigenous, nomadic, hunter-gatherer people in Africa. Traditionally, women would gather fruits, nuts, and roots while men hunted antelope and other game. All of the languages they speak involve 'click' sounds, represented by an exclamation point (example: the !Xam people). All of the San people have tried to keep their traditions, such as ceremonies, art, and skills of tracking and archery, though there have been many forced migrations and other campaigns against them.
the San people have, for many years, traveled southern Africa, following game. They would hunt using snares, pitfalls, or poisoned arrows. However, they were more dependent on gathering than on hunting. They did not just wander wherever the herds went. They had a planned route to different areas of plant food as the different plants ripened, which they would follow every year. They traveled in small bands of about 25 people. Over distances, different groups had their own slightly different culture and language. Unlike any other indigenous people of Africa, the San have no set land of their own, which later led to problems involving reservations for them. For thousands of years, they were the only people in southern Africa. Then, farming people from the north came down and traded with them. When the Europeans came, however, they were hunted, killed, and sold into slavery, causing them to be on the run.
As the farmers and Europeans both moved into the land, the San came into conflict with them which ended in wars and a genocide of the San people, reducing their population from several million to about 100,000. The San in Namibia and Angola were exiled forced to relocate to the Northern Cape in South Africa due to their forced involvement in the Namibian and Angolan wars. Botswana's government began a campaign to drive the San off the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which is their ancestral homeland. They have recently intensified this campaign by cutting off the water supply, causing the San to die of thirst. Many San in Botswana and other areas are also dying of starvation, having problems with alcoholism and smoking, and being forced over and over again to migrate far away from their own land.
Currently, the Bushmen are struggling to change to a more westernized lifestyle. Some have started raising stock and farming instead of hunting and gathering. Many children now go to schools where they learn in their own language and well as local languages. However, some attempt to re-establish their cultural heritage. They continue to produce their traditional artwork such as paintings, linocuts, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. Many use their skills of tracking in other jobs that would require it, such as police work. However, despite these efforts to help the San, as more and more split and leave their area, and stop their nomadic tradition, their culture and people are slowly fading into history.
the San people have, for many years, traveled southern Africa, following game. They would hunt using snares, pitfalls, or poisoned arrows. However, they were more dependent on gathering than on hunting. They did not just wander wherever the herds went. They had a planned route to different areas of plant food as the different plants ripened, which they would follow every year. They traveled in small bands of about 25 people. Over distances, different groups had their own slightly different culture and language. Unlike any other indigenous people of Africa, the San have no set land of their own, which later led to problems involving reservations for them. For thousands of years, they were the only people in southern Africa. Then, farming people from the north came down and traded with them. When the Europeans came, however, they were hunted, killed, and sold into slavery, causing them to be on the run.
As the farmers and Europeans both moved into the land, the San came into conflict with them which ended in wars and a genocide of the San people, reducing their population from several million to about 100,000. The San in Namibia and Angola were exiled forced to relocate to the Northern Cape in South Africa due to their forced involvement in the Namibian and Angolan wars. Botswana's government began a campaign to drive the San off the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which is their ancestral homeland. They have recently intensified this campaign by cutting off the water supply, causing the San to die of thirst. Many San in Botswana and other areas are also dying of starvation, having problems with alcoholism and smoking, and being forced over and over again to migrate far away from their own land.
Currently, the Bushmen are struggling to change to a more westernized lifestyle. Some have started raising stock and farming instead of hunting and gathering. Many children now go to schools where they learn in their own language and well as local languages. However, some attempt to re-establish their cultural heritage. They continue to produce their traditional artwork such as paintings, linocuts, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. Many use their skills of tracking in other jobs that would require it, such as police work. However, despite these efforts to help the San, as more and more split and leave their area, and stop their nomadic tradition, their culture and people are slowly fading into history.