Meet the SAN

Meet the SANs Meet the SANs Meet the SANs
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The San or Bushmen people are most likely the oldest cultures on Earth. It is believed that the San are the first inhabitants of Botswana and South Africa.They are a semi-nomadic culture, moving frequently to where they can find water, game and edible plants. Thus, they don’t live in houses, but in shelters which are found around them.

There is many fun facts  about the San, one of them  is that they have only 35 names per gender, as each child is named after a grandparent or another relative. The San is a happy bunch of people who spends most of their time in conversation, joking, playing music and dancing. Who would not be happy when this is all part of your culture.

Interesting to know, there is no hierarchy in the San culture, everybody is equal and accepted for who they are. 

That said, it surely helps to keep peace among everyone over all those years, which is done by the woman, who are considered as an equal status in their society. They claim water holes and are also mainly involved with gathering food, although they might also take part in hunting.

https://youtu.be/akkFkzH3HJA

Hunting are done by bow and arrow, with the tip of the arrow covered in poison. The shaft of the arrow falls to the ground and the head of the arrow stays behind in the animal, slowly sedating the animal. It’s considered a very respectful way to kill an animal.

How do they gather water in dry seasons? They would scrap a deep hole where the sand is damp, insert a long hollow grass stem, the water is sucked into their mouth with the grass stem and emptied into an ostrich egg, via another grass stem.

The San is also know for the many rock paintings, which can be found all over Botswana and the region. The art expresses the religious and spiritual beliefs of the San people and often represents scenaries of the Kalahari desert. It’s often represent the connection between them and mother Earth.

Exemple of their more recent art form can be find in D’kar, thanks to the The Kuru Art Development Trust Project (aka Kuru Art). They assists San artists by introducing them to contemporary art techniques and materials and also assisting them in the marketing of their art, which helps them with a much needed income. The San artists benefiting from the program are from the Ghanzi district of western Botswana. Throughout the years they have won many awards and their work can be found in public and private collections all over the world.

What is truly amazing is the fact that the San has survived colonisation. Of course, it was at a cost, they lost their land and access to natural resources but there will to pass on their knowledge and culture to the next generation is strong.There is so much to learn from a civilization that’s been leaving peacefully for over 30’000 years, hopefully our modern world will start with giving power to women, just a thought…

If you would like to learn more about this fascinating culture, we recommend you the video below:

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https://youtu.be/1oQ5Jd7p2aY

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