Information AboutNamaqua |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NAMAQUA | |
| ethnic groups in south africa | |
| ethnic groups in namibia | |
| ethnic groups in botswana | |
| african nomads | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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Namaqua (Namaqua means Nama people) are a pastoral people of South Africa , Namibia and Botswana ; one of the principal branches of the Khoikhoi race, and inhabiting Great Namaqualand . Their traditional language is called Nama , but most Now Speak Afrikaans . For thousands of years, the KhoiSan peoples of South Africa and southern Namibia maintained a pastoral way of life, tending their flocks of goats and sheep, gathering firewood, and collecting wild honey. Following the discovery of diamonds at the mouth of the Orange River in the 1920s, however, prospectors began moving into the region, establishing towns at Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, a process that accelerated the appropriation of traditional lands that had begun early in the colonial period. Under apartheid, remaining pastoralists were encouraged to abandon their traditional lifestyle in favour of village life. The Nama, thought by some to be the true descendents of the Khoikhoi , have much in common with the San (Bushmen), sharing the same linguistic roots and features. For this reason they are often collectively referred to as Khoisan . The Nama people originally lived around the Orange River in southern Namibia and northern South Africa. The early colonialists referred to them as Hottentots . As with the San, the Nama have light skin, and a small delicate frame. Nama people speak a language that is unrelated to any other African language. It is often referred to as a “click language” because many of the words are expressed with unusual clicking sounds. This language is shared with the San and is know as the Khoisan group of languages. In general the Nama practice a policy of communal land ownership. Music, poetry and story telling are very important in Nama culture and many stories have been passed down orally through the generations. The Nama have a culture that is rich in the musical and literary abilities of its people. Traditional music, folk tales, proverbs, and praise poetry have been handed down for generations and form the base for much of their culture. They are known for crafts which include leatherwork, skin karosses and mats, musical instruments (such as reed flutes), jewellery, clay pots, and tortoiseshell powder containers. Nama women still dress in Victorian traditional fashion. This style of dress was introduced by missionaries in the 1800s and their influence is still a part of the Nama culture today. |