Namibia Ju/’Hoansi San Living Museum

Ju/’Hoansi San: Embracing ancient ways of life

Omandumba - Holed up in the sprawling Erongo Mountains on Omandumba Farm, the San Living Museum is a truly organic reflection of its name, a living, breathing gallery of actual life on the move.

The museum is home to one of Namibia’s oldest and most recognizable tribe, the Ju/’Hoansi San community, and its surrounding areas are also home to historic rock paintings and archaeological findings that were left behind hundreds of years ago by the San, who used to live and hunt there.

Bushmen Walk at Intu Afrika Lodge:

As a result of colonialism, tribal conflicts, and changing weather patterns, the Ju/’Hoansi-San community, who were the first to inhabit the area, were forced to migrate eastwards and more north-eastwards in search of survival elsewhere.

But since 2008, thanks to the assistance of the government and various civil and cultural entities, the Ju/’Hoansi-San people have returned to what was once their happy hunting grounds and are now thriving and making a living through the San Living Museum, which attracts hundreds of local and international tourists annually.

Local media representatives and influencers this week experienced first-hand the wonders of the San Living Museum, thanks to the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB)’s promotional tour of the Damaraland and wider Erongo Region.

The museum offers an interesting insight into the ancient hunter-gatherers’ culture and the traditional ways of the San people and can also witness first-hand how the Ju/’Hoansi San people conduct their traditional hunts.

Other programs at Omandumba are centred around the traditional life of the San within the setting of a village, where the interaction with the visitors is highly valued and acts as a networking opportunity.

The generous elderly San women and young girls offer visitors brief opportunities to learn how to produce jewellery, traditional medicine, bows and arrows, among others.

As can be expected, a rhythmic display of ancient dances, songs, and rituals are always on show at the museum, and the young ones would often be seen on the side-lines playing their games.

On the one hand, the museum has given the San an opportunity to rediscover their old and almost forgotten culture and ways of life, and on the other hand, also serves as a lucrative business for them.

The museum is run entirely by the San, with 90% of the generated income reinvested in the living museum while the 10% goes to farm Omandumba for services rendered to the museum. Apart from the museum, the San also run a small souvenir shop where visitors can purchase handmade jewellery, bows and arrows, axes, tools, and many more.

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Namibia: TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge | Цумкве Лодж Намибия

TUCSIN Tsumkwe Lodge is situated in the far north-eastern side of Namibia and is part of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, home to the Ju/’hoansi San community. It requires a well-informed approach with respect for the precious - but rare - value systems of traditional hunter-gatherer societies. Indeed, the San community can no longer survive exclusively by hunting and gathering thus, they require a local perspective for education and training.

Their strong beliefs and traditional values remain core to the San`s lifestyle and upbringing of their children. Tsumkwe is one of the last bastions where the San continues a semi-cultural lifestyle. Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit designated villages that showcase the San culture and how they have integrated with the modern way of living today

In proximity to the Nyae Nyae Pans and Khaudom National Park, TUCSIN Tsumkwe lodge is an ideal adventurous starting point to reach the Zambezi (Caprivi) Region as well as Botswana via the Dobe border post to experience the famous Okavango-Delta. Tsumkwe is still a wilderness paradise, off the beaten track!

The additional, once-off Conservancy fee of N$30.00 per person. This is a mandatory fee each visitor to the Naye Nyae Conservancy must pay while visiting or staying in the area.

Aotcha village

The village is 11 Km from Tsumkwe Lodge and can be reached with a normal 2x4 vehicle, combi, or truck.

Your Guide

Ciqae Tsamgao (Smallboy) grew up in /Aotcha village and learnt all his traditional Ju/’hoansi values, skills and practices from his father. He is a field guide with extensive experience of the bush, animals, and birds of his area. He is passionate about the preservation of the San culture and always eager to share his knowledge and heritage with his guests. He speaks and understands good English as his second language. Smallboy was part of the Ju/’hoansi team of trackers from Tsumkwe who visited France to help archaeologists identify prehistoric human tracks inside caves.

Activities

Bush walk with snaring, tracking, and collecting bush food. Game tracks in the sand will put you on the spoor of Elephant, Oryx, Kudu, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Warthog, Giraffe, Porcupine and even birds such as Guineafowl and Sandgrouse.

Craft making in the village. Create your own bow and arrow and learn the technique of lighting a fire with “fire sticks”. Weave rope from plant fibres and how to set a snare. The ladies will demonstrate the art of beading and shaping ostrich eggshell for bangle and necklace jewellery.

Traditional dance & songs reverberate over the rhythmic drumming of feet in the sand and rustle of leg beads and pods around the campfire. Join in while the San woman playout their ritual games and the men mimic the movement of antelope and giraffe.

Traditional hunt for meat and other food sources. Full Day walking in the wild together with hunters, in search of warthog, springbok, spring hare, porcupine, or large birds. It is not guaranteed that you will have success but, the thrill of tracking and stalking potential prey is exhilarating.

Bushmen meal. Prepare and taste the bushfood San collect from the veld. When there is plenty, you will have meat and plants, or it might just be tea from tree leaves and a taste of the water root they dug up from the soil.

Traditional huts for your accommodation at the village. Dry grass and sticks provide shelter and shade in the form of a round hut. Bring your own ground mat and sleeping gear for the real outdoors experience. Spend a night in the village as the San do. You will have a dry toilet, bucket shower and wood to make a fire or to cook your food on. You must be self-sufficient with food and water, braai grid and utensils.

Compact - Half day activity for groups or guests with limited time. This is a combination of all the activities listed above, except for the hunting activity. Short bushwalk and tracking of spoors. Gathering of edible and medicinal foods, how to make rope and set snares. Back at the village visitors will view singing, dancing with the opportunity to participate in a game or two. See how the make jewellery out of ostrich egg and natural materials from the bush. The Conservancy fee will be applicable on all new bookings made from the 1st of July 2021 onwards.

TUCSIN (The University Centre for Studies in Namibia) is the owner of Tsumkwe Lodge and is proud to be the custodians of educating and uplifting the San community through vocational training and hospitality in tourism.

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