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Examining the Relationship Between the Namibian Government and the Himba of Epupa Falls by Adrian Bradley Borrego

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Examining the Relationship Between the Namibian Government and the Himba of Epupa Falls by Adrian Bradley Borrego Examining the Relationship Between the Namibian Government and the Himba of Epupa Falls Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Borrego, Adrian Bradley Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 30/09/2021 19:20:15 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624916 EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NAMIBIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE HIMBA OF EPUPA FALLS BY ADRIAN BRADLEY BORREGO ____________________ A Thesis Submitted to The Honors College A Partial Fulfillment of the Bachelors Degree with Honors in Environmental Science THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA MAY 2017 Approved by: _________________________ Dr. Thomas Wilson The Honors College ABSTRACT Namibia, located in southwest Africa, is comprised of twelve different indigenous peoples with different histories and cultures. One indigenous group, the Himba, occupy the Kunene Region in the North. This project examined the interaction between the Himba of Epupa Falls and the Namibian government using interviews conducted between June 26th to June 28th of 2016. One of the major topics to be addressed is conservancies and ecotourism, which is the biggest contributor to the Namibian economy. The goal of the study was to determine how the Himba view the actions of their government and what they want from it going forward. The main findings were that the Himba have very little interaction with their government and the conservancy that they live on, and are mostly concerned with their day-to-day life. INTRODUCTION Founded in 1990, Namibia is one of the youngest countries in the world. It is located in southwest Africa, along the west coast of the continent. Namibia shares a border with South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Angola, and Zambia. The climate of Namibia is predominantly dry compared to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, although there is some variation in different parts of the country (Goudie 2014). Namibia is named after the Namib Desert, which stretches along the west coast and across the southern half of the country. The Namib Desert contains many different climates, most of it receiving little rainfall throughout the year (Goudie 2014). The large, flat stretches are mostly unoccupied by people due to the harsh conditions. While there is still wildlife in the region, populations are limited by the sparse vegetation and limited access to water on the desert coast (Dupont 2006). Rainfall in the desert varies based on location, increasing from the coast toward the interior. The semi –arid northern area of the country receives more rainfall than the southern region, and rainfall increases moving in from the coast (Dupont 2006; Goudie 2014). There is considerably more wildlife here than in the South, and where most Namibians and tourists are located. An important feature of Namibia is the Central Highlands, which divides the interior of the country from the desert. The name refers to the increase in elevation, as the interior of Namibia has a much higher altitude than the coast. The high altitude makes this part of Namibia both cooler and wetter than the coastal desert (Goudie 2014). Rainfall in the Central Highlands ranges from low near the desert coast to high in the more- vegetated interior. Namibia is inhabited by 12 different groups of indigenous people that span across the entire country (Malan 1995). The largest of these ethnic groups is the Ovambo, who make up about half of the total population of Namibia (Potgieter 1991). The other half is divided up amongst the other native peoples as well as whites. The first settled groups were the Damara and the San (also referred to as the bushmen) (Malan 1995). These groups moved into Namibia from other parts of Africa, most notably Angola in the North, before fragmenting into the many different groups seen today. Although the exact time is not known, it is estimated that the first groups moved in as early as 1390 (Wallace 2011; Malan 1995). The exact period of time when this movement occurred is not known, although archeological evidence such as cave drawings and preserved artifacts give a rough estimate of when and where settlement first occurred (Wallace 2011). Before Namibia was established as a country in 1990, it was a colony of Germany from 1884 to the end of World War I in 1915. During this time there was many conflicts between native Namibians and the German colonists. The Germans launched a campaign to exterminate the native population, with upwards of 30,000 people killed (Horst 1980). Over time many more Germans moved in the country and continued to exploit the locals until the fall of the German Empire. Namibia then became a colony of South Africa, during which time more conflicts arose between Namibians and colonial powers. After a long fight for independence, Namibia was finally declared independent in 1990 (Bauer 2001). The creation of the Namibian government and constitution was overseen by the United Nations Security Council as part of Resolution 435, which sought to end conflict in southern Africa and to promote free and fair elections in the colony formerly known as South-West Africa (Potgieter 1991). Namibia’s creation is somewhat of a unique case, as its constitution was formed by a constituent assembly without having to negotiate with the former colonial power (Erasmus 2010; Potgieter 1991). The first election received a large amount of international attention, as the world waited to see if a smooth transition of power could occur in a region that had long been plagued by violence and ethnic conflicts (Erasmus 2010). The elections proceeded without conflict and the result was deemed to be fair by the United Nations (Potgieter 1991). The Namibian government was modeled after the American government, with a three- party system based in the capital city of Windhoek. The government is headed by a president and prime minister elected every 5 years along with a bicameral legislature and a Supreme Court (Erasmus 2010). Today, the country has a population of 2.3 million and encompasses an area just under 319,000 square miles. Namibia has the second lowest population density per unit area in the world, and much of the economy is dependent on tourism (Forrest 1994). The Himba are one of the indigenous peoples of Namibia that occupy the northern part of the country near the Kunene River as well as southern Angola. The Himba are semi-nomadic, and keep herds of cattle in place of hunting and gathering (Malan 1995). They are the last nomadic group in Namibia, occupying small villages in place of large cities. The Himba live in the Kunene region of Namibia, far away from the large cities near the capital and in the Caprivi region (Novelli 2009). The traditional lifestyle of the Himba is unique and well-preserved in Epupa, which is different from the major urban cities in other parts of the country (Novelli 2009) Tourists have always been attracted to the national parks of Namibia, but a growing minority choose to visit the less developed areas in the North near the Kunene River (Ashley 2000). Unlike other indigenous groups, many Himba have chosen to continue tradition and resist the changes that have occurred throughout the country (Tarr 2007). This stark difference from the rest of Namibia makes the Himba unique, and many tourists are interested in the simple lifestyles that they have (Ashley 2000). Himba women occupy villages during the day while many of the men work elsewhere. These women take part in traditional housework while watching over livestock during the day (Ezzell 2001). This resistance to change is more than just cultural, with many proposed building projects in the area meeting opposition from locals who want to keep their homeland from changing (Bollig 2011; Ezzell 2001; Tarr 2007). Many Himba today occupy Epupa Falls, which is located near the northern border of Namibia near Angola. Named after the series of waterfalls in the area, Epupa Falls is is relatively isolated due to the absence of paved roads connecting it to the rest of the country (Ezzell 2001). Traveling in and out requires motorized transportation, which is not available to many inhabitants. Despite this, Epupa Falls has become a popular tourist destination due to its scenic waterfalls and the presence of Himba villages (Novelli 2009). In northern Namibia there are Chiefs that have significant influence in one area and make decisions for the people who live within. Epupa Falls is home to four different chieftaincies along the Kunene River (Bollig 2011). The prominent figures are usually supported by one ethnic group and are the ones who interact with the Namibian government (Taylor 2008). Chief Kapika is the current Chief of the Epupa Falls region who makes important decisions regarding land use and communication with the outside world (Tarr 2007). Chieftaincies are a remnant of the colonial past in Namibia that have continued to persist after independence (Bollig 2011). During South African rule, Chiefs were given areas of land in northern Namibia and given the power to govern those areas. After independence, these Chiefs remained in power and proved to be troublesome as they often opposed government initiatives and believed that they knew how to best manage the area under their control (Tarr 2007; Taylor 2008). The Namibian government has allowed these local leaders to keep their positions, in large part because of the stability that they provide to the areas they watch over and because they do not have nearly as much power as they did in colonial times.
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