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The Himba are nomadic pastoralists who live in the Kaokoland area of northwestern Namibia. The Himba are related to Herero herders and they still speak the Herero language. The Germans who colonized Southwest Africa (modern Nanibia) drove the Herero and Himba who supported them into the inhospitable, remote scrubland of the northwest after supressing their uprising -- the Herero War (1904). Many of the Herero perished as a result. They were displaced by the more compliant Nama. Some of the Himba managed to survive to survive even in the harsh arid savana, almost desert-like conditions. Notice the arid conditions in the image here (figure 1). The Himba herd sheep, goats, and some cattle. They move location several times each year as the livestock quickly deplete the poorr grazing land. Their houses are cone-shaped dwelings built from the brush available and covered with mud and livestock dung. The Himba have clung to their traditions into the modern era. The Himba women are noted for their intricate hairstyles and traditional jewellery. The Himba are technoloically primitive, never mastering weaving. Traditionally men and woman wear few clothes apart from a loin cloth or goat skinned skirt, although now one sees some Western clothing. They use red ochre and fat to protect themselves from the sun. This gives their bodies a red color.
The Himba are nomadic pastoralists who live in the Kaokoland area of northwestern Namibia. There are African tribes who respect and follow the traditions of their ancestors. Some are well known, including the Maasai tribe (Kenya), the Pygmies (Congo), several tribes (the Dogon Valley in Mali), and many others. The Himba are one of these tribes.
The first known settlements of who are now the Himba people were noted when they moved south, crossing what is now the Angolan border (16th century). They settled Kaokoland (modern Namibian Kunene region). They were not yet the Himb as they were part of the Herero people. nomadic hearders. Southwest Africa in the late-19th century was being colonized by the Germans. Southwest Africa was suffering from a bovine epidemic killing heir cattle. The Hinba/Herero people faced disaster. It is at this time the tribe split. Some stayed put and became the Himba people. Others movd further south into better watered areas in which the epidemic was less pronounced. These prople became the Herero. Separate identities developed, but the both spoke the Herero language, Himba in the Otjiherero language means beggar. It probably reflects the marginal land in which they lived and the fact that other tribes living in more ferile areaswere more afluent. The Germans who colonized Southwest Africa (modern Nanibia) drove the Herero and Himba who supported them into the inhospitable, remote scrubland of the northwest after supressing their uprising -- the Herero War (1904). Many of the Herero perished as a result. Water holes were guarded by the Germans and Herero shot who tried to get water. They were displaced by the more compliant Nama. Some managed to survive with the Himba people in the harsh arid savana, almost desert-like conditions. Notice the arid conditions in the image here (figure 1).
The Himba (singular: OmuHimba, plural: OvaHimba) are a Bantu people. They are a semi-nomadic tribal group of pastoralists. They are best known for their red ochre body paint especially notable in the hair, intricate jewelry, among other cultural traditions. They speak Otjhimba, a dialect of Otjiherero, a Bantu language. Today they number about 50,000 people divided between he Kunene Region (Kaokoland) of northern Naminia and across Kunene River, the norder between Naminia and Angola in southern Angola. A few family groups OvaTwa, seen as part of their are still hunter-gatherers. They are ethnically related to the Herero people, but are culturally destint. The Himba are semi-nomadic in that they have base homesteads where some crops are cultivated on aeasonal basis. Many have to move annually depending on precipitation and access to water. The Himba are now the the last Namibian people that are not permanentkly settled. The Himba grow some crops, uch as maize and milletbut. Their livlihood mostly come raising livestock. They are moostly focused on cattle. Thy count their wealth in the numbers of cattle. To a lessr exttent they also have fat-tailed sheep and goats. Their livestock provide both milk and meat. This is imprtant because much of their diet is aconoction made of our milk and maize, a kind of porridge (oruhere ruomaere). At times it becomes a plain hard porridge only, if milk and meat becomes limited. Oher food sdtuffs are chicken eggs and arange of rooys, berries, wild herbs, and honey that cn be found in the wild. The Himba occasionally sell their livestock for cash as they become asisilated into the cash economy. 【KCS】 Some Himba are involved in the monied economy, but still a small numner.
The Himba herd sheep, goats, and some cattle. The smaller animals dominate because the marginal arid scrubland does not support cattle very well. They move location several times each year as the livestock quickly deplete the poor grazing land. Their houses are cone-shaped dwelings built from the brush available and covered with mud and livestock dung. The Himba have clung to their traditions into the modern era. They have attracted tourust interest. The Himba women are noted for their intricate hairstyles and traditional jewelery. The jewellery is made from iron or shell. The intricate designs are popular with western tourists. Traditional Himba homesteads are cone shaped structures made from palm leaves, mud and cattle dung. Drought and war struck Namibia (1980s). For a time the economy and very existence of the Himba people was threatened. Thy reportedly lost 90 percent of their livestock. But the Himba survived.
The Himba are technoloically primitive, never mastering weaving. Traditionally men and woman wear few clothes apart from a loin cloth or goat skinned skirt, although now one sees some Western clothing. They use red ochre and fat to protect themselves from the sun. This gives their bodies a red color. The boys here have a red tinge. More fashion concious women might be bright red.
Children have different routes to adulthood and family life. The boys are circumcised before puberty, but are only considered adults with marriage. This often means well kinto gtheir 20s as Himba men often marry girls mucgh younger than they are. Girls only become adult women not with marriage, but upon giving birth. The Hinba people are polygamous. On average Himba families have two wives. The Himba also practice early arranged marriages. Young Himba girls are married to male partners chosen by their fathers. This commonly occurs after the the onset of puberty, which means that some girls beginning at about age 10 years are married off.
This practice of marrying young girls is now illegal, but enforcing such laws is a problem because the girls involved do not commonly complain. But this changing with education and the Himba themselves have begun tom questiion the entrenched traditiional practice. Now you would think tht women in polygamous societties would have less status and influemve than in monagampous socvietis. Here part of the equation has to be vthe age of the girls/women in the marriage. But this does not seem to be the case among the Himba. A unique aspects of the Himba family lige is their matriarchal society. Women seem to be a significant role in family decision-making. And the process and inheritance is passed down through the female line.
Kamaku Consultancy Services (KCS). "Strategies that integrate environmental sustainability into national development planning process to address livelihood concerns of the OvaHimba Tribe in Namibi," A Summary (PDF). (Windhoek, Namibia: The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Republic of Namibia, 2011).
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