Hi guys. I would like to comment and if one would mare with me might find some interesting information. I am a MPhil student in Environmental Management. The Kalahari is not a desert as many people believe since the dunes are stagnent and with vegetation it is actually classified as Semi-Arid Savannah according to our national Biodiversity Institute. Water is difficult to find and a lot of the underground water supply is extremely deap and bore-holes are required. One of the key things we as Environmental Managers deal with is communities that try to re-discover their heritage or are threatened to lose their heritage.
I had the privilege of meeting David Kruiper, one of the last Bushmen alive. The term Bushmen is very mis leading. It is a general term. They are divided into San, Komani-San the Mier and one other that I cannot remember now. They do not live in the desert and move around anymore. They stay outside close to the national Kgalagdi Transfrontier park in houses or informal dwellings. Askham is the closest place that might be labeled as a twon because it has two petrol filling stations.
What is portraid in many footage is that they wear animal skin still today. This is only for the tourist. It is IMO degrading for them to stand next to a road and when tourists come they jump in the animal skin because this is what tourists believe they still wear. In fact they wear jeans and clothes like anyone else. Their culture has been lost and only 50 or so can still speak original Xuai.
The current land claims of Mr. Kruiper was approved last year within the Kgalagadi Transfrontier park and our class managed to talk to him after approvel with the help of Belinda Kruiper and a man called Dirkie (that drives an old Toyota Land Cruiser with Isuzu diesel engine). They are taking young people from the community and learning them the old traditional ways of hunting and gathering with the help of the remaining Botswana “bushmen”. This is a very strict programme and only two to four young boys are picked out of the community.
Dirkie is currently helping them to map animal migration routes by teaching them GPS and computer literacy.
I know this is something completely of track but hope you might have learned something. It is just something I am passionate about and want more people to know that this nomadic hunting life portrayed is actually on the verge of disappearing.
Here is David Kruipers website that other people try to maintain for him.
http://www.kalaharisan.com/
and Here is me and my buddy listening to another story of Mr. Kruiper.
The area is still beautiful and I would tell anyone to go there for the experience.
