Ju/’Hoansi

1. Ju/’Hoansi Hunting and Gathering in a Modern World

2. SO…Where are the Ju/’Hoansi? • Populations in South Africa • Specifically: Botswana and Namibia • The overall environment of South Africa is extremely diverse with many different ecosystems • Ranges from tropical forests to vast stretches of desert. • The Ju/’Hoansi occupy primarily the scrubland that makes up the interior of South Africa • Remember: When we’re talking about South Africa, we’re talking about the geographical area, not necessarily the country. • Very diverse flora and fauna as well

3. History Since Contact • The Ju/’Hoansi are just part of a broader group of people known collectively as the San • Originally (just before contact) the San numbered around 300k • They are generally considered to be some of the oldest people (genetically) on the planet • Many people can most likely trace their genetic lineage back to early groups in the same area

4. History Since Contact • Original contact occurred with the Dutch • Status Quo for European Contact: Population decimated • Not only due to disease • Conflict and warfare between indigenous groups that was initiated by colonial intervention

5. Food! • Traditionally, all of the Ju/’Hoansi’s food is gathered from the surrounding area. • Various nuts, berries and tubers make up much of the Ju/’Hoansi diet • Mental maps of the local resources are used both to gather in the immediate vicinity as well as to plan where to go next • The resources in a particular spot will be used up fairly quickly • Have to have time to re-grow before being harvested again • The group will move when all of the local resources have been exploited

6. Food! • Just how do you transport all this stuff back home? • Large piece of cloth (kaross) is used for many different purposes • Of course, transporting food and other items • Carrying children • Blanket as well (can get cold at night where the Ju/’Hoansi live) • The only other thing needed for gathering is a digging stick • Just a strong length of wood • Used to dig up roots, etc • Multi-purpose as well • Used for load bearing and walking as well

7. Hunting!! • Meat not a huge part of the Ju/’Hoansi diet • But quite valuable both for the protein it provides and the social bonds it reinforces • Very complex and precise system of distributing the meat to everyone in the group • Goes to the egalitarianism we will talk about later

8. Hunting! • A relatively wide variety of hunting tools are used by the Ju/’Hoansi: • Knives • Bow and Arrow • Poison used on the tips • Spears • Rope for larger game and snares • Hooked implements for hunting smaller burrowing animals

9. Hunting! • However, despite these tools the most important part of hunting for the Ju/’Hoansi is a well developed set of tracking skills • Very important for saving energy and for finding the right type of game • When an animal is hit by a poison arrow it may run for several miles before falling • Have to be able to find your kill in the scrub brush

10. Egalitarianism and Organization • Modesty and humility are the key phrases to remember whenever we’re talking about the interpersonal relationships among the Ju/’Hoansi • No person is allowed to think of themselves as better than the rest of the group • Even if they may be especially adept at a particular skill, such as hunting

11. Egalitarianism and Organization • In regards to hunting and the distribution of meat the maintenance of egalitarianism is accomplished by insulting the quality, size, etc. of the animal • Even if it may be a large and impressive kill this prevents the hunter from becoming too proud of himself and thinking he is deserving of higher status or treatment • This derogatory tone persists throughout the entire meal and even afterwards • VERY important social leveling mechanism

12. Organization • Bands of Ju/’Hoansi consist of 10-30 individuals • All related to a small group of elders that make up the nucleus of the camp • These elders make many of the decisions about who can have access to certain resources on ‘their’ land and when • Almost never refuse access

13. Organization • Access to territory (owned by different families) can be accomplished in only two ways: • Marriage between two families • Birth • Which gives you access to your parents land

14. Organization • Marriage • Arranged by the parents at a very young age • Begin a long term system of exchange between the two families • Strict regulations about who can marry who • No incest • At a young age boys may go to live with their arranged brides family for many years • Long evaluation period • Divorce also acceptable and is in fact common

15. Camps • Grass Huts • Circular arrangement • Modest and quick construction because of the focus on mobility • Special structures are also built to store meat so scavengers can’t get at it and to prevent children from touching hunting weapons (which have poison on them) • Sometimes a fire pit will be the only recognizable sign of a camp • Used only during longer movements as a place to rest for the night

16. Organization • Ju/’Hoansi bands have often been called Units of Sharing • Because all resources are shared equally and without this sharing the camp would fall apart due to lack of resources for some members

17. Organization • Very talkative group of people • Spans a great many topics and will go on and on for hours • Of course, can lead to arguments • May lead to fights or leaving to visit other family and cool off • Songs and story telling and important social bonding behaviors • Especially important for the elders of the group

18. Organization • Conflicts within the camp • Three separate levels of conflict among the Ju/’Hoansi: • Arguing • May be the point at which a disagreement begins to escalate during a regular conversation • Typically will end here • Fighting • Can occur if either party is offended enough • Can be male or female participants • Short lived before the rest of the band stops it • Deadly Combat • Typically occurs only with older men who have access to hunting weapons • Very rare occurrence but it does happen

19. Organization • There are two primary types of relationships among the Ju/’Hoansi: • Joking Relationship • Relaxed and familiar • Typically expressed towards: • Peers • Grandparents • Avoidance Relationship • Respectful and refined • Typically expressed towards: • Parents • In-laws

20. Exchange • Hxaro Exchange • This is how the Ju/’Hoansi perform constant maintenance on their relationships • The most important tool for maintaining stability • Helps to circulate possessions around the camp • Important for an egalitarian society • No one has something of value for too long

21. Exchange • Important distinction between other types of exchange: • The exchange of items is not immediate • Anything except for people and food can be exchanged • Every Ju/’Hoansi person can participate • Also important to note that our ideas of value do not apply • Any item, regardless of its perceived value in comparison to the other object given, can be used to return the exchange • The important part is that a return exchange is occurring • Forms social ties to other groups and between families

22. Supernatural • No common story about how the world began • Just a general story about a time when all of the animals and people were the same and lived together in a single village • Sometimes a higher god will be represented by an elephant • A lesser god is sometimes spoken of and is typically regarded as a trickster • Common theme in many religions

23. Supernatural • Natural illness and adversity is explained by the actions of ancestral ghosts • Called Gangwasi • Are the ghosts of the dead relatives • The desire of these dead relatives to return to the world of the living compels them to cause misfortune • In order to please the ghosts individuals must act a certain way • Be peaceful, eat a certain way, and basically obey all the social norms we’ve been discussing • Yet another excellent social leveling mechanism

24. Supernatural • Healing powers are also possessed by many individuals within Ju/’Hoansi society • Apprenticeship system in which the ‘nugget’ learns from the master in a trance-like state • Very painful ordeal • One of the most important ritual events is the !Kia dance • Takes place all night • Used to both heal and unify the camp • Stress relief valve as well

25. Modern Problems • As with many smaller hunter gatherer societies, particularly in Africa, the group faces pressures from both the government as well as from a changing environment • Intervention (perceived as help) of the various governments involved only served to undermine the Ju/’Hoansi way of life further • Became dependent upon outside aid rather than their traditional subsistence patterns

26. Modern Problems • Of course these aid programs were eventually shut down • Left the Ju/’Hoansi with no way to cope to their new more modern environment • Children were forced into government schools that forbade them from speaking their own language • Hallmark of one society trying to erase another

27. Modern Problems • Moved into crowded locations with no way to maintain their traditional ways • Resulted in idleness • And this in turn resulted in a rise in alcoholism and other addictions unknown to the San in general just decades ago • The unsanitary and crowded conditions, and proximity to outsiders, resulted in an outbreak of HIV/AIDS • Many believe it is only a matter of time before this becomes a more widespread problem for the San population

28. Modern Problems • However, we can end on a more upbeat note! • How unusual! • The San still rely on a very egalitarian system of making decisions • Takes a long time to come to a consensus but it is still done • Sharing of food and the exchange of possessions between families and individuals is still very prevalent amongst the San and the Ju/’Hoansi specifically.