All posts by : admin

Etanga leliwa olo limwe lomomaludi omatanga oo haa momapya. Momapya oha mukala yoo omatanga ngaashi, omatanga omungongo, omanuwa, omaliwa, no paemhito dimwe ohamu kala yoo omanyangwa.

Eliwa ohali kala lakula konyala lidule omatanga aeshe atongwa petetekelo, nohali telekwa pamaludi ayooloka. Etanga leliwa ohali dulu oku telekwa pamukalo woshimbobo, oikakole, ile li ningifwe omavanda.

Eteleko loshimbombo shetanga leliwa

Omatanga ngeenge akolo nawa, ohaa kufwako konanga oyo hayi ifanwa ina, ndele taa twalwa meumbo aka pungulwe. Opo ku telekwe oshimbobo shetanga, etanga ohali kukulwa tete, ndele tali shashaulwa mounhimbu vanini, opo li wane mombiya, loo lipye yoo diva.

Oipambu yetanga konima lakokolwa, oha ipumwa okwee ndifwa momeva, noku tulwa mombiya.  Mombiya inamu pumbwa oku tulwa omeva mahapu, osheshi etanga olina nale omeva, loo ngeenge ola hadwa unene omeva iha li pwiinine diva, noha li pu omulyo. Etanga iha li pula unene efimbo lile okupya, oha likwata lunga ominute omilongo mbali ile nhatu, she li kolelela kouhapu womundilo.

Konima eshi etanga lapya, oha li pilulwa noluko ngaashi omunhu ta teleke oifima, ndele fiyo tali tyanghauka nawa nawa. Oshima la tyanghauka nawa nawa, mombiya oha mutulwa oufila womahangu, ndele tau pilulilwa mo nawa. Etulemo loufila ohali ningwa pamaludi ayooloka, ovanhu vamwe ove hole oufila ta udikilwa mombiya woo tau ningi eenhiti. Eenhiti oha dikala ashike dafa omhingome, doo odi holike nee unene kounona nokovakulunhu ngaho vamwe. Omukalo umwe woku tula oufila mombiya, oufila ohau tulwa momeva matalala ayeleka nawa, tau pilulwa nawa mumwe nomeva, ndele taa tulwa mombiya. Omunhu ngee ta longifa omukalo ou okwa pumbwa oku kala ta pilula efimbo nefimbo opo ombiya iha ninge eenhiti. Oufila iha utulwamo uhapu unene osheshi ina li pumbwa oku pama ngaashi oshifima, olina okukala layula ngaashi oka tete. Eenhi oha di dulu okufiwamo osheshi ovanhu vamwe ovehole okudilila metango, doo vali odina oukolelele. Ashike ota di dulu oku kufwamo ngee omuteleki kedihole.  

Etanga oha li wapala unene ngeenge la telekwa noufila womahangu utalala, kakele noufila ukukutu ohau dulu oku longifwa. Omatanga okwa yooloka pamulyo, ope na aa manyenye, naamwe ehena naana omulyo. Etanga ngeenge kalina mulyo, oha li dulu okutulwa oshuuka, ashike ina ipumbwa oku hadwa mo.

Omukalo wokuteleka etanga owa xupifa omaumbo pokwenye, osheshi omunhu iha kala vali noku lipyakidila noivelelwa, oha tula po ashike oshimbobo shetanga ndele ovaneumbo tavali. Luhapu oshimbobo shetanga ohashi liwa ashike omusha ndele ha uvalelo.

Some of the plants that are used to make Sâi are #Gaesâ, /Ûtsib and !ôasâ. Women collect small branches from the field when they are completely dry. One can then remove the inside part of the #Gaesâ branch as that part is the one that is used to make Sâi. #Gaesâ plant can be easily identified as its branches usually grow flat on the ground and it produces yellow flowers.

Sâi is a perfumed powder made from plants used mainly by women. The powder can be prepared differently from a variety of different plants. Plants can also be mixed together to give to a good smell that is used by women in different ways.

Once the plants are collected from the field, and they are all completely dry, they can be mixed together, crushed and grinded on a flat stone. After grinding, one can sieve to remove the coarse particles from the powder. The powder is then stored in a tortoise shell, sealed on one end with the animal glands. The shell is then covered with a piece of a soft goat skin or fur.

Sâi is valuable and is one of the main traditions inherited from the ancestors. It is having a very good smell and it does not lose its quality even when kept for long. Its smell reveals the person’s identity once applied on the underwear, shawl and in the bed sheet.  Some women use to make enough Sâi for income or to share with friends, this is however no longer happening as the plants are also now scarce. This powder was the only fragrance used by women in the olden days.  Due to the fact that there are more other products easily available nowadays, only few elders are still using Sâi. 

Sâi is mainly done by women but some men especially our Chief Hanse is interested in preserving this knowledge and practice.  The elders and their offspring still have an interest to use this powder however the young generation has no interest in using Sâi. There are also implications in making Sâi nowadays as some there are Government regulations that is protecting the plants and one might get into trouble if found picking the plants without the permit.

Ms. Trooi Hanse indicated that, this cultural heritage can be preserved by showing and teaching young girls about these plants and their uses. One can also give them the tortoise shells as inheritance. These shells once used keeps the fragrance even when they are empty. The good smell in the shell will probably act as an encouragement for the people to continue with the practice.

This knowledge has been passed on through observation and practice. Ms. Trooi Hanse narrated that, she was taught to prepare Sâi during her transition to adulthood ritual. When she got her first periods, the elders would keep her in a dark room and wake her up early in the morning with the instruction that “the stone must make a sound”, meaning she should start crushing and grind to make the powder. That was part of the ritual requirement meant to instil discipline on a girl child.

To preserve this knowledge, girls should be encouraged to use this powder. Children need to see and hear about their cultural heritage as this knowledge is valuable in the Nama culture. We have lost many things including land, things which belonged to us are no longer accessible and that is a huge loss to us, Says Ms. Hanse.       

Narrated by Anna Afrikaner

!Nau-i is a body make up or powder, mainly applied on the face and legs. !Nau-i is made from soft stones mainly found at some rocky or mountainous areas.

Ms. Afrikaner narrated that she use to see her grandmother applying it on her skin and she is also using it now.

To prepare this make up, one need to know the types of stones that are used to make !Nau-i. You then need to go to the rocky area, collect the stones and ground them.  Once! Nau-i is grounded, it can be mixed with milk until it becomes creamy. It can then be applied in the face or legs for decoration. !Nau-i can also be used to cover sunburn or dark spots, and it can also be mixed with animal fat to apply on the children’s skin during winter.  !Nau-i is either mixed with water, fresh milk of fat, but it works better when mixed with fat. The fat function as a face protector against sun rays.

!Nau-i is not only used for beatifying but is also applied on the blisters. It blends in well with the skin colour when applied on the burnt spots. It is also used by girls as decorations during beauty contestants. !Nau-I can also be mixed with a little bit of mud to have a mixed colour. It can be red or yellow depending on the stone used. It is mostly used by women and not men. Culturally, all ladies make use of this make up but some ladies are allergic to it. !Nau-i can also be grounded for packaging and it can be stored in a sealed plastic, it maintains its quality for a long time.

The skills of making this powder is learnt through observation and experimenting when the elder women are making it. The elders would like this practice to be continued and the skills need to be preserved for the future generations. Ms. Afrikaner emphasized the importance of using! Nau-I and further indicated this practice can be further developed, for the community members to be able to produce !Nau-i in quantity and produce it for profit making. 

Children should be taken to the fields to learn how to identify the stones used to make !Nau-I and if one visit another area or develop an interest to make !Nau-i, it is important to firstly approach the knowledgeable community members for assistance.    

Narrated by Chief David Hanse:!Khara-Khoen Clan

&

Ms. Martha Plaatjies

Lighting the morning fire is the most important activity for the Nama people and it is the first thing done in the morning before anything else. The fire place is mostly constructed and beautified with cow dung.

The importance of fire is that, it is a sign of life at home and it is used to prepare food for the day. Fire is also a symbol of love. In the past, lighting the fire in the morning was a man’s responsibility and the woman would then make tea and cook.

The men were also the bearer of the fire lighter. The lighter that was used in the past comprises of a round brass metal tube, metal steel ring and a round stone. When the metal ring is stricken against the stone, it set off sparks which then fall into the tube containing a highly flammable substance. Then one can blow the spark in the container to produce fire.

When a man is done lighting the fire, women can then start with their tasks of preparing meals. They however start by first spreading dry faeces of an Aadwolf (Earth Wolf) before placing the pot on the fire. The reason for doing that, is to keep the fire alive and to have good luck in the household.

After doing that, women can then boil water to make tea or coffee.  The fire for the Nama people is mostly lit on top of a metal sheet. While waiting for the water to boil, they prepare a traditional bread under the metal sheet. The dig a small hole underneath, put burning charcoals in the hole and spread them evenly in the hole to for the bread to bake on all sides. One can then spread a bit of flour on the charcoal to prevent the bread from collecting ashes from the wood. That hole is also used to roast meat especially for the shepherd when they are from the field. This traditional bread is very delicious and is mainly eaten when people are looking after sheep. To make it tastier, the spread fat processed from cow milk.

  Oshikundu is a traditional beverage made with Mahangu flour mixed with Sorghum flour.

It is usually prepared overnight to be served the next day. This drink is believed to be a source of energy for families and for men, especially when working in the field or when going away to look after the animals.

Ombike also known as “Wambo liquour” is a home-brew extracted from different indigenous fruits such as palm fruits, eenyandi, and dried bird plums through distillation.

Mostly made with a mixture of maize meal and mahangu flour or just with pure mahangu flour, the porridge can be served with different sauces. It is an everyday meal for the community in the northern part of Namibia and a source of energy.

This oil is extracted from the seeds known as Eenhanga domukokotwa. The oil can be used for cooking or as a lotion. The seeds are also edible when roasted and they have been used as mints in olden days.