Himba

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The Himba are an ethnic group of about 12,000 people, living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene region (formerly Kaokoland). They are a nomadic, pastoral people, closely related to the Herero, and speak the same language. They breed cattle and goats. The responsibility of milking the cows lies with the women. Women take care of the children, and one woman will take care of another woman's children. Women tend to perform more labor-intensive work than men do, such as carrying water to the village and building homes. Women braid each others hair and cover it in their ochre mixture. Boys are generally circumcized before puberty.

Because of the harsh desert climate in the region where they live, the Himba were relatively secluded from outside influences, particularly during the colonial period, and manage to maintain much of their traditional lifestyle. They wear little clothing, but the women are famous for covering themselves with a mixture of butter fat, ochre, and herbs to protect themselves from the sun. The mixture gives their skins a reddish tinge. The mixture symbolizes earth's rich red color and the blood that symbolizes life. Modern clothes are scarce, but generally go to the men when available.

The Himba's history is wrought with disasters, including severe droughts and guerrilla warfare, especially during Namibia's quest for independence and as a result of the civil war in neighboring Angola. In 1904, they suffered from the same attempt at genocide by the German colonial power under Lothar von Trotha that decimated other groups in Namibia, notably the Herero and the Nama. A threat to the Himba way of life is the proposed Epupa Dam.

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[edit] Photographs

• Africa on the Matrix: Himba People of Namibia — Photographs and information.
• Snapshots with the Himba people — Photography by Brent Stirton.