Who Are the Himba?
The Himba are a semi-nomadic pastoral people inhabiting the Kunene Region of northwestern Namibia and adjacent areas of southern Angola, numbering approximately 50,000. They speak Otjihimba, a dialect of Herero (a Bantu language). The Himba are internationally recognized for their distinctive appearance—particularly women's use of otjize, a mixture of butterfat and ochre that gives skin and hair a red color, protecting against sun and insects while serving aesthetic and cultural purposes. Despite pressure from modern Namibian society, the Himba have maintained traditional dress, social structures, and pastoral economy, making them one of Africa's most visually distinctive and culturally conservative peoples.
Pastoral Life
Himba economy centers on cattle and goats, which provide milk, meat, and hides, and serve as the primary measure of wealth. Men tend cattle while women manage homesteads, process milk, and care for children. The harsh, arid environment of Kaokoland requires mobility—homesteads may relocate as pasture and water dictate. Homesteads consist of cone-shaped dwellings of saplings and mud, surrounding the holy fire (okuruwo) and livestock enclosure. The sacred fire, tended continuously, connects the living with ancestors. Cattle are not merely economic assets but carry profound spiritual significance—major life events involve cattle exchanges, and ancestors are believed to watch over herds. Subsistence agriculture and gathering supplement pastoralism, particularly during droughts.
Culture and Aesthetics
Himba aesthetic traditions are striking and serve as markers of status, age, and identity. Women cover skin and hair with otjize, the red ochre-butterfat mixture. Elaborate hairstyles indicate life stages—young girls wear two plaits (ozondato), married women wear numerous plaited strands (erembe) covered with otjize. Men's hairstyles also indicate status. Jewelry—shells, iron, copper, and leather—adorns both sexes. Women wear little clothing apart from goatskin skirts; men wear loincloths. These traditions serve practical purposes (sun protection, insect repellent) and communicate social information. Initiation ceremonies mark transitions between life stages. The marriage system involves complex negotiations between families, with cattle as bride wealth. Himba have resisted pressure to adopt Western dress, maintaining traditions that now attract tourism.
Contemporary Himba
Modern Himba face pressures from development, climate change, and cultural change. The proposed Epupa Dam on the Kunene River threatened traditional lands, though Himba opposition (with international NGO support) helped delay the project. Climate change intensifies droughts, devastating cattle herds. Tourism brings income but raises concerns about cultural commodification and intrusive photography. Some young Himba seek education and employment in towns, potentially disrupting knowledge transmission. Yet the Himba have proven remarkably resilient, maintaining traditional practices while selectively engaging with modernity. Political organization has developed to advocate for land rights and against unwanted development. The Himba demonstrate how pastoral peoples can maintain distinctive identity in modern nation-states, though challenges continue to intensify.
References
- Bollig, M. (2006). Risk Management in a Hazardous Environment: A Comparative Study of Two Pastoral Societies
- Crandall, D. P. (2000). The Place of Stunted Ironwood Trees: A Year in the Life of the Cattle-Herding Himba
- Van Wolputte, S. (2004). Hang on to Your Self: Of Bodies, Embodiment, and Selves