THE HIMBA TRIBE
THE HIMBA TRIBE
The Himba tribe at the border between Namibia and Angola is one of the last traditional pastoralist tribes of Africa. Through their lifestyle and social structure they managed to survive centuries of harsh living conditions, droughts and tribal conflict. Intermarriage and tight nets of support allowed them to build a security net which enabled them to face challenges that very few other societies would be able to withstand.
Today about 50.000 Himbas are living in South-West Africa. They are famous throughout the region because of their habit to cleanse and protect their skin with otjitze, a mixture of butter and ochre pigment. They follow the very unique tribal tradition of bilateral descent, meaning that families rely both on the paternal and maternal clan. As a consequence, for example, a man will pass on his inheritance to the children of his sister instead of his own. This tightens the sense of solidarity within an existing clan making family life less dependent on the ups and downs of arranged marriages. It also strengthens the role of the mother and women in the community. And it allows to survive in a harsh environment while at the same time having a more relaxed attitude to sexual encounters.
