Himba Tribe, an ethnic group living in the Kunene region, formerly Kaokoland, in northern Namibia. Known as the Red Women by the whole world and having the title of ‘hairdresser’ because of their interesting hair, Himba came from Botswana with another tribe, the Herero, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and settled in northwest Namibia.. Himba, a nomadic community living by hunting and gathering, are related to Herero.. Even though they survived many hardships throughout history, the Himba, who knew how to survive, had to take shelter in neighboring Angola during times of drought and civil war before the South African Republic set aside the protection area for them.
However, in the 1980s, severe drought. brought the Himba lifestyle to the point of extinction. The Himba, whose population varies between 20,000 and 50,000 today, still live in natural conservation areas.
Himba Tribe, Namibia
Kunene, you need permission from the tribal chiefs of the Himba villages to see this extraordinary life and stay with them for a few nights.. The milk and fat of the goats, which are the livelihood of the Himba Tribe, are very valuable.. The women are everything of the tribe.
They milk the goats and take care of the children, they bring water to the village from the wells and cook food, they build tents with the skins of goats and cows and help each other to take care of the children.. The only job left by women to do most of the labor-intensive work is to graze cattle, which is the only job left by men. They rub the mixture they have created on their bodies.. The red color represents the fertility of the soil and human blood, that is, life.. This process, which is done regularly every morning at the start of the day, is called otjite.
The little girls of Himba, who have quite interesting hairstyles, divide their hair into two and braid it until puberty, and stretch it in front of their faces.. After puberty, they start to make braids that they mix with butter, mud, ocher and goat hair.
A leather crown is put on the head of the young girl who is transitioning to puberty, thus it is announced to the whole tribe that she has reached the age of marriage.
On the other hand, men use a single braid in their hair until they get married, while those who get married wrap their heads with a piece of cloth to never take it off again.. Because of these headdresses, which they can only take off during funeral ceremonies, they carry an arrow-like tool with them to scratch their hair from under the turban. they are included in a family order.
In other words, this tradition of Himbala couples, who are subject to the opposite family as both bride and groom, have made them fight against difficult climatic conditions for centuries.
In Himba Tribe, where he is a member of two clans, one from the paternal side, clans are ruled by the oldest male member. While boys live in their father’s clan, girls move into the boy’s clan when they get married.. However, the inheritance system is interesting, it follows the generation of the mother, not the paternal side.
So a man inherits his uncle’s goats, not his father’s.. This double family membership is only seen in a limited number of communities in West Africa, India, Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia.
Having a child after marriage is a separate ritual.. When the women of the tribe decide to become pregnant, they sit under a tree and wait for the child who wants to be born to communicate with them.. The mother, who hears the child’s song, teaches this song to her husband, and then she gets pregnant.
This song that the child sings to his mother is considered his birthday and his age is calculated according to this date.. This song also has a special importance in the future life of the child.
When the child violates a social law or commits a crime at an older age, he is called to the village square, surrounded by the community, and his own song is sung to him in unison.
According to the ancient traditions of the tribe, the way to correct anti-social behavior is not punishment, but love and reminding that individual of his/her true identity.
If you want to reach the Himba area and meet these red people, you can use Otjihimba, the language spoken by the Himba. You need to find a guide who knows. So much so that you may find yourself in the touristic and unrealistic commercial Himba villages in a way you do not want.
Thanks to the mobile schools opened by the Namibian Government, Himba children can now read and write.. On the other hand, the Himba, together with international activists, prevented the dam to be built on the Kunene River, preventing their land from being submerged.
The Himba men, on the other hand, are quite willing to wear the western clothes they find.. The Himba Tribe are loving and sensitive people who do not think about the evil of people, are helpful, do not care about money and property.