History of the San People in Africa
The San People The last few years have been rough on the San People. They have been kicked off their land and made to feel like they are less than human. Their environment, socioeconomic status, as well as their political conditions have been in upheaval. In the African desert of Kalahari lives a group of hunters and gatherers, just as they have for thousands and thousands of years. They are the San People, also known as the Bushmen. They were known to roam the desert, hunting antelope and gathering any fruit, nuts and plants they found in the desert, living in temporary wood homes. They went were the food went, following all over the desert. While the San People still live in this area of Africa, they are not as free to roam as they once were.
Around 1980, diamonds were found on the sacred land of the Bushmen, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Starting in 1997, the Government forced them off their land so they could harvest the diamonds. The Government of Botswana denies that diamonds were found on the sacred land, contending that they relocated the San people to maintain the reserve’s natural habitat. By 2006, all of them had been moved from the Reserve. The Bushmen were forced to move to resettlement camps. Unable to hunt for their food, they are forced to live off government aid. Disease is rampant in these camps, as is alcoholism and depression. Government officials contend that they have given the Bushmen all they need to survive; land, water, and food. They also have been provided with schools, health services, training and start up for businesses. The government has given them titles to their new land as well as livestock to breed and use for food. Because of their nomadic lives, the Bushmen are considered by many to be savages with no education. Officials say they are setting the Bushmen up with all the tools they need to be productive members of the African society.
Things have been terrible for the San People. They have been moved from their
Around 1980, diamonds were found on the sacred land of the Bushmen, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Starting in 1997, the Government forced them off their land so they could harvest the diamonds. The Government of Botswana denies that diamonds were found on the sacred land, contending that they relocated the San people to maintain the reserve’s natural habitat. By 2006, all of them had been moved from the Reserve. The Bushmen were forced to move to resettlement camps. Unable to hunt for their food, they are forced to live off government aid. Disease is rampant in these camps, as is alcoholism and depression. Government officials contend that they have given the Bushmen all they need to survive; land, water, and food. They also have been provided with schools, health services, training and start up for businesses. The government has given them titles to their new land as well as livestock to breed and use for food. Because of their nomadic lives, the Bushmen are considered by many to be savages with no education. Officials say they are setting the Bushmen up with all the tools they need to be productive members of the African society.
Things have been terrible for the San People. They have been moved from their
Bibliography: “African People and Culture.” The African Guide. 1996-2008. Accessed on September 5, 2008. <http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/bushmen.htm> Marshall, Leon. “Bushmen Driven From Ancestral Lands in Botswana.” National Geographic News. April 16, 2003. Axcessed on September 5, 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0416_030416_san2.html “The Bushman Need You.” Survival International.com. 2008. Accessed on September 5, 2008. < http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/bushmen>