Your "Top This" Story?
Out of context: Reply #24
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My mom saved the Bushmen
(enter disclaimer about lack of factual backup and accuracy and writing style)
She was an Ethnomusicologist (tribal music) and teacher. She discovered that the Bushmen of Southern Africa, who it was LEGAL TO SHOOT LIKE A JACKAL until only a few decades ago, had no land and were basically living in a small settlement on the side of the road that some farmer had let them stay on. It was nothing but sand and one small bush. They were either moving to the city and never seen again or dying early of general shitty health.
They are hunter-gatherers, like American Indians, so never fought for any king of territory, which is why this all came about. Eventually all the land was taken so instead of buck, there were goats and sheep. But if they killed your sheep or even got onto your land, you could shoot them. They were not classed as humans!
So she campaigned to get them some land. Got in touch with lawyers and other people. Got in touch with the government, got in touch with the media, went through all the channels and began a 13-year campaign.
I've had them staying in my house (you have NO idea how much a small tribe of people can smell), I've lived with them, learned from them and taught them.
In the end, the campaign was succcessful and the govt. granded them a few hundred thousand hectares of land to llive on as hunter-gatherers. They had to give some to others who basically has bushman blood but couldn't even speak the language.. but they are now able to live as bushmen now.
Needless to say they don't run around in leather loin cloths all day and buy food from shops a lot etc.. but they are keeping the culture alive and well and that's what matters. The language, the stories and songs. They are the only truly indigenous people of southern africa left. The black people you see in the south- Xhosas, Zulus etc- have all come down from central Africa over the last few centuries.
As for me.. I've blazed with them, entered a trance dance with them, hunted with them, played with them as a kid and lived among them countless times.
I found a reference:
http://www.khoisanpeoples.org/ne…Toward the end of the page, the last bit..
World is shrinking for Kalahari nomadsShe's in the second pic. And this was written before the end of the campaign.
Top that.