Desert Of Skeletons And Odisseia Tribal: A Novia Himba

In Southwest Africa there lies a land of constantly changing deserts, a land where you would think no one can survive or live. This is the land of Namibia. Within this land live the Himba, people who live nomadically and survive solely off what the land can provide. Can you imagine a place so desolate there is no technology, calendars, or clocks? Can you imagine what it would be like without the everyday comforts we cling to such as our beds, food and water, the privacy our restrooms provide, and the clothing that covers our bodies? Take a moment and picture what it would feel like and be like to live without these items.

The films “Desert of Skeletons” and “Odisseia Tribal: A Novia Himba” explore and depict the lives of the Himba people giving us a greater understanding of their culture and daily lives (Oliveras, 2013) (Jillings, 2013). In Namibia there is no such thing as time, people are not in a rush to complete tasks of everyday living, very unlike the American people. The Himba believe they own the time, and the sun rises and falls as the God’s wish (Oliveras, 2013). The Himba people are the “ultimate” and true “pure” pastoralists (Michael Bollig, 2002). Adorning hardly anything, the Himba wear minimal amounts of clothing, covering only their genital areas, along with beautiful handmade jewelry that symbolizes tribes, marriage, and age of maturity (Jillings, 2013). This way of dressing is not something you would see in the United States. They are shown in both videos having well developed body forms, black hair, and deep chocolate brown skin (Jillings, 2013) (Oliveras, 2013).

As isolated herders the Himba are known as the “Lord’s of the last Frontier” (Michael Bollig, 2002). They were given this name by an anthropologist...

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..., raising children in a community, and religious practices (that both may believe in higher powers). Differences in food, gender roles, living arrangements, customs and beliefs and daily living are what define us culturally. Without differences in culture everyone would be the same and these differences define who we are and give meaning to continue living.

If I was to be submerged into the nomadic culture, or the Himba into our culture, culture shock would happen. The differences in daily living alone would be a struggle for everyone. Nomads style of eating, drinking, sleeping, and daily living is so different that I do not think I would be able to survive physically or mentally. There would be a shock and adjustment period with a lot of help that would have to happen in order to adapt to their ways of living, and the I am sure it would be the same for them.