Nama Ethnic Identity

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Identity and its manifestations
This essay will be a journey through how people identify themselves and how their identity can manifest in and influence their life. Identity plays a significant role in determining how one acts and their interactions in relevant contexts. This however also applies in reverse, where the situation a person is in lends them to identify more with certain aspects of their identity than others. I will be sharing a few identity markers that apply to myself and the associated identity categories. I will present my view on the assessment of Sharp and Boonzaier (1994:405) regarding Nama ethnic identity, “is role-play, a highly self-conscious statement of 'who we are' that is being formulated collectively through dialogue, …show more content…

In the context of the inhabitants of the Northern Richtersveld trying to assert their ownership of the land through aboriginal rights, it certainly makes sense that the inhabitants would emphasise their ethnic identity in a way that demonstrates a continuity between themselves and the ‘first owners’ of the land (1994:407). The performance at the signing ceremony is not and should not be taken as a definite statement of what the Nama ethnic identity represents. In the same way that the gay pride parade in town does not signify that the participating homosexuals are stating what it means to be homosexual by their flamboyant outfits or their hyper-sexualised behaviour. The symbols and rituals displayed during the ceremony had the specific intention of displaying the current reserve-dwellers connection to the past Nama identity belonging to the regions pre-colonial Khoikhoi inhabitants (1994:406). This is not an indication of what it means to be Nama in modern …show more content…

There are identities I will emphasise through my actions in different contexts but there are parts of my identity that remain core to me and not change, irrespective of the context. The fact that I’m a brother will not change no matter the context, and the responsibilities I associate with this identity will remain important to me no matter the context. The identity marker of me being a Quaker is closer to being an identity I emphasise or understate depending on context. If I’m having an ideological discussion, I will highlight this identity marker as it is relevant. In the course of my everyday life it plays a much less noteworthy role as it’s not something I consider being a significant part of who I am or how I act. How I identify myself is subject to change with context but there are several identities that are core to who I am that will not change no matter the

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