Etosha: Hai//om Heartland

Title: Etosha: Hai//om Heartland
Subtitle: Ancient hunter-gatherers and their environment
Author: Reinhard Friedrich
Editor: Horst Lempp
Publisher: Namibia Publishing House
Windhoek, Namibia 2014
ISBN 9789991628592 / ISBN 978-99916-2-859-2
Hardcover, 16 x 23 cm, 468 pages, numerous b/w and colour photographs

About: Etosha - Hai//om Heartland

What is so particularly appealing about this book on the Hai//om and their earlier home territory in the Etosha area is that the author is not writing as a subjective scientist, but simply as someone who is well acquainted with the country; someone who is as familiar with the way of life of these people, as only someone can be who has spoken their language since childhood. Etosha - Hai//om Heartland is thus available to a broad spectrum of readers, free of academic discourse and presumptions based on theory. Reinhard Friederich imparts to the reader insights about the Hai//om that are hardly found anywhere else today. He brings us closer to their traditional way of life and their fate by often allowing individuals to have their say, and by way of anecdotes, bringing to life their relationship to their lost homeland, especially the water sources in the Etosha Pan. The authentic rendering of the names of places restores meaning to the garbled place names given by Europeans. Thus the book is not only informative for visitors and persons interested in ethnology, but also within Namibia it can offer a better understanding of this largely overlooked population group. The descriptions of the customs are particularly authentic, since the author's sources are the last of the generation that formerly could still lead an uninhibited hunter-gatherer existence.

Content: Etosha - Hai//om Heartland

Preface
A word from the editor
Introduction
Tracing my heritage
How this book came about
Depiction of the Haillom language
Nomenclature
PART I: THE PEOPLE
Witnesses
Jan llOreseb
Eveline Aihabes
Hans Haneb
Tobias Haneb
Fransina Hanes
Axarob llOrexab
Katisun IlKhumub
Jan Tsumib
Johannes Kapner
History
Background
Early history
Who are the Haillom?
Fritz Aribeb - a remarkable personality
Eviction
The Commission of 1950
Culture
Introduction
The concept of time
Dwellings and change of locality
Fire
Hut building
Leadership
Daily tasks
Childbirth
Childhood
Youth
Marriage
Death/burial
Making of weapons
Hunting
Tanning
Salt production
Medicine
Faith and beliefs
Rainmaking
Amulets
Dance
Fables
The black-backed jackal and the lion
When a lion comes flying ...
A modern-day fable by Hans Haneb
The tale of Haiseb and the bee
The story of the ostrich
Part II: THE LAND
The Etosha Pan • History and Environment
Origin
Lost caravans?
Inflows
Flamingo breeding colonies
Early explorations
Control posts
The forts
The National Park
Relocation of animals
Scientific research
Flora
Grasses
Reptiles and amphibians
Tortoises
Lizards
Snakes
Frogs and toads
Birds
Ostiches
Kori bustards
Scretary birds
Birds of prey
Blue cranes
Ecological concerns
PART III: OUT AND ABOUT
Places of interest and tours
The Von Lindequist Gate
Fischer's Pan and Andoni
Klein-Namutoni and vicinity
Westward from Namutoni
Halali
West of Halali
Okaukuejo
The Andersson Gate
South-west of Okaukuejo
Okondeka and Adamax
On roads less travelled
The south-east
Along the northern boarder
The remote west
Peripheral tales
How Mr Böhme lost his left arm
Mutsi
The lost pocketknife
A good marksman
Lion spectacle at Fischer's Pan
Hunter and hunted
Stefanus Khomob and the lion
The last trek
Game watching - some helpful hints
Knowledge of nature
Well spotted!
Attentive listening
Appropriate behaviour
Do's and dont's
APPENDIX
Clan distribution map
List of clans
Tinley Report
Precipitation chart
Selective game counts in Etosha
Number of visitors
Names of months
Grasses
Bibliography
Photo credits
About the authors
Acknowledgements
Index