Welcome to Strong STRINGS
Storytelling & Tracking Rooted Into New Generation of San.
We, Bushmen (also called San), are the gardians of the oldest culture still alive worldwide. The name of my local tribe of hunter-gatherers you will discover is Ju'/hoan.
Our lore, culture, spirituality and traditions come from the dawn of time and have (painfully) resisted the last centuries of persecution by the farmer-breeders settling on our land. Today, Ju'/hoansi (plural) of Tsumkwe have recovered our hunting rights, meaning that our ancient way of life can be fully perpetuated !
And this is exactly what Strong STRINGS is all about : teaching the young Ju'/hoansi their own traditions to keep them strong. Learning the secrets of archery, tracking, hunting, and perpetuating our culture through storytelling.
Reviving culture locally inevitably sheds light on our little village and Strong STRINGS also guides visitors on tracking tours. You will learn lot about our land & wildlife, about our ways of tracking & hunting, and about the deep connexions that bind us all together.
Are you open enough to soak this cultural gem ?
The concept of strings and ropes is fundamental to our culture. Through our Dreams and Dances, we deeply feel the connections that bind us to each and every element of Nature. And we enhance these connections in our everyday life. Passing our culture to our youth and teaching it to visitors strenghten these strings connecting the web of life.
Tsumkwe is the "capital of Bushmanland". On the North-West fringe of the Kalahari semi-desert, we continue to live the lives that our ancestors did. The C44 road is the only access to this remote part of North-Eastern Namibia, thus preserving us from mainstream tourism and acculturation. To earn that delightful cultural shock, you would have to come here on purpose !
My name is Kxao and I am the founder and manager of Strong STRINGS. I am a proud Ju'/hoan from Tsumkwe and an important hunter in my village.
Let me guide you through the bush. Let me teach you the tracking skills I inherited from my Ancestors, and tell you my hunting stories. Let me introduce you to my amazing culture.
+264 81 497 7772 - @gmail.com - FaceBook
When ?
You can come ...
How ?
Dsxautzi camping site ...
Help !
When you are around, taking our Tracking tour starts a virtuous circle : as you show interest in our way of life, our young generation will most likely stay rather than move away. As our ancient traditions get to be known worldwide, it strengthens it locally.
If you are taking interest in Ju'/hoansi culture and found this page while surfing on the internet, you can also help from afar via our Tipeee page. All income will help improving our infrastructures and the community's everyday life.
Connections :
Strong STRINGS has friendly connections with the French Tracking association "Je Suis La Piste" and its founder Francis Collie. We also work in collaboration with Nyae Nyae Conservancy. And if you want to discover other aspects of our culture, we encourage you to get in touch with our friend !Gamace's cultural school Tsum'CAT.