Khomani San

In March 1999, a group of San people known as the Khomani San won a historic land claim for 65,000 hectares of land under the newly formed post-apartheid South African constitution. It was a rare glimmer of hope after a long and turbulent history of unimaginable human rights abuses for South Africa’s first people. Twenty years after the land claim, the initial exuberance is wearing thin as the hoped-for changes have yet to materialise.

In many instances, those tasked with helping the Khomani have failed them badly and the shadow of apartheid looms large over the community with few people possessing the academic or life skills needed to make the most of their new situation. Alcoholism, domestic abuse and teenage pregnancy are all too familiar problems, exacerbated by a total lack of jobs and the stigma that still remains in South Africa around being a ‘bushman’.

Now, a small group of youth are pushing hard to reclaim their identity, hoping that restored pride in their culture can help the next generation escape the vicious cycle of social issues that ruins so many lives among South Africa’s rural poor. Prior to the land claim, many in the community did not even know they had San heritage, so complete was apartheid’s dispossession of their culture. For some, finding their roots has been to find themselves, a chance to stand tall for those who always felt themselves different, but didn’t know why.

But time is running out. There are only a few elders left who still retain the traditional knowledge and only two living speakers of the N|u language. And, even if they can reclaim their culture, will it be enough to write a more positive future for the Khomani people?

This story was published by National Geographic and can be found here.