The Himba: Background Information


The Himba are sometimes referred to as the "Red People" because of the application of otijize by the women of the tribe. It is applied to the skin and hair, and is also used to stabilize hair in order to create spectacular shapes on top of the head with a member's hair. The women use a mix of butter, fat, and ochre to create the paste that is applied to their hair and skin. To the Himba, this is the ideal form of beauty.

This European woman traveled to Africa to live with the Himba. Upon her arrival, they dressed her as a Himba and even applied the otijize. Watch what happens when she emerges sporting her new look...the Himba think it's hilarious!

A Himba woman with an intricate hair style

Some facts about the Himba:

• The Himba never wash...even after childbirth
• When they do wash their hands, it is with a special dust, never water
• They are descendents of the Herero, a herder tribe who fled to northwest Africa after persecution by the Nama tribe
• Water is seen as a precious resource and is used exclusively for drinking, cooking and water for animals (cattle are seen as a symbol of wealth)

Ready to visit?

The Himba are generally very receptive and hospitable to foreigners. But, don't arrive empty handed! As retribution for staying with them, you'll be expected to present food or even a monetary donation. The Himba have had many pictures and videos taken of them, but it is customary to always ask permission before recording them. Also, you should always ask permission before entering a homestead. Another valuable piece of information is to never ever walk between the sacred fire and the headman's hut as this is seen as a very disrespectful gesture.

 

This visitor must have made a large monetary donation

References

Barnett, Errol                                                                                                                                                     2012 The Himba: Namibia’s Iconic Red Women. Electronic Document, http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/world/africa/himba-namibia-inside-africa/index.html, November 20.

 

Yalon, Dror  

The Himba: The Most Beautiful People in Africa. Electronic Document, http://www.pbase.com/dror_yalon/the_himba__the_most_beautiful_people_in_africa, November 25.

 

New African Frontiers                                                                                                                                               The Himba: New African Frontiers. Electronic Document,       http://www.newafricanfrontiers.com/countries/namibia/people-of-namibia-himba-tribe.htm, November 26.

 

Power of Peace                                                                                                                                          Namibia- The People. Electronic Document, http://www.powerofpeace.com/regions/namibia/people, November 26.

Population of the Himba

Although there is not a lot of information about the Himba in terms of population, researchers estimate that the tribe is home to between 20,000 and 50,000 members. The information provided below is an average of all of Namibia, which is home to the Himba. The figures do not soley reflect the Himba peoples, but all of the tribes of Namibia, respectively.

Percentage of Population by Age

• 0-14: 36.7%
• 15-64: 59.5%
• 65+: 3.8%

Birth Rate: 23.19/1,000  (2008)
Death Rate: 14.07/1,000  (2008)
Fertility Rate: 2.81 children/woman  (2008)

Gender Roles & Responsibilites

       Woman wake early and apply their reddish pastes to their and their child's skin as apart of their daily routines. Their jobs may include milking cattle while the men are in charge of taking the cattle for grazing. Women typically follow the gender role of house wives and are responsible for cooking, gardening, and watching after the children. They are usually restricted to stay and watch the huts. They also look after two small fires at each hut in the tribe, one for warmth which is located inside the hut and one for cooking purposes which is located outside. Men are typically the warriors and are in charge in of bringing home food. Men also hold the authority in the tribes over women. It is not uncommon for men to have more than one wife.

Below is a short clip showing Himba women and their huts in which they live in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVKQvkQO_Eg&feature=related

Who Are The Himba?

The Himba Tribe is a Nomadic Group of people. The Tribe is generally focused in an area of Southwest Africa named Namibia (15,000-20,000). Namibia is only about half of the size of the U.S state Alaska! Its surface area is only measured at about 824,290 square km.More specifically, most of the tribe roams an area of Northern Namibia also referred to as Kaokoland However, there are some who ave ventured as far as Angola (approx. 10,000).

 Due to the population not being focused in one small area, the tribe numbers can grow quite large! They are only semi nomdac however, which explains the concentration to one general portion of Africa. They are also pastoral people.
Namimbia is one of the dryest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country has no rivers or other permanent bodies of water. Due to the severe lack of rainfall to this area, only about 5% of the land is actually arable. This takes away the opportunity of the Himba population becoming stationary.
They generally live in small hut type housing establishments that resemble the following:

From Angola:

Thd Himba has also made use of active tourism to their native land by establishing tourist sites in Kamanjab.

 

The Himba have built villages here to maintain the yearn for tourist to visit. By setting up tourist attractions, the Himba get to preserve their personal life somewhat but also make money from the tourist villages.          

Bollig, Michael, and Heike Heinemann. 2002. "Nomadic Savages, Ochre People and Heroic         Herders: Visual Presentations of the Himba of Namibia's Kaokoland." Visual Anthropology 15, no. 3/4: 267-312. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 27, 2012).

World Bank. (2009). Namibia: Country brief. Washington, DC: World Bank.

http://unimaps.com/flags-africa/namibia-flag.gif

http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/%7B188EC74C-8C5D-44FC-A787-4C60A73D12E0%7D_Namibia.gif

http://b68389.medialib.glogster.com/media/582e9c8dbe4ea420a189cafed917d58e38f1a14b0f5e36b846caff967978c8db/namibie-himba-0712a.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM1BZKd26b6Fx43A2CoqqpvobOGmIuB_54T1CaX_b-5Y5Or59Lz9ULC00Aq40BQ55LGF3Q_s9D2oPHTksJtIdiaSBiHxaPJ0euj2oBtNZX4IeTQ2VX_bSaY_gZEla0O5Ajogwm2zHR0Q/s200/Himba+Hut.jpg

http://www.namibiatravelplan.co.uk/himba-village-tour.htm 

Sacred Fire - Religion

In order to represent their ancestors, the Himba have what is known as their sacred fire. This fire is constantly burning 24 hours a day. This sacred fire is highly respected by everyone in the tribe even though it may only be a single log burning at a time. All of the tribes huts must be facing away from the fire which is located in the center of the tribe, aside from the tribes headsman whom has his hut facing the fire. Strangers are forbidden to walk between the sacred fire and the headsman hut according to the Himba beliefs. The headsman is in charge of religous ceremonies at the sacred fire that are known to reconnect the tribe to spirits of their ancestors.

The Himba's Tribe Red Color

The Members of the Himba tribe often display a red hue about their skin and hair. They manage to do so by rubbing red ochre and fat on their bodies with intensions to protect themselves them from the sun!

http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/population/himba.htm
 
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/u/H6yMi6fUB_1JR964xxG8RxsYArlNNn1lR5PWutchIb4DQD0tSBNFme8mBN8lhBnG1ENoMi0wuAXuhg/