Indiginous tribes of northern Namibia

Namibia's people consist of 11 major ethnic groups scattered around the country. Within each ethnic groups, there can be as many as 12 different tribes. In the town we live in, there are two very visible tribes, wich is Herero and Himba.

The Himba are semi-nomadics. Unlike many indigenous groups in Africa, the Himba have managed to maintain much of their traditional lifestyle, perhaps owing to the fact that the land they occupy is so harsh and unyielding that it has been rarely coveted by the colonialists and commercial farmers that have affected so many other regions of the continent.

Himba women have a particularly distinctive appearance. Each morning, they cover themselves with a mixture of butter fat, red ocher and local herbs that both gives their body the smooth, reddish appearance the Himba find attractive, plus offers some protection against the desert sun. Married women wear a small headpiece made of soft skin on top of their braided and ochered hair. In addition, they often wear a heavy ornament around their necks that includes a conch shell that hangs between their breasts in the front and a metal-studded leather plate that hangs down the center of their back. They also wear heavy metal rings around their ankles as well as other jewelry made of copper, ostrich shells or woven reeds.

The Herero are proud cattle farmers who measure their wealth in cattle, the importance of cattle to these people is even evident in the Herero womens' dresses. The traditional dress is derived from a Victorian woman's dress, and consists of an enormous crinoline worn over a several petticoats, a horn shaped hat (said to represent the horns of a cow) made from rolled cloth is also worn.

Like the Himba they also have a holy, ritual fire which symbolises life, fertility and prosperity. When visiting a village or a compound, it's important to walk around the holy fire, even if it's not burning (!).