Himba Tribe-Epupa Falls, Opuwo and Purros, Namibia

 Epupa Falls, Opuwo and Purros, Namibia

Like the bar scene in Star Wars, market day in Opuwo was bizarre and other worldly, different local tribes in various stages of dress or not. The Herero woman are clothed from head to toe with up to six layers of petticoats to appear even larger than life, sort of like Mrs. Butterworth on the syrup bottle. On their heads they wear a wrap that has two large protrusions in the front to emulate cow horns, yep this is not the “You can never be too rich or to thin crowd” here. The bigger the bustle and the brighter the fabrics the better. Himba woman are the opposite wearing as little as possible amounting to little more than a leather apron in the front a couple of leather layers covering the rear, that’s it, and no shoes. They never bathe with water and use a combination of butterfat from cows and ochre powder with a tree bark for perfume twice a day. This coating which is also used on their elaborate hairstyles as well protects from the sun, rain and insects. Both tribes allow for 5 wives per man and use cows as a dowry with 5 cows as the generally accepted payment per wife. So how much is a cow you ask? Well if you bargain hard you can buy a cow for about $250 usd equivalent in Namibian dollars. All 5 wives will run you about $1000 usd.  

The diet of the Himba consists of Milk, Meat and Maize, all eaten from a large, black pot which is set over the open fire. No silverware or messy dishes to wash saving both time and water here in the desert where all of the water is hauled on their shoulders in cans from the river a good distance away. There is no refrigeration so all of the milk is kept in gourds and lasts up to two days. A Kraal is the fenced area where the huts for the wives, chief, his brothers and their wives and all of the children live. At night the animals are brought into a smaller fenced area within the Kraal. No one is to leave the Kraal unless they have a specific reason and permission to do so which explains why the day we visited there were only woman and children with one older uncle present.

Boys often leave the Kraal to attend school several hours away, sleeping at a hostile and returning home for holidays. Their education has made it possible for them to open campsites and lodges catering to tourists. The woman do not attend school and cannot read or write including being able to sign their name on Dan’s photo release form. Men and boys are allowed to wear western clothing because of their work. The woman can make crafts to sell; however, the money goes to their husband or father. The men make all of the decisions, including whether they might have flour instead of maize for a little variety in their meals. When I asked 27 year old Edison, our guide and member of the Kraal we visited why he wasn’t married yet, he said his father had not yet chosen a wife for him. He will have no decision over this and must take the woman chosen. The woman does have the right to turn down proposals, but I would imagine not for too long or too many. On the subject of equality, which I couldn’t help to bring up, he responded, “well we tried that, but it was confusing and much better and easier for the man to make the decisions”.