Tribal Link’s Indigenous Voices Program — Dispatch #2: The San of Botswana

This afternoon, we convened with KURU, a network of indigenous trusts representing the San people of Botswana. This was our first contact with the indigenous peoples of Botswana, a meeting coordinated through IPACC. Our initial reception was quite positive. The three representatives with whom we spoke were more than receptive to our project. The coordinating director of the KOMKU Trust, a man named Xharae Xhase, fielded some of our questions. He spoke with seamless English and was erudite. Although his education ended at secondary school, he has seemingly been forged through of a curriculum of marginalization. As he is San, he offered great insight into the present-day condition of his community. When asked what the major problems were that his community faced, his reply was concise. He sited the following as the plagues of his people: lack of education, lack of resources (land, money, property), gradual erosion of culture and lack of employment opportunities.