Examining the Relationship Between the Namibian Government and the Himba of Epupa Falls

Abstract

Namibia, located in southwest Africa, is comprised of twelve different indigenous peoples with different histories and cultures. One indigenous group, the Himba, occupy the Kunene Region in the North. This project examined the interaction between the Himba of Epupa Falls and the Namibian government using interviews conducted between June 26th to June 28th of 2016. One of the major topics to be addressed is conservancies and ecotourism, which is the biggest contributor to the Namibian economy. The goal of the study was to determine how the Himba view the actions of their government and what they want from it going forward. The main findings were that the Himba have very little interaction with their government and the conservancy that they live on, and are mostly concerned with their day-to-day life.