Tradition und Wandel bei den Kxoe-Buschmānnern von Mutsiku

Culture change among the Kxoe, hunters and gatherers lettled on the northern edge of the Kalahari desert, is governed by the exigencies of bush existence on the one hand and on the other by the demand for modern goods and the consequent wage labor of the men away from home. Western goods were introduced upon first contact with white traders, who took slaves, and — later — animal skins in exchange. The distribution of goods acquired in this way followed the traditional ritual for the division of game after a hunt. After the slave-trade had been outlawed, the Kxoe sold skins to traders and acquired from them a great variety of goods. After the First World War, Kxoe men sought labor away from home, first on the white farms of South-West Africa, later in the gold mines of Johannesburg. In this respect the Kxoe followed the example of the culturally superior Bantu tribe which inhabits their region and to which according to tradition, they formerly served as slaves. Dissatisfaction with the contempt shown by these neighbors, together with a new self-confidence fostered by the current political situation, have inspired the Kxoe to keep up with the material acquisitions of the Bantu. The Catholic mission in the area, established in 1913, has had virtually no effect on Kxoe culture, partially because of lingual difficulties, but also because of its identification with the rival Bantu.