Damara

Damara people living in Namibia and broader southern Africa have mystified anthropologists as they are suspected to be a group of Bantu origin who speak a Khoisan dialect. Indeed being from Khoisan existence but due to their resemblance to some Bantu groups of West Africa it is speculated that the Damara were the first people to migrate to Namibia from the north. They lived in the whole of southern Africa with the San people, whose name is derived from the Damara language.

There is evidence (2000 before Christ) that the Damara have kept small herds of stock for centuries, they also grow tobacco and pumpkins, and in more recent time they have begun cultivating vegetables and corn.

Prior to 1800 the Damara occupied most of Namibia, but large numbers were displaced or killed when the Nama and Herero began to occupy this area in search of better grazing. When the first Europeans visited Namibia the Damara were a group of semi-nomadic gardeners, pastoralists and hunter-gatherers. They also had skills in mining and metal work. However in 1960 the South African government settled the Damara in Damaraland, an area of poor soil and irregular rain fall. Due to this many Damara now work in the urban areas and only about one quarter of their numbers still occupy Damaraland.

The Damara called themselves #Nukhoe meaning \’black person\’.