As part of Namibia’s 35th Independence Day celebrations on 21 March, workers were encouraged to wear traditional dress, such as this medic donning Himba attire while caring for a patient.
This proud display of culture is a form of decolonisation as colonial rule forced Western attire onto indigenous peoples while Europeans plundered our continent. The looting continues today under the gaze of Western-aligned African leaders, all while Western attire remains associated with civility and professionalism.
The Himba, a semi-nomadic pastoralist group primarily living in northern Namibia’s Kunene region and southern Angola, speak a dialect of the Herero language. German colonial forces committed the 20th century’s first g*nocide by k*lling around 100,000 Herero and Nama people starting in 1904.
Himba fashion reflects their cultural identity, social status, spiritual beliefs, rites of passage, and adaptation to the Namib Desert’s extreme temperatures and aridity. The attire includes leather garments, intricate beadwork, and elaborate hairstyles coated with red ochre paste and butter fat, symbolising beauty, fertility and a connection to the ancestors. Jewellery made from beads, shells, bones, and metal also signifies social standing and life milestones, while hairstyles indicate age, marital status and community roles.
Despite modern influences, the Himba, like their ancestors, continue to preserve their traditional attire as a vital expression of their heritage, ensuring its relevance for future generations.
Photo credit: @BassieBuzzing (X)
Sources
https://namibiatoday.com/the-unique-fashion-styles-of-namibias-himba-people/
https://x.com/MVAFundNamibia/status/1902983006127632646
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=928736642804566&id=100070047152304
https://x.com/_AfricanSoil/status/1903465629362840048
20th century’s first genocide
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38530594
https://cultureandmind.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/fieldsites/himba
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1190801006379650&id=100063492856007