Rainer Heller in Köln wrote in August 2020: Unsere Oma kommt kommt ins Museum! - zu einer Ausstellung des Historischen Museums Berlin.
Topnaar people. From WikipediaThe Topnaar people (ǂAonin) are a clan of the Nama people in Namibia. Their settlements are all situated on the Kuiseb River in the Erongo Region of central Namibia, the largest one is Utuseb.[1][2]
History[edit]Topnaars began settling in the area of Walvis Bay and along the Kuiseb River during the start of the 19th century. They first occupied the area at the mouth of the Swakop River, today the city of Swakopmund, and moved south beyond Walvis Bay to the Kuiseb mouth between 1820 and 1830. A small faction moved upriver to Sandfontein but was attacked and driven away by warriors of the Red Nation. They receded to Rooibank (Scheppmannsdorf during Imperial Germany's colonial rule of South-West Africa).[3]
Missionary Heinrich Schmelen and Captain Amraal Lambert of the Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama) visited the Topnaar around 1824 or 1825 while searching for a hospitable place at the coast to improve logistics for the support of the missionaries in the hinterland.[4]
Culture and living conditions[edit]ǃNara melons which grow on the banks of the Kuiseb are the primary staple food of the Topnaars.[5] Apart from ǃNara products which are also sold to tourists, most Topnaar people depend on livestock farming and old-age grants.
Seth Kooitjie is the Chief of the Topnaar people. The traditional authority gains money from tourism concessions and fishing quotas in their tribal area but these monies have yet to bring about upliftment of the community which lives without access to sewerage and electricity.[6]
History[edit]Topnaars began settling in the area of Walvis Bay and along the Kuiseb River during the start of the 19th century. They first occupied the area at the mouth of the Swakop River, today the city of Swakopmund, and moved south beyond Walvis Bay to the Kuiseb mouth between 1820 and 1830. A small faction moved upriver to Sandfontein but was attacked and driven away by warriors of the Red Nation. They receded to Rooibank (Scheppmannsdorf during Imperial Germany's colonial rule of South-West Africa).[3]
Missionary Heinrich Schmelen and Captain Amraal Lambert of the Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama) visited the Topnaar around 1824 or 1825 while searching for a hospitable place at the coast to improve logistics for the support of the missionaries in the hinterland.[4]
Culture and living conditions[edit]ǃNara melons which grow on the banks of the Kuiseb are the primary staple food of the Topnaars.[5] Apart from ǃNara products which are also sold to tourists, most Topnaar people depend on livestock farming and old-age grants.
Seth Kooitjie is the Chief of the Topnaar people. The traditional authority gains money from tourism concessions and fishing quotas in their tribal area but these monies have yet to bring about upliftment of the community which lives without access to sewerage and electricity.[6]
Exclusion defines the Khoi and San existence since 1652 when colonial rule started. Democracy in 1994 has not changed much. Yes, every citizen now has the right to vote, but the Khoi/Namaqua and San language was not included among the 11 official languages nor has land restitution been implemented in so far as it affects this community. If there was one overwhelming impression I went away with, after attending below meeting, it was the sense of continued exclusion. Zara Schmelen may yet be seen as a powerful symbol in the demand for Khoi language recognition in South Africa. But a long struggle lies ahead.
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| Amraal Lamberts was Hinrich Schmelens ox wagon driver and accompanied the Schmelen's to Bethany |
A new book by Prof Nigel Penn. The 4th essay deals with the dubious activities of missionary Seidenfaden, but it reflects on the situation of missionaries who married Khoi women. The life of the Schmelen's comes under the spotlight also. It is of marginal interest that the 1st essay deals with the family descendants who today own the farm near the Berg River, where Zara Schmelen was buried.
Unter dem Titel „Familientreffen mit besonderer Bedeutung für ganz Südafrika“ ist am 21. August 2015 der Beitrag und das Inteview mit Horst Kleinschmidt im Deutschlandfunk gelaufen.
http://www.deutschlandradio.de/audio-archiv.260.de.html?drau:broadcast_id=171
- Familientreffen mit besonderer Bedeutung für ganz Südafrfika Sendezeit:21. August 2015, 09:48 UhrAutor:Clausewitz, Bettina vonProgramm:DeutschlandfunkSendung:Tag für TagLänge:05:48 MinutenMP3:Audio abspielen
Hier direkt zum Nachören als mp3:
http://ondemand-mp3.dradio.de/file/dradio/2015/08/21/dlf_20150821_0948_d063d46e.mp3
Die Journalistin Bettina von Clausewitz hat das Programme zusammen gestellt.
| Indaba 85/15 (Austria). Bericht auf Deutsch zu dem Komaggas Treffen, September 2014. |
| Newsletter 24 - The wound of racism in our family |
Christine and Horst erecting signs for family and friends to find their way to Zara's graveside
| Newsletter 23 - Honouring the diversity in our family |
The above entry appears in Die Groot Afrikaanse Familienaamboek, by C. Pama, published by Human and Rousseau in 1983. The book does not have an entry for the Schmelens. This is presumably because the book dealt with families considered to be 'white'. The book appeared during the height of apartheid.
This page is under construction. More texts and images will be uploaded during October 2014.
The South African print, radio, and television media covered the Komaggas events (18 - 23 September 2014) beyond our expectations. The significance of what we did is clearly important for the national narrative. The coverage has projected Zara, our Khoi ancestor, into national prominence. We would argue that her absence there has been a serious omission and we hope that Zara will now receive proper recognition either on National Heritage Day or National Women’s Day.
The visual, audio and written media pieces are available below.
1. Die Burger, Afrikaans daily in the Cape, provided excellent coverage in its Saturday supplement on 20 September 2014. (http://www.netwerk24.com/ontspan/2014-09-20-die-sendeling-en-sy-onsigbare-nama-vrou?redirect_from=beeld)
2. The Cape Argus followed on 24 September, South Africa’s National Heritage Day with a full page coverage of the homage we paid to Zara at her presumed graveside. (http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/reunion-honours-an-ancestor-1.1755461#.VDGdiimSzoE)
3. The Week-end Argus then followed up with a cover page piece in the News Review section. Journalist John Yeld attended the Komaggas events and brilliantly reflects the events and atmosphere. (http://www.iol.co.za/news/special-features/family-reconnects-at-200th-wedding-anniversary-1.1757762#.VDGdUCmSzoE)
4. The South African Broadcasting Corporation also gave coverage on its news and background programs. You can view three pieces on YouTube (or by going to the SABC website).
SABC title: We are all one family: Descendant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUuV_mPHz6c)
SABC title: Zara Hendricks honoured (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ7pOFB86XQ)
SABC title: Great pleasure that Zara honoured (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLjTb04lBRQ)
The SABC TV programme “Fokus” has a two million viewership. The fifteen minute film on our celebration can be viewed below.
Jackie Loos of the Cape Argus dealt with the story in her column on 2 October 2014, The New Age daily gave prominence to the story on 29 September 2014 and NFM, a radio station in Namaqualand covered the story extensively before and during the gathering.
Eventually a film on the event will be made. The German film team have all the necessary footage and remain committed to the project. They came to South Africa even without an adequate budget and will still need to secure funds to make the film a reality.
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On 18 September 2014, descendants and friends of Zara Schmelen, the Khoi woman from Little Namaqualand came to pay homage to her at her presumed graveside on a farm between Saron and Porterville, Western Cape. The photo's were kindly provided by John Yeld. Should you reproduce them, kindly credit him.
| Nama and English text displayed at Zara's grave .docx |
| Bethel, the first Schmelen Church |
| A play on the Schmelens written in 1979 as a protest against apartheid.pdf |
During the thanksgiving service in the VGK Church in Komaggas, descendants of Zara from Namibia sing hymns that Hanna Kleinschmidt, Zara's daughter translated from German into Nama. The hymns form part of the modern Nama hymn book and credit Hanna accordingly.
Komaggas - and the mine deaths of 2012
In 2012 I wrote about the injustice over the mining deaths at Bontekoe, near Komaggas. Despite the SA Human Rights Commission intervention little has changed. Read the excellent essays by free-lance journalist, Kimon de Greef, who visited the area earlier this year.
| The Bontekoe deaths of 2012 - four years later, more unfinished business |
| New article by Terry Bell, acclaimed writer and journalist on the criminalisation of desperate mine workers |
For more on Khoi and San research and history, visit below website
https://camissapeople.wordpress.com/
https://camissapeople.wordpress.com/
For more on inter-racial marriages visit: http://10and5.com/2018/01/31/love-across-racial-lines-cape-town-graduate-reimagines-familys-painful-past-in-new-work/