Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Royal /ui/o/oo is set to arrive in Canada in less than a week.
Royal is a Ju/'hoansi San and a Member of Parliament in Namibia.
I met him through his wife. While in Tsumkwe, Namibia, late one night at a party I met Paula, a lively woman who smiled easily. I told her about Nharo, a craft buying project that works with the San. To that point we'd been mostly dealing with people from Namibia but on the advise of Richard Lee, a University of Toronto anthropologist we'd made it to this new place.
Royal is usually reachable on his cell. This is in contrast to many of the people we deal with who can be reached only by going to where you think they might be. Often they are not there. Royal is easier, if you can't get him on his cell you can try his landline which is up and down, or send him a fax, or call his secretary or the police station in Tsumkwe. Someone will know where he is and eventually you'll get him on the line.
This time I'd reached him easily and set up a meeting at the House of Assembly. I had to go through a metal detector and leave my pocket knife at the gate. Then I waited at the secretaries office. Down a long corridor I saw a small man coming. He stopped to greet his colleagues amiably. Both sides referring to the other as "honourable", a sign of respect and the proper address for an MP. Royal saw me sitting and stuck out his hand. He quickly rhymed off his name which left me bewildered. Again and more slowly he told me that he was "Honorable Royal Jonah Kxao /ui/o/oo". The '/' being a click that sounds like a tsk. With three of them in a row it can make heads spin and I think Royal enjoyed the effect.
We ended up briefing each other on what we were up to and agreed that it would be worthwhile to work together if possible.
That was in late 2003. Now in June 2005 Royal is preparing to come to North America for the first time. It's not his first trip overseas having been to China as part of his duties as MP.
The purpose of the trip for Nharo is to validate our mission, to show that we have the support of the people that we work with and to confirm our fair trade practices. The best way to do so is to bring one of our principal consultants to tell people his own views.
From Royal's point of view, Nharo has agreed to fund his trip and organize for him the chance to speak about the issues affecting his people. In additon we have connected him with the Assembly of First Nations where we will meet on June 22nd.
Royal is an author having co-wrote a book called "San" for the Cultural Heritatge Series Library. We have arranged 50 copies of the book with the help of the other-co-authour, Megan Biesele, and the Kalahari Peoples Fund of Austin Texas. Royal will be able to sign and sell the book and keep the profits so that he might be able to contribute towards the things that he wants to bring home from Canada. A laptop computer or a digital camera are on the short list.
The trip is designed to be a win-win. Royal, through the experience and opportunity to expand his contacts into North America, Nharo by validating our mission and raising our exposure level and the people who get to interact with us will win by having an introduction to a remarkable man from a unique culture.
In the past "Bushmen" have been put on display. Brough to the public light largely through the film "The Gods Must be Crazy" Nharo has organized a screening of this film. Royal was a teenager when the film was released and witnessed the impact that it had on his community and the star of the film N!xao. Royal will give his point of view on the film, the good and bad that came of it. As well, we have a directors cut of the short documentary 'Journey to Nyae Nyae' provided by Daniel Riesenfeld. This film shows the impact on N!xao ten and twenty years after the film and up to his funeral.
Royal is a Ju/'hoansi San and a Member of Parliament in Namibia.
I met him through his wife. While in Tsumkwe, Namibia, late one night at a party I met Paula, a lively woman who smiled easily. I told her about Nharo, a craft buying project that works with the San. To that point we'd been mostly dealing with people from Namibia but on the advise of Richard Lee, a University of Toronto anthropologist we'd made it to this new place.
Royal is usually reachable on his cell. This is in contrast to many of the people we deal with who can be reached only by going to where you think they might be. Often they are not there. Royal is easier, if you can't get him on his cell you can try his landline which is up and down, or send him a fax, or call his secretary or the police station in Tsumkwe. Someone will know where he is and eventually you'll get him on the line.
This time I'd reached him easily and set up a meeting at the House of Assembly. I had to go through a metal detector and leave my pocket knife at the gate. Then I waited at the secretaries office. Down a long corridor I saw a small man coming. He stopped to greet his colleagues amiably. Both sides referring to the other as "honourable", a sign of respect and the proper address for an MP. Royal saw me sitting and stuck out his hand. He quickly rhymed off his name which left me bewildered. Again and more slowly he told me that he was "Honorable Royal Jonah Kxao /ui/o/oo". The '/' being a click that sounds like a tsk. With three of them in a row it can make heads spin and I think Royal enjoyed the effect.
We ended up briefing each other on what we were up to and agreed that it would be worthwhile to work together if possible.
That was in late 2003. Now in June 2005 Royal is preparing to come to North America for the first time. It's not his first trip overseas having been to China as part of his duties as MP.
The purpose of the trip for Nharo is to validate our mission, to show that we have the support of the people that we work with and to confirm our fair trade practices. The best way to do so is to bring one of our principal consultants to tell people his own views.
From Royal's point of view, Nharo has agreed to fund his trip and organize for him the chance to speak about the issues affecting his people. In additon we have connected him with the Assembly of First Nations where we will meet on June 22nd.
Royal is an author having co-wrote a book called "San" for the Cultural Heritatge Series Library. We have arranged 50 copies of the book with the help of the other-co-authour, Megan Biesele, and the Kalahari Peoples Fund of Austin Texas. Royal will be able to sign and sell the book and keep the profits so that he might be able to contribute towards the things that he wants to bring home from Canada. A laptop computer or a digital camera are on the short list.
The trip is designed to be a win-win. Royal, through the experience and opportunity to expand his contacts into North America, Nharo by validating our mission and raising our exposure level and the people who get to interact with us will win by having an introduction to a remarkable man from a unique culture.
In the past "Bushmen" have been put on display. Brough to the public light largely through the film "The Gods Must be Crazy" Nharo has organized a screening of this film. Royal was a teenager when the film was released and witnessed the impact that it had on his community and the star of the film N!xao. Royal will give his point of view on the film, the good and bad that came of it. As well, we have a directors cut of the short documentary 'Journey to Nyae Nyae' provided by Daniel Riesenfeld. This film shows the impact on N!xao ten and twenty years after the film and up to his funeral.
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