A starry night in Shaikarawe

By Dulce Maria Gonzalez Ramirez, 1st year MDP student

It was the fourth day of field work in Shaikarawe. It was 6:20pm. The sun was setting, with a reddish and calm sky, nearly about to completely fade away when the first drummer arrived to the campsite. We were preparing a big fire with the wood we had collected during the day in expectation of the night’s events. Chairs and papyrus mats were set around the fire, while a pot was boiling for the tea we would share with our guests.  It was now 7:00pm. It was a cold but a serene and starry night. The Milky Way and the Big Dipper were totally visible. Elders, young men, and women with babies on their backs had come walking from their huts from around the village. Three dancers and two healers were getting ready, while two more drummers were warming up the leather on the top of their drums.

About 50 people were around the fire and the healing ceremony was about to start. The elders sat down with their canes between their legs in a dignified and proud manner but yet with a peaceful and gentle gaze. Most of the women and children sat on the left side of the healer. The healer knelt on his knees and a “patient” was lying down next to him, both over a big papyrus mat. The healer was whistling and singing a Khwe song about the ancestors while preparing his medicine with veld plants and roots. Many of the women were clapping and singing with the chorus. Next to the healer, on the right side, the three drummers produced a rhythm that echoed the healer’s whistle. The children were excited and amazed. I will never forget the shiny reflection of the fire on their eyes.

After a couple of songs, a blind elder came close to the fire and played a thumb piano and sang about hunting, tracking and traditions of the Khwe tribe; meanwhile, the dancers moved and contorted in a way that their bodies trembled like rattles. At this moment, there were no drums playing, only rattles, hand clapping and singing. 

It was 9:25 when the elder finished and the healer was about to conclude the healing process with dancing. He was in trance already. He stepped on the hot coals of the fire for a couple of seconds but impressively was not burnt or hurt at all. 

Suddenly and surprisingly, Chief Ponda, who was beside the crowd, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves to play a drum. 

Rhythms and counter rhythms were dense and complex. The singing and clapping are very important in a healing ceremony; they are repetitive and bring on a trance like state after few hours. The voices of women laid a vocal and rhythmic foundation while the songs and prayers from the healer began to build. These ceremonies are done for the healing of physical and spiritual pain. Each healer has a unique style and method of healing. 

The dancers and healers were not clad in their traditional regalia, usually made out of animal skin, due to a lack of resources. However, even with very simple and common clothing, each and every one of them was exhilarated. 

That night wisdom, love and respect for their spirits and ancestors was expressed, but also hope, courage and love for their traditions and future generations. We had seen other tribes wearing their beautiful costumes and truly enjoying their dances. However, that night, the Khwe people of Shaikarawe, with their hearts, shared with us one most pure joy. 

A one hour healing ceremony ended up as a three hours celebration for them and a life experience for us. It was one of the most authentic and impressive ceremonies I have ever witnessed, especially with the realization that this is one of the oldest groups of people on earth and therefore represents one of humankind’s oldest forms of spirituality. It was a great night. It was a celebration of life and hope for Shaikarawe.

To read in Spanish go to: http://dulceinbotswana.blogspot.com/2013/07/una-noche-estrellada-en-shaikarawe.html