Lesedi Cultural Village: Paying Homage to the Past

Mandela’s proverbial Rainbow Nation has become a rally cry for the large variety of people calling South Africa their home. For some, it may be their motherland, for others a place of political asylum, and yet for others it has become a place to honor their tribal heritage. All in all, the concept of a rainbow nation holds its roots in South Africa’s tribal ancestry – something that has been both celebrated and oppressed throughout the relatively brief “modern” history of the nation of South Africa.

Lesedi Cultural Village – a South African version of the numerous Native American Villages that dot the 50 states of the Union – plays tribute to the five major tribes that once dominated the rolling hills and expansive valleys of South Africa. Today, ancestors of these tribal people can primarily be identified by their language (if one’s ear is keen enough to detect the subtle differences), although South Africans seldom seem to hold back in letting their tribal heritage be known. The five tribes of the past, who are now acknowledged groups within South Africa, are:
– Pedi
– Xhosa
– Zulu
– Basotho
– Ndebele

At Lesedi, each tribe was stationed in a miniature village, mimicking how each tribe lived many years ago. Walking from settlement to settlement, our guide explained certain characteristics of each tribe’s people, some basic greetings in the individual languages, and some history of each tribe’s people. Perhaps most distinctive of each tribe was their dress; the traditional dress of each tribe was perhaps the easiest means of differentiation. The warrior Zulu’s were clad in animal skins and furs, wielding spears and leather shields; the Xhosa, dressed in colorful bibs; the Pedi with Scottish kilts; the Basotho with a distinctive hat; and, the Ndebele with ornate jewelry and decorations.

However, there was more to set apart the five tribes than how colored paints were drawn on their loincloths or tribal bibs. The Zulu – the most famous of whom is Shaka Zulu – were renowned warriors. Their outpost within Lesedi consisted of high walls, a manned gate, and separate area for making their traditional spears and animal hide shields.

The Xhosa people warmly welcomed the group into their specially designed huts with songs and customary greetings, but stressed that women remain on the right and men on the left. It seemed an arbitrary ruling, a meaningless tribal custom, but it served a practical purpose – the women were protected from any unwanted visitors that may force themselves into the hut thanks to the design of the doorway. The Xhosa people may seem insignificant or relatively unknown to most American people, but one can safely say that many Americans known of the Xhosa’s most famous descendant – Nelson Mandela.

Perhaps one of the more interesting tribes at Lesedi was the Basotho, people of the nation of Sotho. They existed long before European settlement in South Africa, and speak the language of SeSotho. Primarily, Basotho people reside in Lesotho, the land-locked nation in the heart o South Africa, but many members of this tribe traveled into current South Africa many years ago. Like many South African residents today, the Basotho people migrated to find new opportunities and escape harsh conditions from their motherland.

Arguably the most artistically inclined tribe, the Ndebele people have been historically adept at beadwork and bead-based jewelry patterns. Colorful patterns appear in many items they produce, and similar works could be found at nearly every market our class visited thus far in the trip.

The final of the five tribal groups is the Pedi. The Pedi people were, at one time, the largest tribal group in South Africa. Their dominance over the land was impressive, but they were eventually defeated by British and Scottish forces. In a miscalculation by the Pedi chief, the Pedi warriors were told not to attack the front line of the approaching enemy army because he believed the Scottish men (dressed in kilts), were in fact women. As a means of paying homage to past misjudgments, Pedi men wear traditional Scottish kilts.

Each tribe has its own customs, dress, language and style, but ultimately, no single tribe can claim to be a more influential or important tribe than any other. The people of South Africa have come to recognize that native, black Africans are as much a part of the nation’s history and formation as the years of apartheid and segregation.

Representative from each tribe performed traditional dances for our group in a final concert, of sorts. The women sang and danced, and the men participated by both dancing and performing certain traditional rituals such as mock sword fighting. The atmosphere was lively, and the bass from the African drums was as strong as the traditional blessing herbs burning throughout the covered amphitheater. It was our introduction to, and exit from, the Africa of old. The day’s tours and show ended with a lunch much like what we have come to expect here in South Africa – stewed ostrich and lamb, fried crocodile, maize and beans, and countless other dishes.

Depending on the area you are exploring, it is easy to forget the tribal roots of South Africa; after all, many of the same luxuries we expect at home are widely available here. What is real, however, is the economic disparities that exist between racial classes in the country. As native tribes of the land, the five tribes mentioned above were classified as black – the lowest class in apartheid South Africa. Today, though, those tribal and racial distinctions are a source of pride, and our day at Lesedi provided a theatrical look at the roots of many of this nation’s peoples. Each tribe’s history may be filled with tumult, oppression or frustration, but in a free South Africa, these tribes now provide their people with meaningful recognition as the people who made South Africa the nation it has become. The question remains, however, as generations pass and the living population becomes more and more removed from apartheid, will the people of South Africa cling to their tribal roots or will they change the meaning of “Rainbow Nation”?