From "Displaced Peoples" to "Indigenous Peoples" :Experiences of The !Xun and Khwe San in South Africa

Abstract

This article examines the historical experience of the San groups known as the !Xun and the Khwe, currently living in Platfontein, South Africa, and indigenous discourse on that experience. The San of South Africa used to be believed to be almost extinct or completely integrated into the majority South African society. The !Xun and Khwe living there have only recently been displaced from their original homelands in Angola and Namibia. These groups are currently playing an important role in the indigenous rights movement in South Africa. This article raises the following question: How did these recent immigrants come to be recognised as indigenous peoples of South Africa? To answer it, this paper traces the historical experiences of the !Xun and Khwe in Angola, Namibia, and South Africa and discusses the context in which the emerging discourse on indigenous peoples in South Africa is taking place. By analysing how these groups were once marginalised and then given legitimacy in particular places at particular points in time, this article clarifies the possibilities and ambiguities inherent in the claims of and aspirations for the indigenous, particularly in the African context.