The Influence of Sedentism on Sharing among the Central Kalahari Hunter-Gatherers

Abstract

This paper deals with recent changes in the life and society of the Central Kalahari San, traditional hunter-gatherers living in the =Kade area of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The sedentarization program of the Botswana government has had a profound influence on the subsistence of the Central Kalahari San. Gathering, which formerly supplied the San with 80% of the caloric value in their diet, has become less important, and their hunting methods have completely changed. Instead of traditional bow-and-arrow hunting, they were using horses for hunting in 1982. Equestrian hunting (hunting on horseback)is so effective that agreat amount of meat is acpuired in one hunting trip. They have begun to sell some of this meat to visitors to get cash. Inequality in the first distribution of meat has developed. The horse owners receive approximately half of the meat, while other participants receive only a small amount. Such inequality did not exist, when they led a nomadic life. Equality remains unchanged in the sharing of meat which is stored by horse owners. Although the principle of equality remains influential, the flow of the meat is one-way, always from the minority of the horse owners to the majority of others. Such a one-way flow of distribution did not exist in their traditional society. Besides equestrian hunting, dog hunting (hunting with spear or club, with the help of dogs) became popular in 1987. Until recently, hunting with dogs was a subsidiary method. In contrast to equestrian hunting, everybody can participate in hunting with dogs on equal terms. The meat which is acquired by hunting with dogs is distributed equally among the participants, then the participants share the meat with non-participants within the same camp. The sudden spread of hunting with dogs proves that their co-existence is still governed by egalitarianism. It is concluded that although sedentism has so deeply influenced their situation that a cultural changes has occurred, their tradition of egalitarianism remains a fundamental part of the San society.