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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Indigenous identities and military frontiers: reflections on San and the military in Namibia and Angola, 1960-2000
Authors:Battistoni, Alyssa K.ISNI
Taylor, Julie J.ISNI
Year:2009
Periodical:Lusotopie
Volume:16
Issue:1
Pages:113-131
Language:English
Geographic terms:Angola
Namibia
Subjects:San
national liberation struggles
civil wars
group identity
military personnel
External link:https://doi.org/10.1163/17683084-01601008
Abstract:What was the role of San in the conflicts of Southeast Angola and Northeast Namibia during the period 1960-2000? What were the effects of this involvement on their identity-building processes? This paper, which is based on field research carried out in the period 2003-2006, and on secondary sources, emphasizes that the socio-political and economic ramifications of 'militarized' San identities extend beyond the periods of conflict themselves. It focuses on Khwe, a San group living in West Caprivi, but highlights parallels and connections between the roles and identity-building of San under the military in both Namibia and Angola. Their collaboration with the apartheid military has contributed to the construction of Khwe as a 'subversive' threat to nation-building. Simultaneously, Khwe in Namibia and immigrant !Xun in South Africa have often sought to gloss over their military past in favour of mobilizing identities as 'indigenous people' to garner support from NGOs and strengthen their claims to authority. The effects and implications of San military identities in post-conflict southeast Angola are yet to be studied; this paper offers preliminary suggestions for themes to be investigated. Bibliogr., ref, sum. in English, French and Portuguese. [Journal abstract]
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