Les Himbas, un peuple de Namibie
Les Himbas appartiennent à la grande famille du peuple Bantou, ensemble ethnique composé de locuteurs de l’une des quatre cents langues Bantou de l’Afrique. Uniquement présents en Afrique australe, les Himbas sont principalement établis au nord de la Namibie, dans le désert côtier du Kaokoveld, prolongement du désert du Namib. Une petite partie vit également sur la rive angolaise du fleuve Kunene, frontière naturelle, mais invisible aux yeux des Himbas, entre l’Angola et la Namibie. Leur population regroupe environ 13 000 individus, répartit sur 30 000 km2 de territoire. Découvrez également nos autres articles sur la culture en Namibie !
Un peu d’histoire
Selon la légende véhiculée par le peuple Himba, leurs aïeuls seraient venus du Botswana, et se seraient installés en Namibie après une longue migration effectuée entre le 15ème et le 16ème siècle. Plus anciennement, leurs ancêtres seraient originaires des rives du Nil Egyptien, et cousins du peuple Masaï.
© lino beltrame
La colonisation de l’Afrique et l’histoire moderne ont contribué à définir la zone géographique de leur habitat actuel. En les chassant avec violence de leur territoire, les colons allemands ont poussé la plupart des Himbas à se réfugier en Angola. Pendant plusieurs décennies ils furent forcés de délaisser leur mode de vie traditionnel nomade pour travailler aux côtés des colons portugais. Puis, à partir de 1920, l’Afrique du Sud leur affecte une réserve où ils sont contraints de s’installer à l’emplacement actuel de la Namibie, alors sous influence sud-africaine. Sans autorisation de pratiquer le commerce ni de faire brouter du bétail, les Himbas sont réduits à mendier, et mis en marge de la société. Ce n’est qu’après la décolonisation que le Himba retrouve sa liberté et se fixe définitivement dans la zone actuelle où ils vivent.
Mode de vie et culture Himba
© frag
A l’origine peuple nomade de chasseurs-cueilleurs, les Himbas sont aujourd’hui presque tous sédentarisés dans des villages. Ils tentent cependant de conserver un mode de vie ancestral, notamment par leurs tenues vestimentaires : hommes et femmes restent torse nu et portent de simples pagnes de cuir noués autour de la taille.
Leurs coiffures évoluent au fur et à mesure de l’avancement de leur vie. Les fillettes portent deux tresses pointant vers l’avant lorsqu’elles sont enfants, puis dirigées vers l’arrière lorsqu’elles sont en âge de se marier.
© mophoto
Une fois devenues épouses, elles se coiffent de longues nattes enduites d’argile. Les jeunes garçons affichent un crâne rasé jusqu’à la circoncision. Après cette cérémonie, ils doivent se coiffer d’une imposante tresse en forme de corne. Filles comme garçons se voient retirer quatre incisives inférieures afin d’améliorer leur esthétique, le peuple Himba attachant beaucoup d’importance à la beauté.
Le campement himba, formé d’un ensemble de petites cases coniques disposées autour de l’enclos du bétail, vit au rythme des déplacements nécessaires pour faire paître les bêtes à proximité des points d’eau. Un feu doit rester en permanence allumé, il est le lien indispensable entre le monde des vivants et celui des morts.
Le bétail : trésor des Himbas
© www.planetphoto.ch
Le quotidien des Himbas se tourne entièrement vers l’élevage du bétail. Le cheptel occupe une place centrale dans leur vie. Cette place se matérialise sur leur campement, puisque toutes les huttes sont disposées de manière circulaire autour de l’enclos des bêtes.
Source de lait, de viande, de cuir ou d’excréments servant à la construction de l’habitat, les vaches assurent l’essentiel de l’existence des Himbas. Chaque homme se doit d’en posséder le plus possible, et de connaître le caractère de chacune d’entre elle. Symbole de richesse, le bétail est un moyen de s’assurer d’un statut social respectable.
Le peuple des femmes rouges
© frag
Etre aussi résistante et belle qu’une vache rousse : c’est ce dont rêve les femmes Himbas. La terre rouge mélangée à du beurre dont elles s’enduisent le corps est censé y contribuer. Cette pommade traditionnelle les protègent par ailleurs de l’ardeur du soleil et des piqures d’insectes. Jamais une femme ne se lave avec de l’eau. Un rituel de beauté quotidien de fumigations à base d’écorces odorantes remplace la toilette à l’eau. Complété par l’étalement du baume pourpre, ce rituel rend leur peau souple et hydratée, et font d’elles des femmes rouges d’une extraordinaire beauté, reconnaissables au premier regard.
Le défi moderne des Himbas
Si les Himbas semblent fortement attachés à leurs traditions, ils sont aussi en contact permanent avec la modernité, et les usages se mis peu à peu à évoluer. Désormais, les Himbas complètent leurs besoins au supermarché, et des villages se sont tournés vers l’accueil des touristes. Des pères se sont mis à rêver que leurs fils deviennent médecin pour soigner les vieux du village. Ils souhaitent désormais bénéficier d’écoles, de dispensaires, mais aussi s’intégrer à la population namibienne qui les a mis à l’écart. Mais tout cela doit s’accomplir à leur rythme, sans que rien ne leur soit imposé, c’est là tout le défi de la modernité que doivent relever les Himbas.
https://www.namibie-en-liberte.com/conseils-voyage/culture/himbas
50 commentaires sur « Himbas : Peuple mythique de la Namibie »
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