ABOUT |
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Vet Piet Kleinman was a member of the Khomani San, hunter-gathers living in the Kalahari Desert. An expert tracker and conservationist, Mr. Kleinman lived and worked in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. He was a well known member of his community and was one of the first three trackers awarded with the Master Tracker Certificate in South Africa. Mr. Kleinman was tragically killed in a car accident in March, 2004.
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| INTERVIEW |
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The important thing about tracking is having the skill of surviving. When you walk in the field, you will be tired and sweating a lot. You should always have a little food on with you, and this will keep your water level in balance.
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"We suffer during the times of dryness."
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If you have to go a far distance, you can stop and get under a nice tree for shade. There you will find that the sand is wet. You can make a hole, get into it and cover your body with the wet sand. Then you can stay there until sunset. In the evening you can continue walking. Most times we walk during the evening.
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When it is warm the animals are not able to run that much. So it is easy to hunt with the dogs or with your bow and arrow.
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When it is dry and there is no rain, the wild animals migrate to another part of the park and then there is no food to eat. It is a struggle during these times. We have to go very, very far into the veld (field) to collect something, but there is always a way to get something little. We suffer during the times of dryness.
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"The first time I had the Hoodia plant was when I was out hunting with my grandpa."
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The first time I had the Hoodia plant was when I was out hunting with my grandpa. He advised me to eat some of the plant for hunger and thirst.
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The Hoodia plant has always been part of our tradition. If you are out in the field, even if you are not hungry or thirsty, it is good just to have the taste and the smell of it in your mouth. Hoodia is also a very good because it cleans your blood. We eat it and it is used for many other purposes. It is vital to our culture. We pay great respect to it.
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You find the plant here in the (Kgalagadi Transfrontier) park. It usually grows where it is rocky. It has a green camouflage color, so therefore you really have to look for it.
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We are not allowed to hunt now. And so our younger generation is not learning the knowledge and skills of how to hunt. Very few of them are able to read the tracks of the animals, which is what you need to know to really go out and hunt.
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"The company has stolen our knowledge."
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The company has stolen our knowledge. The company approached our yada women, the grandmothers. They weren't aware that the information would be used by the company. They did some experiments, saw that the plant really works and so now want to patent it.
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Now we have to re-buy our knowledge from them, when the knowledge is actually owned by us. We know that and we have confirmed that already.
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The company has said that that they would definitely like to give us some money. I do not know how much truth there is to their promises. CSIR (South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Affairs) says that they will ensure that money is given to our people.
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"I can't lose hope. I have hope for the next generation."
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I have great hope for the future. I can't lose hope. I have hope for the next generation. I have been involved in training the young people in tracking, to be a tourist guide and in nature conservation, which is actually my specialized field.
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There is not the support and resources necessary to take the younger generation out to train.
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"We have not developed farming and so we are still suffering."
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I am very pleased that we have part of our land back, and so are all the San people. We feel much better. We have not developed farming and so we are still suffering. But on the other hand, we are a strong community, and there are strong people who are able to pass our skills down to the younger generation.
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We are angry about the Hoodia, but we cannot stay angry. We definitely want to see some of that money come back to our San community to help us develop our own communities.
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