Jolene Martin

I’d like to honour Dr ǂXuu Katrina Esau, affectionately known as Ouma Katrina, the inspiration behind #KhoeQueen. Ouma Katrina is the last remaining fluent speaker of N|uu, an endangered Indigenous South African language belonging to the Tuu language family. She has devoted her life to ensuring that N|uu does not disappear with her. From her home and classroom in Rosedale, outside Upington, she has taught younger generations the language, stories and cultural knowledge of her people. Her work has received international recognition through UNESCO, the United Nations agency dedicated to education, science and culture, which has documented her extraordinary work as a custodian of N|uu and San cultural heritage. In 2014, President Jacob Zuma conferred the Order of the Baobab in Silver on Katrina Esau, recognising her contribution to preserving the endangered culture and language of the San people. In 2023, the University of Cape Town awarded her an honorary Doctor of Literature, recognising her contribution to language studies and her lifelong commitment to preserving N|uu and San cultural heritage. She is also recognised as a South African Living Human Legend, honouring exceptional knowledge and skills in safeguarding our intangible cultural heritage. And she is an author. Among her published works is Uit die mond van N|aung|kusi, with Claudia Snyman and illustrations by Almé Swart. Her work also includes !Qhoi n|a Tjhoi, a children’s story published in N|uu and subsequently translated into English and Afrikaans. This is the woman who inspired Khoe Queen khoequeen.shop.simplyblu.co.… Not because she won an argument on the internet. Because she spent her life ensuring that a language, a culture, a worldview and a people’s memory would not disappear. That is heritage. And perhaps this Heritage Month, before we argue about who belongs, who is Indigenous and who has the right to speak, we should first learn from the people who have been carrying these histories for generations. Let us learn before we pronounce. Let us listen before we label. Let us preserve before we forget. Ouma Katrina, this is my salute to you. ❤️🇿🇦 Read UCT’s full account of her honorary doctorate: news.uct.ac.za/article/-2023… #HeritageMonth #KhoeQueen #IndigenousSouthAfrica #Nuu #KhoisanHeritage #SouthAfrica

Check out Captain Edmund's video! #TikTok vt.tiktok.com/ZSbrKvAoo/

Another moment from the #HeritageDayFestival at @khwattu where the teaching echoed, reverberated and landed! WHAT IF WE REMEMBERED WHO WE WERE BEFORE THE LINES? Before colonial borders cut across this continent. Before racial categories were imposed and turned into systems of power. Before difference was made into hierarchy. We were many peoples. Many languages. Many histories. Many ways of belonging. Not the same. Never the same. But never meant to be strangers. The lines came later. The labels came later. The divisions came later. And still, beneath them all, something older survived: kinship. Perhaps we do not need to become one people. Perhaps we only need to remember that we were never meant to become strangers. We are cousins. 🌍

Check out JoleneMartin's video! #TikTok vt.tiktok.com/ZSbjjVoeM/

#Coloured #Khoisan

Happy #HeritageDay #KhoiSan #KhoeQueen #ThaboMbeki #Indigenous #SouthAfrica

One more sleep to the biggest day on our cultural calendar. Join us at @KhwattuSan for the annual #HeritageDayFestival

See you tomorrow at the #HeritageDayFestival at @KhwattuSan

The annual #HeritageDayFestival is the highlight of our cultural calendar. One more sleep! Join us tomorrow at @KhwattuSan #KhoiSan #HeritageDay #Khoe #San #Indigenous #SouthAfrica