The Origins Centre: Enlivening the Bushmen

ABSTRACT

The Origins Centre in South Africa provides the visitor with an enjoyable, modern, stylish and educational experience. Given its name, the visitor could be forgiven for thinking that the museum is dedicated to the origins of humankind. While some of the exhibits directly pertain to this origins theme the majority focus on Bushman traditions and/or rock art, with a smaller number being dedicated to the traditions and/or rock art of the Khoe and Bantu-speaking peoples. This paper takes the reader on an excursion through The Origins Centre considering to what extent the museum “lives up to its name,” and if it achieves its aims as detailed in its vision and mission. Whether Bushmen exhibits merit prime location within the museum and the majority of the focus is also considered and given that the museum implies that there are no longer Bushmen alive in South Africa, observations regarding how the Bushmen are represented are made with recommendations for amendments offered.

KEYWORDS:

• The Origins Centre
• Bushmen
• rock art
• museums
• representation

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Amanda Esterhuysen, Tammy Hodgskiss Reynard, Vibeke Viestad, Christa Kuljian, Prof David Lewis-Williams, and the management and staff of !Xaus Lodge, for the opportunities, support and resources to enable this article to come to fruition.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 I use the term Bushmen rather than San as it is the term of choice among the majority of South African Bushmen with whom I work. When quoting, if the original author uses “San.” I retain this.

2 The South African Griqua people are of mixed race with Khoe ancestry.

3 This paper will provide comment on the exhibits. It is beyond its scope, however, to also consider workshops and community engagement.

4 The vision and mission was provided by Origins Centre curator, Dr Tammy Hodgskiss Reynard, via personal email on the 4th November 2019.

5 It has not been possible to include all the centre’s components in this paper due to length constraints.

6 Quote from panel, One World, One People, The Origins Centre.

7 Quote from panel, San People of Today, The Origins Centre.

8 It would be interesting to know if the people being photographed gave their permission or were aware that their images would belong to another person or organisation to do with as they please.

9 The ‡Khomani San with whom I work are adamant that, where possible, their names should accompany their remarks and images if I use them.

10 Many researchers today, including myself, do not photograph/film Indigenous people without gaining permission (although it may be legally permissible) and only use such images if agreed.

11 During the colonial and apartheid eras people were classified by “race” as a measure of control. Bushmen, Khoe peoples and people of mixed race were classified as Coloured.

12 The author and the centre have worked together to rectify this.

13 The author has now supplied the centre with brochures which include information regarding the ‡Khomani Bushmen, their crafts and tourism operations.

14 Since 2020, The Origins Centre has started a process to address a number of the issues highlighted in this paper and to re-imagine itself more generally.