South Africa's Gemsbok Park was created in 1931 to preserve the Bushmen culture, but under apartheid the park's primary mission changed to ecological preservation, prompting their widespread eviction. Their struggle to reclaim their homelands encompasses the sensitive issues of wildlife conservation and the rights of indigenous people.
Filmed over three years, the film follows Bushmen leader David Kruiper on his odyssey to reclaim not only his people's land, but to restore a disappearing language and culture.
A Film by Christopher Walker
"Highlights the clash between the old-style conservation ideals and a more inclusive, community-oriented approach to environmental resource management. It is fascinating to see and hear the different stakeholders tell their stories: the traditional San leader, the human rights lawyer who was able to secure six farms outside the National Park and is still negotiating for rights within the Park, the Afrikaner farmer whose grandfather had settled in the area in 1915 and who is now surprised 'that the bushmen want our land.'"-Irene Staehelin, Cultural Survival Quarterly
FESTIVALS
✮Honorable Mention, 2000 Festival of Maritime and Exploration Films
✮2001 American Anthropological Association Film Festival
✮2001 African Studies Association Conference Film Festival
