The Himba

Himbas are an indigenous people leading nomadic lives in Kaokoland, northwestern Namibia. Their culture and way of life is currently under threat as western values and commercialism are encroaching into their remote, inhospitable tribal lands, the last frontier, where just 30 years ago most Himbas had not seen a car. At this crossroads of choice brought on by tourists, missionaries and various other interest groups, many Himba men especially are increasingly abandoning their cultural attire and the use of ochre on their skin, while the elderly and the women continue to adhere to them. The erembe, the headdress of this young Himba girl, shows she is married.