nisa: the life and words of a !kung woman majorie shostak

Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman

Majorie Shostak

Chapter 9: Kinship & Descent[p 262-285]

•Ethnography: descriptive research study designed to explore in cultural phenomena or the recording of human cultures

•Overview/Key Facts:

•Setting (time & place): village of !Kung bushmen or “Zhun/twasi” as they call themselves; northern edge of Kalahari Desert, Bostwana

•Begins in 1969, lasts for two years. Resumes during Shostak 2nd visit in 1975.

•Recorded interviews/meetings with Nisa [a !Kung woman] about her life experiences

•Book is divided into 15 chapters, each opens with a present tense introduction by Shostak and then goes into a past tense story telling by Nisa

Map of Bostwana- Northern Kalahari Desert

Assigned Work for Next Class

Read Introduction AND chapter 1-4 in Nisa

Read pages 262-264 in textbook ONLY the following sub-headings: Intro Why We Study Kinship? Urban Kinship Systems in Canada Descent Groups

Task- Due Next Class Pick a part in Nisa’s story from these

chapters(1-4) that resonates with you. Quote it in a journal entry and explain why you chose it. Then, briefly (in one paragraph) anaylze the quote in terms of its’ significance. How does this explain any of the following:

Socialization, status and role Gender and sexuality, public/private life Social group, identity (ethnicity, race, nationality,

class and religious identity)

Chapter 1-4 Brief Summaries Chapter 1

Nisa describes early memories of her childhood and her pregnant mother

Helps in the delivery of her younger brother, Kumsa Vivid memorial descriptions of her mother wanting

to kill Kumsa because she did not want to stop nursing Nisa

Does not actually kill him Was nursed and brought up by Aunt, Grandmother,

Father and Mother; expresses failure of their upbringing as she considers herself physically small and unfit.


Recalls growing up with her brother, fighting with him, playing with him, protecting him from harm and experiencing sibling hatred

Anger as a common form of expression in !Kung children, though they are discouraged from fighting

Growing family: remembers mother’s pregnancy with her fourth child

Develops understanding of female menstruation, bearing children and giving birth


Describes life of hunter-gatherer in Kalahari Desert

The act of hunting prey and celebration of meat in the village

Experiencing harsh, dry climate [drought] and having to eat bugs such as caterpillars in order to survive

Experiencing hunger and thirst in periods of no rain Asks herself if she was ever happy as a child

Chapter 1-4 Summaries Chapter 4

Nisa remembers what it is like to engage in sex play with other children of the village

Recalls sexual aggression from some boys and girls First young boys would practice sex play with each

other and then move onto practicing it with young girls Parents did not approve of this

Notes that there was a reason as to why parents and children, all slept in the same hut

Explains that it was because children could eventually see and learn what parents were doing under the blanket

Task –Due Next Class Read Nisa Chapters 5-7 Also read pages 264 (Descent Groups and on) to

page 270 in the textbook Pick a part in Nisa’s story from these chapters(5-7) that

resonates with you. Quote it in a journal entry and explain why you chose it. Then, briefly (in one paragraph) anaylze the quote in terms of its’ significance Ritual (rites of passage, rites of revitalization) Resistance Family Household and Marriage Rights of Property Power, authority and leadership

Questions to Consider Reflect and answer the following questions. This can

be done in small groups and should be handed in at

the end of the class: What is the role of a !Kung woman? What is the role of a !

Kung man? Thinking about the definition of kin and kinship, would you

define the village people as Nisa’s Kin or only her immediate family as kin? Why or why not?

Explain how the model of extended family can be applied to the network seen in Nisa’s village.

What private events become public in Nisa? And does this change your perspective on what is public and what is private? Think about what is deemed private and public in Canadian society and in your own culture and compare it to !Kung society.


Nisa explains concept of ‘trail marriages’ through her first two marriages; one with a man named Bo and another man named Tsaa.

Married to both men at very young age, Nisa describes her difficulty and lack of comfortability as they being to desire her sexually.

Nisa also speaks about her love for a married man named Kantla, who asks Nisa to marry her as ‘co-wife’, but she refuses.


Nisa explains how menstruation and marriage are most important passages in a !Kung woman’s life

She enters first long marriage with a man named Tashay

Early in the marriage, Nisa experiences her first menstruation period

This is followed by a series of rituals performed in a closed hut by the women in the village

Song and dance are seen as important part of these rituals


Concerned with the common practice of adopting a co-wife

After much resistance, Nisa gives Tashay permission to bring a co-wife

Nisa explains her experience when Tashay brings a co-wife named Tiknay

She is jealous and during the year that Tiknay stays with Tashay and Nisa, Nisa refuses to let Tashay near herself

Courtship and Dating Practices Among !Kung Society Average age of marriage is between 12-16

years of age

Mother of boy must approach mother of girl in order to propose marriage

If approved, traditional engagement ceremony takes place and wedding is secured through the exchanging of gifts, known as “Kamasi” ritual

Courtship and Dating Practices Among !Kung Society (Cont.) Parents expected to pay close attention to

kinship and name relations of their potential candidates

Not allowed to marry immediate family members (daughters forbidden to marry fathers and sons forbidden to marry mothers)

Not allowed to marry first cousins Girls not allowed to marry someone who

shares name with father or brother (s)

Courtship and Dating Practices Among !Kung Society (Cont.) Parents look for certain qualities when

choosing a man fit for their daughter Good hunter Cannot be known as a ‘fighter’ Must continue to exchange gifts (Kamasi ritual)

and if discontinues, can be seen as an unfit suitor

Traditional Wedding Ceremony Ritual begins by ‘mock force carry’ of bride from

parents hut to groom’s hut Struggle or resistance put up by Brides family is

part of ceremonial ritual Explores underlying conflict between husband and

wife and also parent and child, as girl usually gets no say in marriage

Can be seen as reluctance to marriage Also explores correlation between sexual arousal and

violence Brides and grooms are rubbed or sprayed with

aromatic oils and powders

TASK: Legalities of Marriage There is no formal legal system for marriage

and divorce.

In groups of 2-3 discuss the implications of this. Without any legal authority, do you think that marriage and divorce can be taken seriously? Based on your reading of Nisa up till now, does there need to be a legal system for marriage and divorce? Or, do you think that the community acts as legal conveyors? Furthermore, thinking about the definition of a descent group, how does the absence of legal authority change membership(s) of people within in certain clans and how does this affect parent-child links?

Please submit a 1-2 paragraph response by the end of class.

Task- Due Next Class Read Nisa Chapters 8-10 Also read pages 271-276 (ONLY UP TO “THE

DESCENT GROUP”) Pick a part in Nisa’s story from these chapters(8-10) that resonates

with you. Quote it in a journal entry and explain why you chose it. Then, briefly (in one paragraph) anaylze the quote in terms of its’ significance Rituals relationships and environment Forms of expression Suffering Descent and lineage

ALSO THERE WILL BE A SHORT ANSWER QUIZ ON CHAPTER 1-10

Chapter Summaries 8-10 Chapter 8: First Birth

Nisa becomes pregnant with her first child Her husband questions the paternity of the

child, as Nisa is known to have multiple sexual partners, prior to the pregnancy

Nisa gives birth to a baby girl; names her Chuko, who later dies in infancy

She describes the pain of losing her child more painful than giving birth.

At the end of the chapter, Nisa is pregnant again with another child

Chapter Summaries 8-10 Chapter 9: Motherhood and Loss

Nisa gives birth to her second child Nai, all by herself among some roots and cuts the umbilical cord herself

Becomes pregnant with third child but miscarries After she miscarries, her husband Tashay leaves and

she becomes close lovers with Twi again Nisa becomes pregnant again and Tashay who

returns after a month, is furious Makes herself miscarry with the child that she has

with Twi to make Tashay happy Has another girl, Bau, who dies about a year later Has a boy, names Kxau Nisa’s husband dies and she returns to live at her

parent’s hut

Chapter Summaries 8-10 Chapter 10: Change

The !Kung environment begins to change as settlements of different cattle-herding groups begin to call the Kalahari Desert their home.

These groups are known as the Tswana and Herero Nisa’s cousin’s husband asks her to be his co-wife; Nisa

refuses Nisa builds her own hut and after refusing to marry Besa,

she allows him to enter her hut and becomes his lover Nisa is still in love with Kantla and wants to marry him

but, Kantla wants Nisa as a co-wife, which Nisa refuses Also has a lover affair with Tsaa and other men during

this time

Chapter 1-10 Quiz [out of 15] Why does Nisa think that she is physically small and unfit? (1 mark) What did Nisa and other !Kung people of the village eat during the period of

drought? (1 mark) Name two ways in which !Kung children learned or practiced sex. (1 mark) Define the model of extended family and explain its’ significance to Nisa. (2

marks) What are the names of Nisa’s first two husbands from her trial marriages? (1

mark) Who is Nisa is in love with at the time of her second trail marriage? (1 mark) Name an important rite of passage in a !Kung woman’s life. (1 mark) Name one ritual performed at a !Kung girl’s first menstruation. (1 mark) What is a co-wife and how does this relate to the term polygamy? (2 marks) Name two qualities that !Kung parents consider when choosing a man for

their daughter. (1 mark) How many children does Nisa have by the end of Chapter 10? (1 mark) After which child does Nisa’s husband Tashay die? (1 mark) Why does Nisa refuse to marry Besa? (1 mark)

Task: Due Next Class Read Nisa Chapters 11-13 Also read pages 276-279 (ONLY UP TO

“KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY AND KINSHIP GROUS”)

Pick a part in Nisa’s story from these chapters(11-13) that resonates with you. Quote it in a journal entry and explain why you chose it. Then, briefly (in one paragraph) anaylze the quote in terms of its’ significance Purity and impurity Honour and shame Relationships and environment Gender roles Suffering and rituals

Chapter Summaries 11-13

Chapter 11: Women and Men Besa and Nisa moved to the East, where Besa finds

work with a Tswana cattle herder Nisa’s father dies and Nisa goes back to her family’s

village to visit Soon after, her mother dies despite her brother’s

healing powers Before moving back to the East, Nisa and Besa visit

Besa’s family and Nisa becomes very ill Her brother Dau heals her and she returns to the East

to work in the home of a European woman Nisa believes Besa has ruined her because she

miscarries the one child she has with him


Chapter 12: Taking Lovers Nisa speaks about all her lovers and maintains

that one man can give a woman very little and thus, she should have many sexual partners

She recalls her childhood and seeing her mother with her lover and then telling her father about her mother’s affair

Sex is a major theme and is seen to have commonplace in the !Kung society. It is openly accepted and discussed, especially among !Kung women


Chapter 13: A Healing Ritual Nisa explains the !Kung people’s reliance on

worldly spirits Explains the important role these spirits play in

healing illnesses She goes in depth in explaining the healing

powers of her father and brother She also recalls the time that her mother

taught her how to go into a trance and learn to heal herself

Task: DUE NEXT CLASS Read Nisa Chapters 14 and 15 Also read pages 279-284 (end of chapter) Pick a part in Nisa’s story from these chapters(14-15) that

resonates with you. Quote it in a journal entry and explain why you chose it. Then, briefly (in one paragraph) anaylze the quote in terms of its’ significance Status and role Religious/spiritual identity Modernity and colonialism Parenthood Division of labour Relationships with environment ALSO NEXT CLASS, THERE WILL BE A FINAL QUIZ ON

CHAPTERS 11-15

Formal Debate the class will be split up into two. One side

will represent the affirmative side and the other, the negative side.

With your group, discuss the following and be ready to present it in a formal debate in the last 15-20 minutes of class!

Multiple sexual partners is what allows !Kung women to have power and control. Agree or disagree in terms of gender roles and power relations

Chapter Summaries 14-15 Chapter 14: Further Losses

We learn that Nisa’s two children Nai and Kxau die in their early adolescent years

Nisa goes into detail about Nai’s abusive relationship with her husband that eventually is the reason for her death

Nisa complains about this to Tswana headman and then a tribal hearing takes place

Nisa also explains the cause of her son’s death: honey that was partially eaten by a badge and spread a virus in his chest

Nisa ends up taking care of and raising her brother’s daughter, Nukha.

Emphasis on the power of God


Chapter 15: Growing Older Continued emphasis on the power of God anda ability to

control human births and deaths Nisa, now in her old age, constantly dreams about being

pregnant and having children Expresses her continual interest in sex despite her age

and her need for multiple partners She does express feeling ugly due to her age and due to

the fact that Bo (her husband at the time) does not want to sleep with her

Expresses sincere desire for children; wants to be able to have children and even asks Shostak for medicine that will allow her to do so.

Epilogue Shostak describes her journey, going back

Dobe in 1975 She and her husband, along with a

graduate student conduct a study on a women’s menstrual cycle

Near the end, she meets with Nisa again and confirms that she is happy and healthy.

She asks Nisa to publish the interviews as a book and Nisa agrees

Quiz: Chapters 11-15 To where to Nisa and Besa move and why? (1 mark) Nisa believes that _______ gives women power and control (1

mark) Why are the spirits so important for the !Kung people? (1 mark) Who teaches Nisa to go into a trance and practice healing? (1

mark) Who heals Nisa when she is ill? (1 mark) What common ritual is practiced during the healing process? (1

mark) Besa leaves Nisa for quite some time and in that period, who

does Nisa begin to live with? (1 mark) What man is Nisa presently with? (1 mark) How does Nisa’s daughter, Nai die and he son, Kxau die? (2

marks)

What To Look For: (The Gods Must Be Crazy Attitudes towards different traditional and

religious practices How did egalitarian practices get

introduced? Power dynamics in traditional !Kung

society Social activities and types of music Introduction of outside influences

(technology, transportation etc) and how technology changes all of the above

nisa: the life and words of a !kung woman majorie shostak

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