The Medicine Dance of the <i>!</i>Kung Bushmen

TLDR

The Kung Bushmen, who live in the interior of the Nyae Nyae region in South West Africa, are the focus of a study on their medicine dance. The study focuses on 225 individuals from specific Kung Bushmen bands. Data were collected during five expeditions from 1951 to 1961, with detailed informant interviews conducted over a 12‑month period in 1952–53.

Abstract

Opening Paragraph The ! Kung Bushmen whose medicine dance is described in this paper live in the interior of the Nyae Nyae region in South West Africa. The observations were made in the years 1951–61, in the course of five expeditions. The bands with which expedition members had the closest and most prolonged contact were those that the author numbered 1-7, 9, 10, and 12 on the map (Fig. 1). The present study is concerned principally with the people in those bands, who numbered, in all, 225 persons. The information gathered from informants was obtained for the most part in 1952–3, when twelve consecutive months were spent in the Nyae Nyae region.