28/09/2026
PRESS STATEMENT
Women’s Leadership Centre
San Genocide and Generational Trauma: Remembering the Past, Preserving Culture and Creating Space for Healing
Windhoek, Namibia | 23 September 2026 — The Women’s Leadership Centre (WLC) hosted a public dialogue on San Genocide, Generational Trauma and Healing on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, bringing together researchers, San community representatives, activists and members of the public to reflect on the historical experiences of San communities and the ways these histories continue to shape generations today.
The dialogue featured Prof. Robert Gordon, author of The Bushman Myth Revisited: Genocide, Dispossession and the Road to Servitude, alongside San researchers and community representatives Kileni Fernando of //Ana-Djeh San Trust, Maria Garises of Drimiopsis, Appolia Dabe of Gobabis, Patricia Dinyando of Omega 1, and Mathilde Ganses of Tsintsabis.
Opening the event, Liz Frank, Director of the Women’s Leadership Centre, reflected on the organisation’s work to understand generational trauma and its impact on San communities in Namibia.
“We began by asking what generational trauma means, how it is experienced within indigenous communities around the world, and how it relates to the situation of San communities here in Namibia. Today, we are taking a deeper look at generational trauma, connecting historical experiences of genocide and dispossession of land, resources and traditional livelihoods with the realities communities continue to face,” Frank said.
Prof. Gordon’s presentation examined historical accounts of violence, dispossession, forced labour, militarisation and racial stereotyping of San communities during colonial and subsequent periods. He emphasised that these experiences should not be understood as isolated historical incidents.
“Genocide is not an event, but a process,” Gordon said, highlighting the importance of examining the wider systems of dispossession, racial hierarchy, social control and stereotyping that shaped the experiences of San communities.
The historical discussion was complemented by findings from an oral history research project, in which San researchers interviewed elders in their own communities in their own languages about their experiences and memories of conflict, displacement, socio-economic and cultural change.
The researchers found that many elders described life before the arrival of war and large-scale displacement as closely connected to the land. Communities relied on their knowledge of forests, water sources, plants, animals and traditional medicines for food, health and survival.
Patricia Dinyando of Omega 1 in the Bwabwata National Park, Kavango East Region, noted that these practices reflected a deep understanding of sustainability and challenged stereotypes that San people were “selfish” or simply moved from place to place without attachment to land.
“We are not greedy people,” Dinyando said, explaining that traditional hunting and harvesting practices were guided by knowledge of how to protect resources for future generations. She noted that mature male animals were often targeted rather than animals that were reproducing, while medicinal plants could be harvested without destroying the roots so they could grow again.
Appolia Dabe, whose research included histories from elders in Gobabis, Omaheke Region, highlighted the impact of the arrival of settlers, livestock and fences on San communities. As land was enclosed and converted for farming, communities increasingly lost access to the places where they obtained food, medicine and other resources. The loss of land, she said, was closely connected to food insecurity, displacement and the erosion of traditional ways of life.
Mathilde Ganses of Tsintsabis, Oshikoto Region, similarly highlighted the decline of traditional knowledge, culture and spirituality. Today, spaces traditionally used for rituals are on privately owned land and inaccessible to the communities, so that traditional knowledge is no longer passed on to younger generations.
Maria Garises of Drimiopsis, Omaheke Region, shared the account of an elderly woman who identified the deaths of women, children and older people as among her deepest memories of pain. Garises said such testimonies demonstrate how memories of violence can remain present across generations, particularly among women and families who experienced loss and separation.
The researchers also documented accounts of San men being forcibly recruited into military activities by the South Africa Defence Force during the liberation struggle against the Apartheid regime, to track down PLAN fighters in the bush.
Kileni Fernando of //Ana-Djeh San Trust explained that tracking was traditionally a livelihood skill and part of San cultural knowledge, but was transformed into a military skill during periods of conflict. San trackers were used because of their knowledge of the landscape, water sources and movement through the environment, while some were placed at the front of military operations.
For the researchers, documenting these histories is therefore not only about remembering violence. It is also about ensuring that Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices and community identities are not lost.
“Generational healing begins with memory. We need to listen to our elders, remember those who are no longer with us, and preserve the stories that are almost forgotten. We remember so that the pain of the past does not become the silence of the future, and so that healing can begin,” Dinyando said.
The dialogue ultimately emphasised the importance of remembering without allowing painful histories to disappear into silence. It called for continued community-led documentation, preservation of Indigenous knowledge, intergenerational dialogue and spaces where San communities can reflect on their histories, identity and pathways towards healing. This will also support the preservation of the different San langueages.
Kileni Fernando concluded the Dialogue with a call on the Namibian nation to hear and engage with the voices and needs of San communities. “We are not “Projects” or “Problems” that need to be fixed. We are a people who have been misunderstood and misrepresented for many years. This is why we, as San young women are stepping forward and are here to remind the government, our nation and the global community that it is time for us San people to own our narrative. We must be the authors of our own representation, and we must be equal partners in every decision that shapes our development. We are not just the subjects of your projects, we are the architects of our own empowerment.”
The event was hosted by the Women’s Leadership Centre as part of its ongoing work with San women, children and communities to strengthen knowledge and cultural pride, amplify lived experiences and support conversations around justice, identity and healing.
