San, << sahn, >> are a people of Africa, many of whom live in or near the Kalahari Desert region of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. The San are sometimes called Bushmen, but many anthropologists, and many San themselves, consider the word insulting. The San speak Khoisan languages, which are characterized by clicking sounds.
In the past, the San hunted animals and gathered wild plants for food, much as prehistoric people did. Wild desert plants provided the San with most of their food, which included berries, melons, nuts, roots, and seeds. The women usually gathered the plants while the men hunted animals with bows and poison-tipped arrows.
San families lived in groups of about 25 to 50 people linked by kinship, marriage, and friendship. Each group occupied its own territory. During part of the year, the group moved from place to place within its territory. But at other times, the group stayed for many weeks near a water source with other groups.
Today, however, almost no San follow their traditional way of life. Much of the San’s land has been taken over by other Africans, including many whites of European descent, for cattle ranches and game reserves. Most San now live in large, permanent settlements, where they raise crops and livestock. Some groups have established small businesses, while others are involved in tourism. However, many San depend on food and cash provided by government or international aid agencies.
The San today consider themselves to be the descendants of the original peoples of Africa. They lived throughout southern and eastern Africa for thousands of years. But Bantu-speaking Africans began to move into these regions during the A.D. 200’s, and Europeans arrived in the 1600’s. In time, no San remained in eastern Africa or in the richer lands of southern Africa. But they continued to live in the region surrounding the Kalahari Desert. The San today are working to gain greater recognition of their social, economic, and cultural rights within the nations of southern Africa.
See also Botswana .
