OVAMBO
The Ovambo people live in northern Namibia.
They are part of the larger Bantu-speaking people
of southern Africa and have kinship with many
of the people who migrated from central Africa.
There are eight major clans that comprise the
Ovambo. They are the Ukuanyama, Ondonga,
Ukuambi, Ongaqndjera, Ukualuthi, Ombalantu,
Eunda, and Onkolonkathi.
Infact,theOvambopeopleliveinthetopthird
of the country of Namibia and reach to the
Angolan border. They are the largest population
in the country. It is believed that they migrated
from the Zambezi region over the past 600 years.
TheyfoundinNamibiaafertilelandandsoilthat
could support a growing population. Although
the Ovambo do not number more than 250,000
people, they remain the dominant ethnic group of
the land. The language of the Ovambo is called
Oshivambo.
Namibiahasauniquetopographytowhichthe
Ovambo have made great adjustment. The people
have organized their religion, customs, and values
on the basis of their environment. For example,
theflatsandyplainsoftheareacalledOvamboland
in Namibia are often bisected by water courses
calledoshanasduring the rainy season. However,
the average rainfall is no more than 20 inches
annually. Yet the oshanas appear each year and
influence the way the people respond to the
vegetation and water. The Ovambo adapt to the
weather patterns in an effort to maintain their
society’s values by discovering in the oshanas and
other areas the spirits of the ancestors that assist
them in keeping evil at bay and bringing about
good. As expert artisans and blacksmiths, the
Ovambo people are known as good farmers, fish-
ers, potters, and artists.
The Supreme God of the Ovambo is called
Kalunga.NothingescapestheeyeofKalunga,who
looks after the creation of all of the creatures and
objects in the universe. It is the belief that Kalunga
movesamongthepeopleasaspiritwhodetermines
what is necessary for the people to survive. In this
way, theOvambo,whobelieve in theirownability
tomakeadifferenceintheirlives,acceptthepower
of the great Kalunga to assist them in ordinary
activities such as basketry, pottery, the capture
of elephants, relationships with community
people, and the fertility of the soil.
According to some authorities, the spirit of
Kalungatakestheformofahumanandcanmove
invisibly among the people. Famine especially
callsKalungaintoaction.Thepeoplemakerituals
to celebrate all of the ancestral spirits as well as
the almighty Kalunga. When an Ovambo person
seeks to visit the king, he or she must remove his
or her sandals. If one does not show this type of
deference,itmeansthatdeathwillcometooneof
the royals. Therefore, it is expected that the per-
son would remove shoes. Furthermore, if the fire
goesoutintheking’skraal,thenthepeoplewould
also withdraw.
When the harvest is completed, the Ovambo
have one of their greatest festivals to celebrate
the end of the harvest. At such a festival, the
akwanekamba,orroyalfamily,presides,andonly
the members of this family can be named to the
kingship. Because the Ovambo are matrilineal, it
meansthattheinheritanceisonthemother’sside.Molefi Kete AsanteSee alsoOvahereroFurther Readings
Asante, M. K. (2007).The History of Africa. London:
Routledge.
Hahn, C. H. L. (1966).The Native Tribes of South West
Africa. London: Frank Cass.OYA
Oya is one of the seven primary orisha in the
Yoruba religion, which originated in the Old Oyo
Empire of Ancient Yorubaland, present-day
Nigeria. The name Oya is defined by the action
“she tore,” “O-ya” in Yoruba. The River Niger,
the thunderbolt, fire, tornadoes, buffalo, and the
windrepresentthisfemaleorisha.Guardianofthe
gatesofdeath,shestandsatthegatesoftheceme-
tery, yet she does not represent death. She is only
the keeper and guardian of the gates, allowing
souls to enter. Because of her post, she has a spe-
cial relationship with the ancestor world (egun514 Ovambo