The Khoi (Hottentots) are much like the San in appearance, but slightly taller. The essential difference between the two peoples is in their respective traditional lifestyles. Originally both semi-nomadic, the Khoi kept . flocks of sheep and herds of oxen. Some planted crops and established semi-permanent settlements. They developed the craft of pottery making. Family of languages spoken byKhoekhoe, San, and other non-Bantu peoples of southern Africa. The languages of the family are usually divided into three groups: North Khoisan (also called Northern San),which includes !Kung and //Kh'au-//'en; Central Khoisan also called Khoe), which includes the Khoekhoe languages, among which are Nama, !Ora, and Griquaand Afrikaans. BBC recently reported that there are about one million or two percent of the population who are Khoisan descendants. Very few of them live in the traditional way. Historically, they were essentially dispossessed by the colonialists, oppressed by the apartheid regime, and they now charge they are being marginalized by present-day South Africa. Few speak any of the traditional languages or maintain a traditional lifestyle. Their pride, however, has not been shattered. They want to preserve their indigenous culture, they want their culture and language protected by law, and Mr. Zuma seemed to oblige them, telling them, "You have taken charge of your own heritage and your own destiny." Let me show you three views of the modern day Khosian I am able to discover from my desktop research on the Internet to do this paper.I want to conclude this report by underlining what we see as the most major lesson to be learned here. We really do have to beware of our penchant to label people. In the case of the Khoisan, we have seen in our short study that they have been labeled as Stone Age people, Bushmen, and creatures of another species, not human...
