08 Feb 2024

Plans are underway for the cultural basketry exhibition dubbed,  Palms and Beyond; The Ngami Basket Narratives, slated for August 3 at the Nhabe Museum.

The event is an annual basketry show and competition aiming to preserve, protect and promote the expression of cultural identity and the traditional baskets identified with the people of the Ngamiland region.

Confirming the event, which is on the Botswana Tourism Organisation calendar, Nhabe Museum curator, Tumelo Thuthuka said it would be held every first weekend of August .

He said the exhibition was aimed at economically empowering regional basket weavers and local communities, further encouraging the safeguarding of indigenous knowledge practices for posterity as well as to ensure skills transfer.

He said the event further  aimed to instill a sense of identity and pride amongst the local people by promoting activities of self-expression such as traditional song and dance, traditional regalia, food, music and poetry in the district.

Basketry has always been an important part of every day life in the Ngamiland region and the craft has become a major source of livelihood for women and their families.

Traditionally, baskets were produced for practical purposes, such as storage and over time basket weavers found a niche  and sold them to travellers who were on transit to the Okavango Delta as well as the local people.

Meanwhile, the museum recently hosted a historic exhibition themed: Curating the Achives; The (Re)birth of Maun, aimed at exploring varying historical contexts, narratives and events witnessed through written text, image as well as object of historical importance.

Held last year December, the event also aimed at going down memory lane, reminiscing over that which has been crafting a sense of belonging and an identity tied to a place/event not only for the local communities but all other persons who have transited through the region at various moments in life.

Thuthuka hailed the event as a success considering the response from the community and other stakeholders.

“It is part of our mandate as the museum to preserve and promote diverse regional heritage and history hence the flagship exhibition that seeks to insightfully offer a trace of how Maun was founded around 1915 as the capital of Batawana people and how it has rapidly grown from a small dusty village to one of the busiest cosmopolitan towns in Botswana,” he said.

He appreciated that some members of the community contributed some material content to make the event a success,  noting that the materials covered the socio-cultural, economic and political spheres.

He said the event would also be held annually adding that some safari companies had shown interest to support the event. He  appealed to members of the community to participate in the upcoming events and provide more materials.

Through such activities, the museum leadership is striving to bring the community-based museum to life and preserve the rich historic collection. ENDS