From childhood to womanhood: puberty rites of !XOO girls of Zutshwa

Abstract

Rites of passage are rituals that mark or accompany the important changes in the life cycle of individuals such as birth, puberty, marriage and death. Girls’ puberty rites mark the transition or change in status from childhood to adulthood. People throughout the world have ritual ceremonies intended to mark this transition. The aim of the paper is to document and analyze the puberty rites of girls of !Xoo of Zutshwa of south western Botswana paying particular attention to the inherent meanings associated with the performance of this ritual. The study also seeks to establish the socio-cultural significance of this rite and ritual and to explore the changes if any that are taking place in the performance of the !Xoo girls puberty rites and the accompanying rituals. This paper is based on a study that was carried out in Zutshwa in 2006 and 2015. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and open-ended questions. This paper argues that it is important to document the !Xoo culture, traditions and practices because research has shown that they are highly threatened with extinction just like those of other minority ethnic groups in Botswana. The study revealed that the !Xoo girls puberty rites are undergoing rapid changes due to acculturation, inter-marriages, education, religion and globalization. Keywords: rites of passage, puberty, !Xoo, Zutshwa, childhood, menstruation, adulthood, womanhood