A study on the historical and contemporary significance of Omwele Gwoshipika among Aawambo communities
| dc.contributor.advisor | Akawa-Shikufa, Martha | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hangula, Ndamian N. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-02-19T07:20:25Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-02-19T07:20:25Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History | |
| dc.description.abstract | Omwele Gwoshipika is (or was) one of the celebrated objects of Aawambo material culture of the 19th to 20th century, and an object of historical status in the social and political structure of Aawambo communities. Omwele Gwoshipika excelled as a tool for the king to exercise political and social authorities in Aawambo subjects. The aftermath of Germany's colonial administration over Namibia from 1884 to 1915 has resulted in some of the Aawambo material culture being taken away to Germany. Omwele Gwoshipika was among the items taken away from the source communities to Germany in 1909 and kept in the Berlin Ethnographic Museum. The removal of Omwele Gwoshipika by the Germans as an instrument of authority in the royal delegation of power left a void in hierarchical representation of the king in the Aawambo kingdoms. This study attempts to establish the significance of Omwele Gwoshipika among the Aawambo communities, their views on its restitution to Namibia and it is design structure. The data of the study were collected using a qualitative research method, which incorporated focus group and semi-structured interview with groups and individual participants. The study found out that Omwele Gwoshipika has a very great historical significance in the world of kings1 . There is mixed feelings among Aawambo regarding the contemporary importance of Omwele Gwoshipika. The study established the excitement and joy among the Aawambo regarding the restitution of Omwele Gwoshipika and that the ancient design of Omwele Gwoshipika can be reinstated. Moreover, the study established mixed feeling whereby some Aawambo communities felt that the restitution of Omwele Gwoshipika is not valuable because the traditional and spiritual ways that used to keep Omwele Gwoshipika have been compromised. The study concluded that for Omwele Gwoshipika to be successfully re- integrated in use in Aawambo community with its original cultural characters, there are certain behavioural changes that Aawambo youth need to favour such as discipline, orderliness and adhering to the accepted standards of Aawambo cultural behavioural norms for the re-integration of Omwele Gwoshipika to be installed successfully among Aawambo communities’. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11070/3960 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Namibia | |
| dc.subject | Material Culture | |
| dc.subject | Omwele Gwoshipika | |
| dc.subject | De-heritagisation | |
| dc.subject | belongings | |
| dc.subject | Aawambo | |
| dc.subject | Namibia | |
| dc.subject | University of Namibia | |
| dc.title | A study on the historical and contemporary significance of Omwele Gwoshipika among Aawambo communities | |
| dc.type | Thesis |