Echoes of History | Noah Tjijenda

If we do not preserve our history now, the truths the colonisers have created, will become absolute truths.

This would be the final victory of the colonisers, extinguishing our history and identities.

Echoes of History is an archival project collecting and preserving the history, heritage, and culture of the Ovaherero people.

Our history and culture is mostly spoken and has not been written down extensively - at least not by us, but rather our oppressors. This project is changing and preserving existing narratives. Working with interviews, photography, video, poetry and arts - historical and contemporary. Collectively creating the archive we have been deprived of.

The combined effects of colonialism (1844-1914), genocide (1904-1908, killing 80% of the Herero population) and Apartheid (1914-1989) caused generational trauma.

Our history is fragmented as we saw different oppressors come and go. If one wants to learn about our culture in depth, an absence of information presents itself.

In the past years, especially during COVID, we have lost a painful amount of our elders. Including my grandfather, who passed away in 2021 and was the inspiration of this project. With each person passing we are losing an important part of our community and history. The total Herero population is estimated to be 250,000, making the number of knowledge keepers aged over 80 less than 2,000.

A main outcome of the project is an open-access online archive, which will be released in its first test version later this year. Each person, story and form of expression is adding to our collective memory. Every step of the project, research, interviews and other components are being documented. Out of which a documentary will be created, the second major outcome.

Echoes of History is in the honour of our past and for our current & future generation.

Milestones

Achieved

20 Interviews/22 Hours Footage
5,000+ Photos
2 Trips to Namibia (January & April 2024)
6,000km travelled through Namibia
£9,995 raised through MEAD Fellowship
Traditional Events
- Wedding
- Funeral
Essential Network established
- Community
- Experts
- Media (Namibia & UK)
- Cultural Institutions (Namibia)
- Potential Research Partners
- Partner NGO (Germany)
Initial Production Schedule (until 2028)
Initial Budget (by rounds)
2 Archives visited
- German Colonial Archive
- National Archive Namibia
Discovery Research
Onboarded Legal Counsel
Registered "Echoes of History C.I.C." (charitable status) with the companies house UK & Wales

Work in Progress

Cataloguing of Research
- Interviews
- Archives
Database (Data organisation, cross-referencing, rights clearance)
Phase 1 Fundraising
Early Website build
Risk Assessment & Mitigation (w/ legal counsel)
Mission Statement
Collaborative Workflow
Onboarding of Team Members
Research Commission

Future

Phase 2-6 Fundraising
Documentary Film
Interviews
- International
Cataloguing of Research
- Interviews
- Archives
- Family Archives
Collect Family Trees/create database
Production of Documentary
Relocate to Namibia 2024/2025
Website (work with web designer)
- Open-Source element
License Material for Academic Market
- ProQuest
- Pen, Paper, Peace e.V.

Sharers

During the January & March trips I interviewed 17 Sharers (20+ hours) (Sharers = Interviewees as they shared their stories, experiences, and time with me) with an approach of conversational interviews, talking about the Sharers areas of expertise, passions, and experiences. The conversational approach greatly adds to the wealth and quality of the interviews. Topics ranged from colonialism, genocide, apartheid,exile, the diaspora, fashion, cattle, climate change, forced relocation, the arts, politics... Sharers included mothers, fathers, activists, artists, freedom fighters, former and current politicians …

I am also including 3 interviews that were part of my project "Namibia: Stories from the Diaspora". As the experiences of the diaspora and exiled people are as important, and have contributed to Namibia equally.

Research, Project Methodology & BTS

This project by nature requires a flexible and unique research approach and methodology. Most of the stories, experiences, and events that I am encountering during this project are often unrecorded. Or if they were, our oppressors were the authors, introducing their biases, ideologies and agendas.

So far I went to visit the German Colonial Archive (Oct, 2023) and the Namibian National Archive (Jan, 2024).

I used both trips with the aim to familiarise myself with the archive and conduct discovery research. Allowing myself not to be influenced too much by these sources, but rather getting my initial and primary information through the interviews.

Dr. Kandando's Funeral January 2024

On the 6th of January I attended Dr. Kandando's funeral, which took place just outside Aminuis, Omaheke. " He was an activist from his student days, became a refugee, politician and scholar/teacher at the University of Namibia" (thenamibian.com.na)

Many people came to say their final goodbyes and blessings. With Kandando's high standing and lifetime achievements he was honoured with a state funeral.

Mr & Mrs Tjiueza's Wedding March 2024

During my second trip of 2024 (March/April), I attended Mr & Mrs Tjiueza's wedding. Driving to the location a couple hours after flying in from London.

It was an incredible time where I got to experience a traditional Herero wedding for the first time.

Surrounded by a great atmosphere, a feeling of community, lots of meat, traditional ceremonies, a music stage, and parties going on all around.

I am planning on documenting more weddings in the future, allowing me to showcase the different sides of it. While also looking closer at traditional ceremonies, their meanings and such.