Biocultural Rights Journey with Rooibos 233
San, a San community, and price inflation of basic food stocks in relation to the
market pressure of the pandemic has led a surge of food insecurity ( Jansen, 2021).
In tandem, communities’ incomes, driven mainly by tourism, became even
more precarious, exacerbated by their already limited access to sufficient food
and nutrients (ibid.). As a result, members of the community hunted wildlife to
address their hunter challenges. In times of needs, they were met with criminalisation for their acts of self-reliance and efforts to meet their most basic needs.
It is within this context of the struggle for recognition as Indigenous peoples,
access to their land and resources and the issue of dignity embedded within both
that this journey for recognition as TK holders carries such significance. The
Khoikhoi have always stewarded Rooibos and intimately carried a culture tied to
it. One Cederberg Belt Indigenous farming community leader, Barend Salomo,
expressed this as follows: “My culture connects me with rooibos, it is unthinkable to have a culture without rooibos involved in it” (Natural Justice & the ABS
Capacity Development Initiative, 2018, p. 48). Their TK of Rooibos is so deeply
linked to their culture as Indigenous people; yet, it was misappropriated the world
over without affirmation of their status as TK holders. In this way, the absence
of recognition in tandem with the exploitation of their TK parallels ongoing
patterns of unrecognition of the Khoikhoi and San. T herefore, their newfound
recognition as the TK holders and agreement to grant a traditional levy for the
use of this knowledge represents “a form of restitution, as redress for past injustices. It is the symbolic restoration of [their] beloved R ooibos” (National Khoi
and San Council & Cederberg Belt Indigenous Farmers Representatives, 2019,
p. 14). Through this two-pronged process of ABS negotiations and the parallel
documentation of the BCP, the community was able to “document how [they]
brought justice to [their] cultural resources, what [they] call ‘onse moedersmelk’
(our mother’s breast milk)” (ibid., p. 18). At large, the process brings a shared
sense of healing and restoration of dignity for Khoikhoi peoples. For communities who endured centuries of dismissal and denigration of their indigeneity,
to then be internationally recognised as Indigenous peoples with valuable TK,
known to be the backbone of an international industry, marks a powerful shift.
This is a long-desired step towards recognition and affirmation of the value of
their cultural identity and knowledge, so long forgotten. Prof. Stanley Peterson
expressed it as such: “Our dignity is being restored in the land of our forefathers
by recognising our Khoikhoi ancient traditional knowledge on rooibos. Our
people are happy and our land healed” (Natural Justice, n.d.).
Organising for Resource Governance
As the BCP process shifted to focus on Rooibos, it became a critical concurrent
component to the ABS negotiations in its role of bringing together once disparate Khoikhoi communities to organise them for the Rooibos negotiation
process and later fair sharing of benefits from the successful ABS agreement.
Given the Khoikhoi’s de-Africanising apartheid experience, in being forcibly
San, a San community, and price inflation of basic food stocks in relation to the
market pressure of the pandemic has led a surge of food insecurity ( Jansen, 2021).
In tandem, communities’ incomes, driven mainly by tourism, became even
more precarious, exacerbated by their already limited access to sufficient food
and nutrients (ibid.). As a result, members of the community hunted wildlife to
address their hunter challenges. In times of needs, they were met with criminalisation for their acts of self-reliance and efforts to meet their most basic needs.
It is within this context of the struggle for recognition as Indigenous peoples,
access to their land and resources and the issue of dignity embedded within both
that this journey for recognition as TK holders carries such significance. The
Khoikhoi have always stewarded Rooibos and intimately carried a culture tied to
it. One Cederberg Belt Indigenous farming community leader, Barend Salomo,
expressed this as follows: “My culture connects me with rooibos, it is unthinkable to have a culture without rooibos involved in it” (Natural Justice & the ABS
Capacity Development Initiative, 2018, p. 48). Their TK of Rooibos is so deeply
linked to their culture as Indigenous people; yet, it was misappropriated the world
over without affirmation of their status as TK holders. In this way, the absence
of recognition in tandem with the exploitation of their TK parallels ongoing
patterns of unrecognition of the Khoikhoi and San. T herefore, their newfound
recognition as the TK holders and agreement to grant a traditional levy for the
use of this knowledge represents “a form of restitution, as redress for past injustices. It is the symbolic restoration of [their] beloved R ooibos” (National Khoi
and San Council & Cederberg Belt Indigenous Farmers Representatives, 2019,
p. 14). Through this two-pronged process of ABS negotiations and the parallel
documentation of the BCP, the community was able to “document how [they]
brought justice to [their] cultural resources, what [they] call ‘onse moedersmelk’
(our mother’s breast milk)” (ibid., p. 18). At large, the process brings a shared
sense of healing and restoration of dignity for Khoikhoi peoples. For communities who endured centuries of dismissal and denigration of their indigeneity,
to then be internationally recognised as Indigenous peoples with valuable TK,
known to be the backbone of an international industry, marks a powerful shift.
This is a long-desired step towards recognition and affirmation of the value of
their cultural identity and knowledge, so long forgotten. Prof. Stanley Peterson
expressed it as such: “Our dignity is being restored in the land of our forefathers
by recognising our Khoikhoi ancient traditional knowledge on rooibos. Our
people are happy and our land healed” (Natural Justice, n.d.).
Organising for Resource Governance
As the BCP process shifted to focus on Rooibos, it became a critical concurrent
component to the ABS negotiations in its role of bringing together once disparate Khoikhoi communities to organise them for the Rooibos negotiation
process and later fair sharing of benefits from the successful ABS agreement.
Given the Khoikhoi’s de-Africanising apartheid experience, in being forcibly