Rich Coastal Heritage of Precolonial Fish Traps and Hatcheries Uncovered

A photo on Facebook of the Skulpiesbaai fishtraps near Stilbaai was a reminder of a book a Nelson Mandela University academic has co-authored with local Khoisan chiefs about the first indigenous people of southern Africa. Research revealed precolonial fish traps and nurseries.

The book, titled “The Spirit of Water: Practices of cultural reappropriation. Indigenous heritage sites along the coast of the Eastern Cape-South Africa” (Firenze University Press), was published last year. A documentary was also made last year.

The author of the book is the University’s School of Architecture’s Dr Magda Minguzzi who partnered with 12 indigenous leaders from the greater Nelson Mandela Bay area.

According to a news item on the University’s website, Minguzzi says the 2015 project’s scope was “to investigate methods and procedures that could help re-establish the link between the Indigenous communities and their ‘forgotten’ heritage sites.”

The Cape Khoi at Cape Recife, Chief Xam≠ Gaob Maleiba of the Damasonqua tribe, were excited to finally be able to write their own history from their point of view.