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As we enter the talks next week of COP26, we should pause and hear the indigenous voices of wisdom — lest we repeat the mistakes of our past.
In the mystical and magnificent indigenous forests of Venda lies a jewel of biodiversity that has been protected by gogos (women elders) for generations. It is sacred to them.
“We are connected to our forests that hold the spirit of our ancestors. We commune with everything in the forest — the trees, the wild animals, the snakes, the bees, the rivers and mountains. It is our pharmacy and supermarket. We do not see timber to be cut down to sell. It is a sacred site. It’s about our human wellbeing for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, including all life in Nature. It is intertwined with our life here,” says the diminutive and elegant environmental warrior, scholar, maine (healer) and sangoma Mphatheleni Makaulule.
Here in Venda, spirituality and environment are indivisible. It is a way of life, drawn from a deep lineage of ancestral wisdom passed on from generation to generation orally. It is a deeply matriarchal tradition. The Makhadzi are the defenders of the sacred sites and are the guiding hand of…
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