Gemsbok on the dunes, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

For the ǂKhomani San, gemsbok play an important part in a puberty initiation ceremony. During the "hok meisie" ritual, a woman who has her first period would be painted by other, older women in the community. The young woman's face is painted to mimic a gemsbok's facial markings. Ochre is used to create a foundation, the white markings are made with ash and the black from coal. Images from this trip document the first excursions into the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and were a central part of the work on oral history and mapping in the first years of research.