Reclaiming the Roots: Venda Communities Use Eco-Mapping to Revitalize Ancient Ties with Nature

In the lush landscapes of Venda, South Africa, where the echoes of ancient wisdom still linger, an innovative yet ancestral practice is helping communities to reconnect with their roots and the natural world around them. Mphatheleni Makaulule, a daughter of Venda, is at the forefront of this cultural revival through the art and science of eco-mapping.

Makaulule's journey has been deeply personal. Raised by a healer and leader, she absorbed the spirituality of her people from an early age. Despite the pressures of a modern society touched by apartheid and colonial legacies, she remained bound to her indigenous values. It was not until after her university years and a poignant battle with pulmonary TB that she rediscovered her path, retreating to the mountains to heal as her ancestors would have done: with nature as her companion.

In 1998, her mission took shape in the form of "Mupo," a community-based initiative dedicated to resurrecting the rich tapestry of Venda's indigenous knowledge and values. Through her work, Makaulule recognized that the spirit of Vha­Venda people is indissolubly woven with their spirituality and ancestral practices, a vital connection to be nurtured and passed on.

Makaulule's dedication to cultural rejuvenation took her as far as the Amazon, where she gleaned insights on eco-mapping. This method has since become a cornerstone of her work, serving as a communal canvas on which Venda's people articulate their deep-seated relationship with their land and legacy.

The eco-mapping process is a vibrant enterprise, a shared endeavor that draws everyone from elders to children into dialogues that were once commonplace. The maps crafted are not mere representations; they are living documents, capturing memories and aspirations, and inviting a collective meditation on what has been eroded by time and what must be resurrected for communal wellbeing.

These mapping exercises uncover more than environmental scars. They reveal the social and cultural disruptions inflicted by external forces such as colonialism, apartheid, and contemporary commercial development. When Mupo engages in eco-mapping, they not only chart the physical terrain but also layout a plan to reclaim control of their resources and stories.

Makaulule, together with Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, has extended eco-mapping to confront modern-day challenges. In Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay, eco-mapping informs community responses to industrial proposals, while in Venda, it offers resistance to the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone. By laying bare the potentially detrimental impacts of these projects, eco-mapping becomes both a shield and a spear in the fight for sustainable development and self-determination.

Eco-mapping in Venda is not just an instrument for cultural revival; it's becoming a vital tool in educating the younger generation about the daunting trials of climate change, food, and water security. It's hoped that by instilling a profound understanding of their heritage and environment, youth will carry forward the mantle of guardianship.

The success of eco-mapping in renewing ties with nature and ancestral knowledge paves the way for future generations to forge a deep bond with their environment, ensuring its protection and the survival of their cultural inheritance. As Makaulule so poignantly observes, it is the human at the center of this vast ecological web, and with eco-mapping, Venda communities are once again finding their place within it.