Ju Hoansi Research Paper

are able to tell the difference between what plants are edible and poisonous. The only tool used for gathering the food is an digging stick. It’s used for digging up roots and tubers. When all the necessities are gathered, they go into a large suede cape that is functionable for carrying food and firewood. Because the pouch is close to the body, it is very effective for ponderous loads.

With the Basseri being pastoralist, they function differently in their environment than the Ju/’hoansi. The Basseri keep the animals they use for the bulk of subsistence products. Which makes domesticated animals the main subsistence, due to their use of milk, labor, meat, and fur. Milk is used for drinking and other milk products. When the Basseri travel from one place to another, donkeys and camels are used to carry items for transport. Another use for domesticated animals is the hides and the wool. Wool can be used as rope, saddlebags, and cloth packs when constructed correctly by the experienced women.

Domestic tasks like food preparation, sewing, and washing are usually women chores and the hunting and food gathering is done by males. If needed, the other gender will do a task that is usually a specific task. For example the Ju/’hoansi women gather wild plants but sometimes the men do it since majority of their living comes from plants. With the Basseri, the men do the typical masculine tasks while also making tea and washing their clothes.

Another similarity of the Ju/’Hoansi and the Basseri is that they are both nomadic, meaning they move locations regularly. Since the Ju/’hoansi is a band of 10-50 people, they move around a lot with more efficiency than a large group of people. When traveling,