//Kabbo’s Challenge: Transculturation and the Question of a South African Ecocriticism
Abstract
The presence of the “Bushman” in southern African literature and media is pervasive; it is arguably an ineradicable part of our regional identity. Literature derived from San or Bushman testimony provides both an opportunity and a problem for an ecologically orientated critic. This article focuses on Alan James’s versions of the testimony of //Kabbo, in the Bleek-Lloyd archive, to explore the question of whether any articulations of the “Bushman” world view might provide a localised basis for a regionally-specific “ecocriticism”. It suggests that both tradition and modernity will be inescapable elements of such an ecocriticism, best encompassed in a dynamic version of Ortiz’s notion of transculturation.
Opsomming
Die “Boesman” is alomteenwoordig in die Suider-Afrikaanse literatuur en media; stellig is dit onuitwisbaar deel van ons streeksidentiteit. Literatuur afgelei van San- of Boesmangetuienis bied sowel ’n geleentheid as ’n probleem aan die kritikus met ’n ekologiese oriëntasie. Hierdie artikel fokus op Alan James se weergawes van die getuienis van //Kabbo in die Bleek-Lloyd-argief. Die oogmerk is om ondersoek in te stel na die vraag of enige verwoording van die “Boesman”-wêreldbeskouing ’n gelokaliseerde basis vir ’n streekspesifieke “ekokritiek” kan verskaf. Daar word aan die hand gedoen dat sowel tradisie as moderniteit noodwendig elemente van sodanige ekokritiek sal uitmaak, wat ten beste vervat word in ’n dinamiese weergawe van Ortiz se opvatting van transkulturasie.
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