stories that dominate the information we have as a people are mainly political , and less about cultural and origin of different tribes of South Africans . My recent quest for researching about the arrival and history of the Balobedu people in South Africa yielded very little results . Bits and bits of information were uncovered , splashed across a few books and articles on the internet . Even the electronic information databases I trusted could have something with weight for me failed to quench the knowledge thirst i still have . The information is too sketchy , and was documented by those who colonized us , not only in their language but also from a perspective that suits them . Our story , as Balobedu people was selectively written , and the information is difficult for the next generation to reach . The sketchy availability of this important story means the sketchy availability of cultural reference that is elements of the human collective memory – language , beliefs and origin . The greatest thing we can do to attempt to tell these stories in modern society is to research and build special subject museums and libraries in regions that focus solely on the people of the area concerned , and from there the i n f o r m a t i o n c a n b e t a k e n t o national . Members of the society should take initiative in preserving their own stories , and government should also be on board to provide infrastructure to help with researching , documenting and archiving c u l t u r a l a r t e f a c t s t h a t t e l l o u r stories . Although part of cultural preservation and storytelling has economic benefits that are as a result of tourism ,
these economic benefits come second to the value of the heritage preserved . Being hands on in activities that are aimed at telling stories and preserving our history would mean paying homage to our ancestors . Training and inclusion of the traditional intimate art of storytelling should also be introduced in public schools as part of their curriculum , and in that way children will learn from a young age about who they are and where they come from . A great African proverbdenotes , “ until the lions have their own historians , the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter ”. A story is never complete until it is told by those who experienced it , those who understand it best , the subjects of the story . We , as the bearers of the story have had a few to say about where we come from , and the absence of the documented history of the Balobedu people , and other tribes for that matter , is an opportunity for us as lions to roar our stories into existence . This is an opportunity for us to be our very own storytellers , through writing books and producing movies that will help educated the next generation about where we come from . The significance of telling and documenting our stories , be it through documentaries , writing and film making is to learn about our history and tell our experiences to broaden our knowledge , and that of our future generations . We tell our stories to allow others to learn about a journey that we as a people have gone through , to speak about our lessons and also about our victories- all from a perspective that comes directly from us , undiluted and undistorted . In the words of
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