Unexplored avenues of adornment : a study of craft-related uses of the Makalani seed

Abstract

Vegetable ivory is the generic term used when referring to the nut of palm trees. Although their outward appearance varies depending on the variety of the palm, the nuts are all known to be hard, ivory-like in colour and lend themselves to shaping in various forms. The craft-related use of vegetable ivory in Namibia has been limited to carving in the past. The nut, known locally as Makalani seed, is the seed of the Hyphaene Petersiana palm fruit. Vegetable ivory products found globally prove that this non-timber forest product (NTFP) has greater potential than what is currently being explored by Namibian crafters. Similar nuts are found across the globe, including the South American tagua nut. The tagua nut has a pronounced role in the craft-related market place due to its popularity as a sustainable alternative to animal ivory. It has also provided many locals with employment and a stable form of income. Globally, focus has expanded to address the sustainability of the integrity of forest systems, as economic profits to be gained from timber-producing trees, no longer take sole priority. Rural households are making use of NTFPs as a source of income and often use the money generated from trading as a safety net in times of economic challenges. Developing management strategies for addressing global climate change has become an increasingly important issue influencing forest management around the globe. Participatory forest management is one of the strategies developed for addressing issues arising from global climate change. It is aimed at rural development, by involving locals living in the area, in programmes that involve domestication of indigenous fruit trees. By means of participatory action research (PAR) and co-design sessions, the study looked at expanding the scope of manufacturing techniques used when crafting the Makalani seed. The list of sustainable manufacturing practices generated from the data informed the creation of the crafter’s product. Expanding the range of manufacturing practices feeds into the potential the seed has as an income-generating product. These techniques contribute to the body of knowledge of craft in Namibia by addressing the issue of sustainability by exploring the potential of the Makalani nut as a crafting material as well as a medium of teaching various crafting skills. It also engaged the researcher in contributing towards social upliftment, while allowing crafters to engage in experimenting with new sustainable techniques used globally on similar seeds that could benefit their generating of income. By assessing data gathered in the codesign sessions, recommendations were made towards elevating the Makalani seed from its current craft level to that of a well-used NTFP craft material. The nature of participatory action research required analysing gathered data to feed into a solution for solving a local problem. The study is of a qualitative nature, and involved a case-study of one, a local crafter. Participatory action design was the framework for the research, as both researcher and crafter explored how the Makalani nut lends itself to techniques used on the tagua nut. It is through this lens that the study speaks to the practices of respect and responsibility, as well as that of sustainability within the parameters of a Namibian context