Indigenous Traditional Festivals: Survival of the Oshipe Festival Post-Colonial Era

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the transformation and survival of the Oshipe festival among the Aawambo people of Northern Namibia in the face of Westernisation, Christianity, and urbanisation. Once a deeply spiritual and communal event rooted in indigenous knowledge systems, the Oshipe festival has undergone signific ant changes that threaten its continuity. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach and a non-probability snowball sampling method, the study collected data from 30 community members through focus groups and individual interviews. It explored the decline in traditional practices and identified current efforts toward cultural preservation. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed a complex interplay between cultural erosion and adaptation, with emerging strategies such as documentation, cultural education, and digital dissemination offering hope for the festival's revitalisation. The study recommended the integration of indigenous knowledge into formal education and heritage policy to ensure the survival of cultural identity in modern Namibia.