Nisa Revisited

Abstract A collaboration begun 20 years ago between Nisa, a !Kung San (Bushman) woman of northwestern Botswana, and myself, an American anthropologist, has affected both women's lives. In 1989, after a 14-year absence (and 8 years after the results of their collaboration was published: Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman), I returned to meet Nisa again, now approximately 68 years old. Over the course of 10 new interviews, we discussed the changes that had taken place in Nisa's life, her aging process, her views on culture change, her future prospects, and the impact that the book and monetary payments (primarily in the form of cattle) have had on her life. Selected memories were also reviewed to explore whether time and additional years of living had affected her view of her life story. (Anthropology)