However, it is also possible to sense the deep communion with nature that the Bushmen have in the way they express themselves through poetry and other writings. They want to show the beauty of the land they live on, and provide others with a way to see the value in it, as well. The flowers, trees, grass, and even the animals they hunt and kill for food and other needs are all revered by them, much more so than most people do today. They also see themselves in nature, and want to express that experience of everything being connected to everything else. This is not always an easy thing to express, but it Bushmen found a way to do so. Both Bank and Krog, in their discussions of Bleek and the Bushmen he spent a good portion of his life studying, have provided information and insight into how valuable every person, culture, and language really is. The poetry cataloged by Krog provides not only the insight of the Bushmen who wrote it, but deep value regarding what those Bushmen were taught -- most often by their mothers. This is a large and important part of their culture, as they revered and listened to their elders and the wisdom those elders had gained throughout their lives. This is very different from the way most modern cultures treat their elderly, and is a notable difference between the 'primitive' culture of the Bushmen and the more modern cultures that are seen throughout the world today. Whether the modern...

While that racial theory was valuable, Bleek's most important work was the translation of so much of the Bushmen's language into English so it could be read and understood by others. There is little opportunity for cultural understanding when a common language is not spoken, because communication is exceedingly difficult at that point. Through the efforts of people like Bleek, researchers such as Bank and Krog are able to study the Bushmen and keep their language and culture alive for future generations. That not only helps history, but provides knowledge and insight for the future.
Works Cited

Bank, Andrew. Evolution and Racial Theory: The Hidden Side of Wilhelm Bleek. South African Historical Journal, 43(1): 163-178. 2000. Print.

Krog, Antjie. The stars say 'tsau': / Xam Poetry of Dia!Kwain. Roggebaai, South Africa: Kwela Books. 2004. Print.