Henrick Witbooi To Theodor Leutwein Analysis

"Henrick Witbooi to Theodor Leutwein" is a letter written on August 17, 1884, composed in German South-West Africa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_South-West_Africa). Witbooi was Chief of the Ikhowesin people, also known by the people as the ‘captain who disappears in the grass’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hendrik_Witbooi_(Namaqua_chief). The Ikhowesin people were of the tribes of the Nama people, currently located in an area now called Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa. The letter drafted by Chief Witbooi has conviction and is in a desperate plea to negate an attack, resulting in bloodshed and defeat upon his people and the land territory they inhabit. Prior to the time period of the letter, locally on the continent of Africa, German and British missionaries began exploiting Southwest Africa. Additionally, the two main tribes of the territory had competed for acquiring firearms. Internationally of high importance, the Berlin West Africa Conference took place, which organized the division of Africa between the British, French, Portuguese and Belgians. Furthermore, during this historical period, the Western World was at the height of Imperialist expansion and class war. …show more content…
Within the contents of the letter, Witbooi takes a stance of ‘victim’ without fault to the accusations made against him, “You claim that I try to seduce people to do malicious things” (Witbooi, par 2). The letter lists the fallacy claims made against him, and he rebuts the allegations. Witbooi states Leutwein knows of his innocence, and Leutwein’s endeavor to conjure upheaval to acquire resources and profit. Witbooi pleads his innocence and good conscious honoring the Lord, as he was not going to back off but fight for his rightful