The impala has a significant role in the Hadzabe and Datooga communities and it also helps the environment. Although a popular animal worldwide, the Hadzabe community’s view of the impala is more precious as it has a significant purpose that many are unaware of. I discovered, for example, that the Hadzabe women use the skin of the impala as sanitary pads during menstruation. They use the impala’s skin because it is soft compared to skins from other animals. The dry season has water shortages, and so they also use the impala’s skin to help them save water as the pads are not washed by water but exposed to the sun after use in order to dry them. After drying they wipe it by hand and they are ready to be used again.
As a visual artist who is also an environmental activist, I made sure that my research was based on the natural resources available in the Hadzabe areas and to find out how nature and the environments, in general, enrich their lives in all aspects. I found this technique unique but also I realised that the use of this kind of pad does not harm the environment as much as the modern ones do since it is eco friendly.
The impala is also one of the larger animals selected to be given as a dowry paid to women, as well as a good source of food in the tribe of Hadzabe. The impala also helps the Hadzabe to use the skin from the animal as a financial alternative of exchanging items with the Datooga tribe as barter trade.
The impala’s skin is one among various skins the Hadzabe use for doing barter trade with the Datooga tribe where the Datoogas use the skin to make clothes for women (only the women from the Datooga tribe wear these clothes). The toothbrush plant or scientifically “Salvadora Percica ” is among the plants that the women collect berries from. This plant is highlighted among many other plants from the tribe because they don’t eat its fruits until they get permission from the Chief.