Claiming rock art, claiming indigeneity: Spaces and scales of recognition in Khoe and San identity claims

Based on research conducted in South Africa, this work revolves around the observation that certain rock art sites (Wildebeest Kuil, Northern Cape; Game Pass Shelter, KwaZulu-Natal) are utilized within identity and political frameworks—and a question: what role do rock art sites play in the construction of Khoe and San indigeneity? Contemporary indigeneity is closely linked to issues of recognition, which are themselves related to the restitution of rights, objects, and knowledge. Acknowledging the central role of objects in identity claims, this article proposes to analyze the place of these two rock art sites in the political construction of Khoe and San indigeneity. Based on a corpus of interviews, observations, legal texts, and press articles, certain uses of rock art sites will be presented as strategic means within a broader context of claims.