Trails of Namaland: a thick mapping of adaptation in the landscape

This paper examines how a multi-narrative section, as a thick mapping representation, operates simultaneously as analytical and propositional design research. Through multimodal analysis of the representation’s compositional, interpersonal and ideational meanings, we reveal three interconnected findings: (1) Nama spiritual and cultural knowledge is structured through spatial-temporal relationships (vertical ground-wind-moon connections; horizontal transhumance routes); (2) embodied movement and threshold moments constitute central practices of stewardship and healing; and (3) design, when grounded in careful listening and embodied engagement, becomes a tool for visibility and adaptation in socio-ecological transitions. Situated within a Master’s landscape architecture thesis investigating Nama women’s knowledges and practices in the Karoo, this work demonstrates how thick mapping, framed through Puig de la Bellcasa’s concept of ‘reclaiming care’, can generate transformative design research that enables recognition; is disruptive; and imagines ‘what could be’. We argue that care-full design practice – combining recognition, immersion and futuring – offers a framework for future co-design processes that honours embodied knowledge while supporting community agency.