The Language of the Land Living Among the Hadzabe in Africa

A rare adventure with the last Stone Age hunting and gathering tribe in Africa. In l997 James Stephenson arranged to have almost a full year free, a year he wanted to spend among the Hadzabe in East Africa. He had visited these people several times previously and with every trip his fascination with them deepened, for the Hadzabe are the last hunters and gatherers still living a traditional life in Africa. At the age of 27, Stephenson intended to spend the year living among the Hadzabe, and, more importantly, living their life, hunting what they hunted, eating what they ate, participating in their dances and ceremonies, consulting with their medicine men and learning their myths and dreams. Armed only with his camera, his art supplies and the open-hearted courage of youth, he set out to visit with a people who have changed little since the Stone Age. He wanted to glimpse the world as they perceived it and learn the wisdom they had wrestled from the land. This account of his adventure and what he learned is travel writing at its best, reminiscent of the books of Peter Beard and Bruce Chatwin.

James Stephenson received his B.A. in English Literature at Ohio State University, and studied at the Rhode Island School for Design. Currently working as a landscape artist in New York City, where he designs rooftop gardens, Stephenson lives in Brooklyn and Tanzania, East Africa.