inspiration
This responsibility also reflects a deep, intuitive respect for nature. “Totems influence marital practices and, some say, our characteristics, but they even extend to our dietary codes. People whose totem is a lion may be more inclined to eat meat. But if your totem is an herbivore, you might lean towards a more plant-based diet.” Each totem is a bond that fosters respect and serves as a quiet guide for living in harmony with the natural world. “They bring you back to the understanding that nature is much bigger than any one of us.” Leopards and impalas, zebras, hippopotamuses, baboons; eagles, vultures, and chickens; wild olive trees, mopanes, acacias, and sorghum; the sun, moon, and stars; rain, earth, wind – and even the heart – these are just some of the totems found across Botswana. Together, they reflect a deep cultural commitment to honouring nature and heritage. In many ways, they model shared custodianship, rooted in identity. Totem-holders tend to their
respective thread of the ecosystem, viewing nature not as a singular, overwhelming system, but as a network of relationships – each nurtured with care. When conservation feels overwhelming, this perspective offers a different path: care for what you know, what you belong to, what connects you to the world around you, what you see yourself in. There is no single solution, rather many small, intentional acts of stewardship, each grounded in belonging and deeply rooted in culture. “My Batswana and Zimbabwean ancestry feel like a sacred alignment with the very landscapes I have been privileged to serve within. Each totem adds a layer of care.” A totem cannot be chosen, changed, or acquired. “It is fixed for life,” Lesego says. But that doesn’t mean we can’t care for the elements of nature that call to us. Perhaps what we need most is connection – something more personal, and therefore enduring.
Right To care for one part of nature is to begin caring for it all.
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