The southeastern region of South Africa has been the home of the Xhosa people for centuries. During the time of apartheid, the area became designated as a "homeland”, known as Transkei, where the population were deprived of the rights of national citizenship. Many long-standing traditions continue to be practiced there. South Africa, Transkei, 1992 Slide 2. Initiates into manhood live for a month in a communal hut outside their village, their faces and unclothed bodies covered in white clay. As they bond with their natural surroundings and with each other, they receive daily visits from village elders who instruct them in spiritual matters and their responsibilities as men. South Africa, Transkei, 1992 Slide 3. Eastern Cape Province (formerly Transkei) - On the day they enter manhood, they walk to a nearby stream, wash off the white clay, then, clothed only in blankets, re-enter their village where they receive a new suit of clothes and are welcomed as men. South Africa, Quanda, 2009 Slide 4.Eastern Cape Province (formerly Transkei) - Nelson Mandela was born and grew up in this region. After he was elected president, Transkei became incorporated into the Eastern Cape Province, and all the former “homelands” were granted the full rights of citizenship. South Africa, Quanda, 2009 #southafrica #apartheid #archive