People around the world move from place to place in many different ways. Planes, trains and automobiles are all common ways to get around. However, in Botswana, one special way people travel is by using a mokoro. This field note will explore how the mokoro helps people get around, how it feels to ride in one and why it is important to Botswana’s culture and natural environment.
In Botswana, people sometimes get around using a mokoro. A mokoro is a long, narrow canoe made from wood (and today sometimes from fiberglass). Instead of paddles, a person stands at the back of the mokuro and pushes it through the shallow water with a long pole. Mokoros are often used where I live, in the Okavango Delta, where there are many rivers, reeds and wetlands. The people who live in this region call themselves “river people” since the river is a major source of their livelihood and culture and is a unique part of a country that is mainly a dry desert.
