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Batawana Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Duiker (Setswana: phuti), inherited from their parent Bangwato group
History & origin
A principal Tswana group of Botswana's Ngamiland (North-West) District, centred on Maun, with villages such as Kareng, Nokaneng and Sehitwa. The Batawana are an 18th-century offshoot of the Bangwato (and thus ultimately of the Bakwena), founded by Tawana after a succession dispute; they migrated north and settled around the southern edge of the Okavango Delta. They share the phuti (duiker) totem with the Bangwato. Their location around the Okavango brought them into close interaction with the Wayeyi, Hambukushu and other riverine peoples.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Tawana, Moremi, Letsholathebe.
We publish the full diboko (clan praises) only once we can verify them against documented tradition — for this clan they are still being confirmed. If you can share an authoritative version, corrections are warmly welcomed.