In 1856 Xhosaland, long before the area became what is now eastern South Africa, Sarhili, the King of all the Xhosa, called a council of chiefs to meet at Hohita, his Great Place. Representatives from all of the native communities of the area gathered to discuss the looming disasters afflicting their people. As the result of several wars, the British colonial power had made further incursions upon Xhosaland, and there was no indication their greed for the land belonging to native communities would subside. Natural disaster and growing religious fervor for mysterious prophecies were the sources of social catastrophes in the countryside. Chiefs from the Xhosa, Thembu, and Sotho, acting in full representative power for their communities, would need to make difficult decisions, working either with or against each other, to address the crises at hand.

Chair: Heather Hwalek,