and plants. No modern medicines can match the medicinal herbs used by Dingakas for centuries to heal and cure diseases. Dingakas also claim to have powers, such as: ordering lightning to strike people and fixing unsteady marriages. Those who wish to practice must register with the Botswana Dingaka Association. Politics Chiefs in the pre-colonial time willingly passed along their powers. This created a societal effect in terms of structure and culture. Following this was the Botswanan mentality of accepting help and finding resources beyond their traditional parameters. It explains why in health and religion why the people in Botswana are mostly open and receptive to outside help, which was not the case for many other societies at the time. Values Before colonial missionaries, Botswanans worshipped Modimo, a Supreme Being. They believed that a being was responsible for creating humankind, animals, and nature. Their cosmology reflected a strong connection between people and the natural environment. One of the most important values held by Botswanans is Botho. Botho means highest respect, honor, and esteem that one holds for another human life. Members of the society are required to practice Botho. Other values in Botswanan society include democracy, development, self-reliance, and unity. There is also a strong value in Morero (consultations), to ensure peace in society. This process is at inter-personal, family, and community levels, where communities and government consult at the Kgotla. Death Most Batswana believe in a heaven, hell, and resurrection in a Christian context. People expect the dead to keep interest in their descendants, as ancestral spirits. People prefer to be buried in their home villages, even if they have not lived there for a long time. Funerals are very important and expensive events. References External links African Mythology Site page on Badimo Culture of Botswana - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family Religion and expressive culture - Tswana Setswana mother tongue: Opportunities and challenges in Namibian schools Culture and Customs of Botswana Postcoloniality, Translation, and the Bible in Africa The State And The Social: State Formation in Botswana and its Precolonial and Colonial Genealogies The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to African Religions Traditional African religions Religion in Botswana