Because they had very sparse written records of their history.
Why heritage is controversial and debated
Many people place great importance on heritage, hence, it becomes worth debating the topic of exactly what heritage one has, and what the implications of that heritage are.
Because the Africaans became landlord of all the land and the Black People did not have a right to own and therefore could not pass it on to succeding generations.
of Debate
John F. Kennedy debated Richard M. Nixon in the first televised Presidential debate
History records that a total of 5.9 million persons of Jewish heritage were executed or died during WWII as a result of the Nazi's "Final Solution". This figure is still debated in some circles, but is the most commonly accepted one.
World Heritage, Local Heritage, Family Heritage
There is no hotly debated question regarding Yom Kippur.
Plato
Yes.
Nikita Khrushchev from Germany debated against Kennedy during the Berlin Crisis.
Abraham Lincoln debated against Stephen Douglas in the 1858 US Senate campaign, from Illinois.