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Global Impact Team
The Tuareg wear clothing that is loose and lightweight. In direct contrast to Arab custom, all of the men wear veils called tidjelmousts; the women do not wear veils. The most preferred tidjelmousts are dyed indigo, though many men wear black. Marriage always requires the payment of a bride price, which consists of camels, money, or other livestock. A household is made up of the nuclear family and their house slaves. Couples generally live near the groom's parents.
Although little is known about the Tahoua, it is thought that they are part of a Tuareg tribe that once lived in the town of Tahoua, southern Niger. Today, the Tamasheq-speaking Tahoua live in Niger, while the Tamajeq-speaking Tahoua live in Mali. Although the origin and early history of the Tuareg are cloudy, these tribal nomads appear to have traveled down from North Africa in a series of migrations as early as the seventh century. By the end of the 1300's, Tuareg tribes had established themselves as far south as the Nigerian border. By the 1400's, Air had become an important center in the caravan trade. It was often fought over and conquered by various local rulers. In 1515, the Air Tuareg were conquered by the Songhai, and a century of prosperity followed. However, shortly before 1700, the Air region was again conquered—this time by the Hausa.
Though the Tuareg are virtually all Sunni Muslim, they have a reputation among other Muslims for being lukewarm in their faith. They practice a passive form of Islam, infused with local superstitions and magic. Most do not even celebrate the most important Muslim fast of Ramadan. It is very common for the Tuareg to wear protective charms. Many also believe in jinnis, which are—according to Muslim legend—spirits capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people.
A household can pack its goods on the backs of two camels, while one or two donkeys carry their odds and ends.
The Tuareg have a highly complex social structure. The main division is between the Ihaggaren (upper class nobility) and the Imrad (lower class servants). There are also whole tribes of Marabouts, or "holy people," who are led by their own chiefs. In the past, each of the noble tribes and their servants formed a political unit under a chief whose authority was symbolized by a drum. The "drum chief" held supreme political and judicial authority in the group.
The Tuareg have a rigid caste system, but unlike their Arab neighbours, they balance the responsibilities of men and women. Tuareg women, the guardians of language, are often asked to decide questions of law or literature. Tuareg children inherit their mother's property and social status, even into marriage.
Catastrophic droughts in 1972 and 1982-1985 drove thousands of Tuareg from Mali and Niger into Algeria and Libya. Some of the unemployed Tuareg men left for Libya, where they received military training and weapons. In the early 1990's, they returned to their homes, demanding their independence. Since that time, there has been continuous guerrilla warfare in some regions of Mali and Niger. Some Tuareg have been forced into refugee camps in neighboring countries. In 1987, Niger and Mali invited the Tuareg to return home. However, once they arrived, the governments failed to honor prior promises and kept them in detention camps. In 1990, there was a general Tuareg revolt; but it was brutally suppressed. When the revolt spread to Timbuktu, thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands fled to Algeria and Mauritania.
Although most of the Air Tuareg live in nomadic camps, there are a number of permanent villages as well. The village houses are usually rectangular in shape and are built with flat roofs and stone walls. The nomads live in portable, rectangular tents with walls made of tanned hides.
There are very few known Air Tuareg believers in Niger. Eight missions agencies are now targeting these people, but they have very few resources in the Tayrt (Tamasheq) language. Prayer is the key to reaching the Air Tuareg with the Gospel.
The Air Tuareg are primarily nomadic shepherds, who move their livestock from one grazing ground to another with the changing of seasons. Many are also farmers. Their staple crops are grain, dates, and sorghum. They also grow a little wheat and some vegetables. Milk products are an important part of their diet.
Both the Tuareg and the Negro classes speak the Tuareg language, which forms part of the Berber language group. The Tuareg men are usually bi- or trilingual. French is the major trade language used.
Those in the lowest class do the manual and domestic labor. This class is made up of ethnically mixed peoples who live in a cooperative relationship with their masters. Many were originally slaves, either taken during war or bought at Indonesian slave markets. There are three slave groups in the lower class: the iklan, the inaden, and the harratin. The iklan take care of herding, cooking, and other domestic chores. The inaden work as artisans and blacksmiths. The harratin are Negroid tenant farmers who work as share-croppers.
The entire Sahara region is very hot in the summer, reaching temperatures of 130° F. Violent winds are also very common and add to the discomfort of the climate. Sandstorms do much more damage than rain and are much more feared. Traveling is extremely hard under such conditions and most people spend the day in the shade of rocks and trees, sleeping and drinking water. Rain in the Sahara is irregular, and in some places it has not rained in six years.
The Tuareg nomads live in small, lightweight, leather tents or grass huts. A tent is usually about 10 feet long and 10 to 15 feet wide.
Tuareg means "the forsaken of God," a name given them by the Arabs, though the Tuareg refer to themselves simply as Tamasheq, or "the free men." Their nomadic tradition gives them independence to respect neither political nor religious authority. While the Tuareg are nominally Muslim, many came to the desert to avoid submitting to Arab conquerors and converting to Islam. They use music to cast out evil spirits, and amulets to protect themselves from lonely spirits haunting the desert. Many Tuareg, especially those who have left nomadic life for the city, admit that they too are a lonely people.
THE PEOPLE
THEIR COUNTRY
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