The Tuareg (pronounced TWAH-reg) are a smaller population consisting of only 1 million, but cover six countries in Africa. It covers a large part in southern Algeria and circled through central Mali, Burkina Faso, the very northern tip of Benin, Nigeria and half of Niger. The Tuareg are known for their men's practice of veiling the face with a blue, indigo-dyed cloth. In the Sahara Desert, where most of them reside, they are known as the "Blue Men." The Tuareg men's face-veil has several different meanings. It shows the male gender role identity and shows that he respects and reserves the cultural values of the Tuareg. It protects them from evil spirit that enters through bodily openings. The face-veil is also attractive to the women and has many different styles. It covers the nose and mouth. Women do not wear the face-veils, they wear a head-scarf which only covers her hair after she is married to show that she is married and can no longer be loved by any other man. There are a variety of styles from tie-dyed to plain cotton.
The weather is hot during the winter and windy with sandstorms in the winter. The temperature ranges are extreme from about 130 degrees Fahrenheit to only 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Many Tuareg have migrated to rural and urban areas farther south to avoid the droughts and natural disasters, which brought on the famine in the southern part of Algeria. There is a variety of foods that are obtained through caravan trade, such as millet and several spices. They farm their own crops including barley, wheat, corn, onions, tomatoes, and dates. Dried and pounded vegetables are added to sauces. Meat is only eaten on holidays and rites of passage. The Tuareg eat a lot of fish along the River Niger. The major language of the Tuareg is Tamacheq. Most of the Tuareg are Muslim. They read the Koran and believe that there are a lot of evil spirits because of the many illnesses in their culture. They also practice fortune-telling with cowrie shells, lizards, mirrors, and sometimes use the Koran to heal.
The rites of passage among the Tuareg are like that of the Hausa culture. They have a secret naming ceremony about a week after a baby is born. The night before the naming ceremony, the elderly female relatives take the baby and give him or her a secret Tamacheq name. The day of the naming ceremony they cut a piece of the baby's hair and bind it with the spirit world and the father gives the baby an official Arabic name from the Koran. The Islamic scholar, the religious leader performing the ceremony, cuts the throat of a ram while he says the name of the baby and everyone celebrates with a feast, camel-races, and evening dancing festivals.
Link: Tuareg
References:
Gall, Timothy L. "Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life." Volume 1
Africa. Cleveland: Eastword Publications Development, 1998.
Murdock, George P. "Atlas of World Cultures." Pittsburgh: Feffer and Simons, 1981.
By: Carrie Martin