FOOD AND TENDER Report 2021

FOOD AND TENDER Salwa Al Hejazi

NOMADIC TRIBES

Introduction / History

The name "Berber" is derived from the Latin word barbari, meaning "barbarians." This term was used by the Romans in the third century A.D. to describe the "people of the Maghrib." (The Maghrib refers to the regions of North Africa that were conquered by Muslims between 670 and 700 A.D. It included Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and the western portion of Libya).The Berbers define themselves as the Imazighen, which means "man of noble origin." Their various languages belong to the Hamito-Semitic language family which includes five major groupings as well as a large number of dialects. Although the Berber languages differ greatly from one another in sound, they only vary slightly in grammar and vocabulary. Berbers are scattered across the vast regions of North Africa. Their tribes stretch from the Siwa Oasis in Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean.

Most likely they once inhabited the entirety of North African, forcing the black population to move further southward through the desert. However, the exact origins of the Berbers and how they arrived in North Africa still remain a mystery.Although the Maghrib has been, for the most part, "Arabized" by language and Islamic culture over the centuries, there are still groups of Berbers who have retained much of their original Berber traditions and characteristics. One of these groups is the Jalo Berbers who live only in Libya.

LIFE IN THE SAHARA

WHAT ARE THEIR LIVES LIKE?

No Berber tribe depends exclusively on farming for survival, yet their economy rests on a fine balance between farming and raising cattle. Hunting rarely adds to the food supply. They depend on domestic animals for carrying heavy loads, milk and dairy products, meat, and hides. In regard to labor, the men do most of the farming, while the women are responsible for milking and gathering.The Berbers are often noted for their skills in various crafts. Domestic tasks such as weaving and pottery are the main work of the women. The men specialize in woodworking, metalworking, and, more surprisingly, fine needlework. The Jalo are now free to display their traditional beautiful needlework at cultural festivals. They also can speak their own dialect of Berber without much interference

from the Libyan government which is almost non-existent. Berber societies can be broken down into three basic units: the community, the district, and the tribe. The community is a political collection of clans; the district is a cluster of communities; and the tribe is a group of districts that are characterized by a common territory, name and culture. Government at the community level is notably democratic. All authority is vested in an assembly called the jemaa. The jemaa, composed of all adult males, usually meets weekly. The primary purpose of these assemblies is to preserve peace within their region, and the threat from insurgents is making their job much more difficult. In view of the general acceptance of Islam, it is particularly interesting that almost all Berbers prefer

monogamous marriages. Even the oasis dwellers and the Tuareg hold this preference. In the few tribes where polygamy does exist, it is practiced only by the few wealthy men.

FOOD AND CUSTOMS

Food in Daily Life.

Food in normal daily life reflects the simplicity of peasant and no madic life styles. Libyan cooking styles are similar whether rural or urban, sedentary or nomad ic. Main courses are almost al ways one–pot dishes. Couscous (cracked wheat), the national dish, is prepared in a spicy sauce of hot peppers, tomatoes, chick peas, and vegetables in season. All meals are eaten out of a com munal bowl. Meals are of great symbolic importance; in the hous es or the tents of prominent men, the major meal of the day rarely is taken without invited guests.

Most meals are frugal and sim ple with the daily consumption of meat kept to a minimum. The Bedouin rarely consume meat more than once a month. Agri culturists always seem to have adequate supplies of fruit, vege tables, and grain. Nomads have an abundance of milk, dates, and grain in most seasons. In both town and desert, meals are end ed with three glasses of green tea, preparation and consumption of which is a distinct ritual.

FOOD AND CUSTOMS

Meals are prepared by the wom en of the household and served to guests by the young men of the household. Food is served on long low tables, tall enough to allow guests to sit cross legged and to belly up to the edge. Meals served in the tented socie ty vary slightly from presentation in towns. In tented society, impor tant guests are honored with a sacrificial slaughter of a goat or sheep. In towns, sacrifice is not as frequent because there usually is easy access to daily markets. The animal is butchered, and the flesh is boiled to form the essential in gredient of a stew to be served over couscous Sometimes var ious types of pasta may be used as a substitute for couscous . The main course usually is preced ed by dried dates, milk, and but termilk. Each liquid is served in a large communal bowl. Libyans drink green tea after all meals and throughout the day. Lavish meals are prepared for almost all ritual occasions. Special and elaborate meals are prepared daily during the month of Ramadan when the daily fast is broken by a meal after sunset.

Food Customs at Cer emonial Occasions.

from Benin in the south, through Bilma and Zawilah, before head ing north into Egypt. Flowing east - salt, kola, gold, ivory, and slaves.

Flowing west - copper, ceramics, and cowrie beads.

Two further diagonal routes crossed the Sahara. From Tim buktu, through Araouane and Taoudenni, then across to Ghad ames before reaching Tripoli. And to the south, from Gao across to Ghat and then on to Egypt. To wards Egypt, gold, slaves, ebony and ivory, in exchange for ceram ics, glass, oil lamps, silk, saffron and beads

TUAREG MERCHANTS

One of the most important trade routes across the Sahara was to the west - the Taghaza Trail - in the north from the oasis town of Aoudaghost (near Fez in Morocco) to the Atlantic coast (now Free town in Sierra Leone).

The route passed through Sidjil masa, Taghaza, Walata, Ghana, Bamako and Niani before reach ing the coast. Flowing southbeads, ceramics, glass, oil lamps, saffron, dates, flour and salt. Flow ing north - slaves, kola nuts and gold. Off this to the west ran the route from Idjil, through Tichitt to Walata, bringing salt.

This route then went on to be one of the main east-west routes across the Sahara; from Walata on to Timbuktu, Jenne (to the south), Goa, through the Tenere Desert to Agadez, before joining the northsouth route in the east, running

Trade Routes across the Sahara

FOOD AND ECONOMY

Caravans are on their way by au tumn. Since the Tenere is com pletely barren, camel fodder is cut beforehand and compressed into compact bales. Only certain vari eties of grass are suitable, princi

pally ‘grifis’ and in the Air massif ‘amassa’. Following droughts, the absence of this grass will prevent caravans from departing. Each camel bears two fodder bales and two goatskins of produce for bartering in Bilma - millet, beans, maize, cheese and dried vegeta bles.

In the photographs above a cara van crossing the Tenere’s dunes towards the oases of Fachi & Bil ma. Each camel bears two fodder

bales and two goatskins of mil let for bartering against dates. A goat - for bartering against saltis perched on a camel. The ‘mada gu’s experience here is invaluable - he will guide the caravan safet ly through the dunes. Sheep and goats are often carried across the Tenere atop camels. Both Fachi & Bilma lack fresh meat. If a cash sale is not possible, they are bar tered for salt & goods.

FOOD AND ECONOMY

caravans of the Tuareg