The Animals
In the Sahara there are more animals then you would think. There are foxes and scorpions and a huge amount of small animals. The main animals you will see though and the most important to the tribe are the Camels. These are their source of transport as well as their source of milk and cheese. Only on special occasions will they eat meat, they mainly eat lots of melon and dates, so there is no real need to have lots of animals all around the place the main animals they take everywhere with them are the Camel, the Donkey and the Sheep. All the animals they have are only to give them their food, milk and other dairy products they can make. Living in the desert they also have to be careful of scorpions and other harming animals to them and their animals. On the occasions, they do eat meat, like weddings they have to hunt for it, the antelope in the canyons and the goats that live around them, although they mainly live in the desserts some of the areas they live have canyons and bush/grasslands.
The Country
The Tuareg Tribe live in the Sahara Desert. Their population of 2 million people live across the countries of Mali, Niger, Libya, Algeria and Chad. The landscape includes flat desert plains, rugged savanna/grasslands and volcanic mountains. A few Tuareg have emigrated to France. Temperatures range from 4 degrees Celsius at night in the brief cold season, from December to March, upward to 54 degrees Celsius during the day in the hot season. There is a short period of time where it rains through June to September though it often amounts to only 25 centimetres. In their location, you can often find sandstorms and high winds. The Tuareg people take up eight percent of Niger which is where most of the tribe lives.
The People
The people of the Tuareg tribe also known as the blue warriors of the Sahara traditionally wear indigo tagelmust for turbans which stains the skin blue. There are about 2 million that are scattered across the Sahara Desert. Even though the Tuareg tribe has embraced Islam, they have held firmly onto some Muslim customs. Clashing against the rest of the Muslim world, it is the men and not the women who cover their faces, and Tuareg women share the same freedoms as the men.
The Art
The Tuareg tribes express their art in a form of leather, wood or metal. Made to be worn or used. Their main uses are bags, saddles and milk jars, made from leather. Wood can be used to make entrance poles, bowl support, fork poles, or Ehel, which is used for holding mats. Another material used to make art is metal, great for creating silver jewellery. Used as adornment, identification, protection and status. It can be found in the form of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, rings and crosses. Another form of art often found in the Tuareg tribe include mats, cushions, metal locks and blades, all hold a purpose of use for the owners.
Conclusion
The Tuareg tribe is a tribe that struggle to survive, they live off their land and their livestock, even with all of their struggles they still manage to make their art, through the natural materials they find. They make necklaces and jewellery to express their love of their culture and the arts. The weave mats and are different from many other cultures in the way they treat their people and the beliefs they have. They create art and gift it to others. But they always wear their art on their faces.