33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

Produced by Euro-CIDES -FR- CAPTIVE/ JUST/2015/RDAP/AG/VICT/9243 Cultural Traditions The Saharawis are ethnically mixed descendants of Berbers, Arabs, and Black Africans. They come from 22 different tribes, although tribal affiliation has much less importance today than in previous centuries. Before the arrival of Spanish colonists, the Saharawis lived nomadic lives, travelling from central Mauritania to southern Morocco and into eastern Algeria. The majority, though, lived and herded camel and goats throughout the territory that today is known as the Western Sahara. As with most peoples living in the Sahara, the Sahrawi culture is mixed. It shows mainl y Arab, Berber a n d Arab-Berber c haracteristics, like the privileged position of women. Sahraoui society is marked by several customs, traditions and specific festivities connected to the different aspects of life, for example, birth, Akika – or the celebration of the seventh day after birth of a baby, circumcision, engagements, weddings, divorces, death and burial as well as religious ceremonies, including religious feasts and the two months of Chaabane and Ramadan. There are also other types of tradition linked to traditional culinary art including popular dishes and beverages and traditional dress. To that is added the sense of generosity, hospitality and entertainment, the furnishing and decoration of homes, the principles of education, the spirit of solidarity and the relation between human beings and cattle, as well as with other animals; in particular the camel - that tireless « vessel of the desert ». These customs and traditions are indispensable tools for understanding the semiotic dimensions and the cultural implications of popular Hassani culture. They also constitute an important factor to understanding the life style in the Southern Provinces and are reflective of the human creativity describing the distinctive feature of the Sahrawi space throughout history. Hair braiding constitute a tradition of the Sahrawi woman going way back in time and eventually becoming an important feature of her overall look. She has managed to develop braids in several different patterns designed to match the occasions in which she partakes. The braids worn on ordinary days are different from those worn for weddings, ceremonies and celebrations. Elderly women wear so-called « Ghafa », « Malfoufa », and « Mchenfa » braid while the « Sala mana », « Baz » and T’azil » braid are more frequently found among young girls. The Sahrawi people rely on songs, storytelling, drawings and paintings to perpetuate their traditions and their history to the younger generations. War and the building of camps have caused a break-up in this cycle. The Ministry of Culture wants to maximize chances given to the younger generation to become competent in this field. The Sahrawi people should be ready, after independence, to carry on the construction work using important elements taken from their own tradition and culture.