Berber people

**Berbers** or ***Imazighen*** (singular **Amazigh**, plural **Imazighen**) are an ethnic group. They were the first people to live in the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia in North Africa. There are more than 100 different tribes/groups of the Amazigh people that live in different parts of North Africa. **Imazighen** live in two different ways. They always move around to live in different places or they have land and stay in one place. The way they live is different in different parts of North Africa. The Amazigh people speak Tamazight and this language has many different dialects. The dialects use the Tifinagh script.

The Amazigh people have a different culture from the Arab Moroccans who live in Morocco.  The art Imazighen create is unique to them.  This can include pottery, carpet making, blanket making, or tattooing.  The groups show their differences by their distinctive colours and designs.

## The terms "Berber" and "Amazigh"

After the start of the Arab conquest, the native people started being called **Berbers**.  The term **Berbers** comes from the word barbarians.  Barbarians are people who live and behave differently than the Arab settlers.  This term is not used by the Amazigh people.

The term "Amazigh" is what Imazighen liked to be called instead. **Amazigh** is the singular, **Tamazight** is the word for females and **Imazighen** is the plural. The translation of the word means "free people".

### Origin

**Amazigh** people were the first people to live in the Maghrebi region. There were a lot of different **tribes** that lived in different regions. They lived next to Roman provinces.

### Arab Muslim conquest

The Arab conquests which started in the 7th century, brought the Umayyads to the region. They took some control of the region and converted the populace to Islam. Amazigh kingdoms were replaced with Arab ones and Arabic was spoken in lots of places. The people in control were from the Umayyad dynasty. During this time, there were some Berber revolts. In the 8th century, the Berber Muslim leader Uthman ibn Naissa, better known as Munuza, rebelled against the Umayyads and formed his own principality based in Cerdanya on the eastern Pyrenees (in modern-day southern France) and allied with Odo the Great.

### Berber empires

After Arab rule in the region, powerful Berber dynasties such as the Almoravids and Almohads arose; the Almoravids and Almohads controlled Al-Andalus in Europe and the Maghreb. Berbers also ruled the Emirate of Bari in Southern Italy, and the founder of the Emirate of Córdoba, Abd Al-Rahman I, was half Berber and Arab.

### Colonial era

In the 19th and 20th century, the **French** took control of Algeria and Morocco and made a difference between **Arabs** and **Amazigh** people. They continued to call Amazigh people **Berbers**. The **French** thought that **Amazigh** people's way of life was not modern. **Berbers** moved out of cities and close to the Atlas mountains. People were farming, working with leather, making pottery and selling things. Some **Amazigh** people had houses, while others were **nomads** and moved or lived in caves. Most of the time, **Amazigh** groups had their own rules and rituals. Many **Berbers** moved to bigger cities or Europe to look for better jobs. After Morocco and Algeria became free countries, Tamazight languages were not studied at schools and people were not treated in a good way.

### Modern era

**Amazigh** people still live in North African countries and they are a big part of the population in countries like Morocco and Algeria. In 2005, the **PDAM** (Democratic Amazigh Moroccan Party) was established. It wanted to show the Moroccan state that the regions where **Amazigh** people lived were different. **IRCAM** (Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture) was another project which helped with teaching the **Tamazight** language and keeping the **Amazigh** identity. In 2011, **Tamazight** got the status of a national language in Morocco. An **Amazigh** festival has been created and it happens every year.

## Groups and languages

**Tamazight** is the general term for the different Berber dialects. People in North Africa speak Tamazight in different ways in each country and region. Amazigh languages are part of the Afro-Asiatic family and they use the Tifinagh script. When the Arabs arrived to North Africa, Arabic was introduced and **Amazigh** languages were not written anymore. Because of this, less Amazigh people spoke **Amazigh** dialects and switched to speaking Arabic. At the end of the 19th century, **Tamazight** languages started to be used again. They use the Latin and Tifinagh scripts. Today, **Tamazight** is taught in schools in Morocco and Algeria and the language has become an official language in Morocco.

### Diversity in Morocco

In Morocco, the 3 most widely spoken Amazigh languages are Shilha (**Tashelhit**), **Tazayit** (Atlasic) and **Riffian** (Tarifit). **Tashelhit** or Shilha is an **Amazigh** language, spoken largely in the Atlas mountains region in Morocco. It is the most spoken Amazigh language in the country. Because the region has not many cities, the language is shared outside cities by women. This is done through rituals, songs, telling stories to children and everyday-life tasks. Women in this area who did not go to school use **Tashelhit.** Men are around Arabic more because they teach in schools, watch televison and work in cities. Mothers teach their children the language and this way they keep the identity of the community. Even if Arabic is being spoken by local people, they do not want to forget their Amazigh identity.
|Group|Country|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Blida/Médéa Atlas Berbers|Algeria|In Central Algeria.|
|Chaoui people|Algeria|Found mainly in Eastern Algeria.|
|Chenini and Douiret Berbers|Tunisia||
|Chenoui Berbers|Algeria|Ouarsenis and Mount Chenoua (Western Algeria).|
|Chleuhs|Morocco|The High Atlas, Anti-Atlas and the Sous valley.|
|Djerba Berbers|Tunisia|Speakers of the Djerbi language.|
|Ghomaras|Morocco|Only two berber speaking tribes left. Found in the western Rif between Tetouan and Jebha.|
|Guezula|Mauritania||
|Kabyles|Algeria|In Kabylie.|
|Matmata Berbers|Tunisia|In Southern Tunisia.|
|Mozabites|Algeria|In the M'zab Valley (southern Algeria).|
|Nafusis|Libya|In western Libya.|
|Riffians|Morocco|Primarily in northern Morocco, with some also in Beni Snous, Northwestern Algeria|
|Sanhaja|Morocco|Found in the Rif bordering Riffian speaking tribes.|
|Siwi|Egypt|In the Siwa valley of Egypt.|
|Beni Snous|Algeria|Aït Snouss villages of western Algeria. Closely related to the Riffians in Morocco.|
|Tuareg|Algeria, Libya, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso|Sahara (southern Algeria and north of the Sahel).|
|Zayanes|Morocco|Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco.|
|Zenaga|Mauritania||
|Zuwaras|Libya|In northwestern Libya.|
|Benha|Egypt|A family called Al-Barbary lives in Benha.|

## Amazigh arts and culture

Morocco has the biggest amount of Amazigh people in North Africa.

### Amazigh arts in colonial Morocco

From 1926 to 1956, the French people in control of the Moroccan population chose what art and design Amazigh artists had to create. Areas where Amazigh people live had a design and colour given to the area and the artists in this area had to follow these rules when making art. Still today, carpets and blankets, for example, show where Amazigh artists are from because of the colour and design they have used in their art. The French controlled Amazigh arts to help the Moroccan economy. This would make sure that after Morocco is a free country, the country will have enough money to be a successful country.

### Amazigh arts in independent Morocco

After Morocco became an independent country, the Moroccan government made sure not to talk about the Amazigh people. If they were seen as a different ethnicity, the government was afraid the country's identity would not exist. The Amazigh population, however, did not want to be forgotten by the government. Indigenous Amazigh art designs were therefore continued by Amazigh women and their daughters. This is why Amazigh art is strongly connected with women's identity. Most Amazigh people live outside of the cities and this is where all their art is created.

### Amazigh weaving

Weaving is only done in places where sheep can survive and eat. Amazigh groups in the desert make other arts such as pottery.

#### The importance of weaving

Weaving is very important for Amazigh women. In Morocco, women who create fabrics will go to heaven when they die. The wool they use has been approved by God and must be protected. They believe the wool has a soul and the action of weaving is life's energy. The wool's soul is the same as the women's soul, so the carpet or blanket being made has to stay in the women's home. If the wool is taken somewhere else, the woman and her house will lose part of this soul. In Tunisia, to keep the wool safe, Amazigh women put the blood of an animal around the tool they use to make carpets. In Morocco, they put salt around the tool to protect the wool from bad ghosts. When women are finished with their creations, they make a prayer. Every time the women create more of the carpet, more life is created.

##### Process of weaving

Before the women start colouring the wool, they must clean it. They do this by washing it and brushing it through like hair. Then the wool is made into thread which is thinner. The Amazigh women make wool a different colour. Only in the South of Tunisia and the West of Libya do they do it the other way round. The carpet for example is created then the wool is made colourful. To create the colours that will dye the wool, women will use insects or plants. The colour purple for example can be made by using plants that grow in North Africa.

Another thing that is used to make colour is henna. This type of plant is not only used to make colour on wool but also to create patterns on the body. The patterns made on the body are painted at different times of a woman's life.

#### Motifs on the materials

The designs on Amazigh textiles are said to protect the weavers.

- Semi-circle with five lines coming out of it: fertility
- Hands: keep people safe from evil
- Plantlike shapes: fertility—when girls are old enough to marry.
- Hexagon
- Arrows
- Zigzags/triangles/diamonds: power of women
- Triple line
- Checkers
- Circle

#### Colours

- Red: blood, life, fertility
- Blue and Indigo: these colours are good for the skin

#### Process of dyeing

Getting colours from plants or local materials is not easy. Overall, not much is known about the process because Amazigh women do not want to share what they do.

The fabric that women want to make colourful is dipped into different bowls. Each bowl has a different colour in it. Sometimes just a bit of the fabric is put in the bowl to make a small part of it colourful. Sometimes all the fabric is put in if the design they want is just one colour. After, all textiles created by Amazigh women never look the same because colours spread through the wool in different ways.

### Weddings

Weddings for all Amazigh groups are important markers of their identity. Different groups of Amazigh people celebrate weddings differently. In the South of Morocco, the Ait Khabbash are the biggest group of Amazigh people. The way women celebrate their weddings always lasts three days and the celebration has not changed a lot over the years.

### Before the wedding

Women plan the weddings. A meeting between the groom and bride is organised. If they agree on marrying each other, the groom's mother meets the bride's family and brings them gifts.The gifts are henna, meat and tea.

Before the wedding starts, a tent is put up. The groom chooses three men (usually called Ihddaden) to build this tent. They build the tent close to the grooms. All of the wedding happens in and around this tent. It is very important because it reminds the Amazigh people of their nomadic life.

What the woman wears is a very important process and tradition. She is dressed in red and white clothes and has silver jewelry around her neck. The clothes and jewlery are brought for her by her groom. She has henna painted onto her hands and while other women are doing this, they sing songs that have been in the family for a long time. The groom wears the same coloured clothes as the woman and also has songs sung to him. While he is being dressed, he sits on his mother's lap. The process of dressing him is not as special as the bride's.

### During the wedding

**On the first day**, the bride arrives at her wedding tent. She arrives on a horse or camel. A red carpet from the woman's home is put on the back of the animal. A little boy called Muhammad sits on the horse with the woman. The woman is sung to while she goes to the tent. When she gets to the tent, she goes around it three times counterclockwise. She is given milk to drink and then puts a bit of it on the other people at the wedding. The woman's face is covered by a white cloth. This day is the first day that the bride and groom will sleep together.

**On the second day**, the woman has gone from being a girl to a woman. The woman therefore wears white clothes with her own blood on. This blood is to show that she has become a woman. A lot of celebrations happen on the second day. Lots of songs are sung to the woman. Some songs ask God to look after the wedding. Other songs talk about what the woman is wearing. The men also sing songs for the bride. They perform for her so that her wedding and life is happy and successful. The most important part of this day is the killing of an animal. At twelve o'clock, this animal is killed because the Ait Khabbash group believes it brings good things to the couple and the blood makes the family united.

**On the third day**, lots of orange and black paint is put onto the woman's face. The cloth that has been on her face all wedding is still not taken off. While women are painting the bride's face, they sing to her. The wedding ends when a big dance is performed. This is done after the white cloth is finally taken off of the bride's face.

## Other websites

- The New Mass Media and the Shaping of Amazigh Identity
- Encyclopedia of the Orient -- Berbers