Tusken Raider Tusken Raiders , less formally referred to as Sand People or simply as Tuskens , were a culture of nomadic , primitive sentients indigenous to Tatooine , where they were often hostile to local settlers . Culture . Tusken Raiders were a species native to the desert world of Tatooine . Their homeworld ' s harsh environment resulted in them being extremely xenophobic & territorial of their native resources , often attacking the outskirts of smaller settlements such as Anchorhead . The Sand People believed that all water was sacred and promised to them , resulting in them raiding moisture farm s set up by colonists . Additionally , Tusken Raiders harvested black melon s which grew in the Jundland Wastes , providing them with a reliable source of milk . Tusken clan groups consisted of 20 to 30 individuals , and were led by clan leaders , tribal chiefs , and warlords . The Sand People communicated in a language known as Tusken . At the age of 15 , a Tusken became an adult , and had to slay a krayt dragon and cut out the precious pearl found in its stomach . Tuskens inhabited encampments scattered across an area of the rocky Jundland Wastes known as The Needles , which were guarded from intruders by vicious massiff s . Male Tusken Raiders were the warriors of their clans , often attacking vulnerable travelers that were unfortunate enough to wander through their territory . They wielded gaderffii stick s in combat , and used Tusken Cyclers to fire on vehicles they spotted . Every Tusken warrior created their own gaderffii stick , making each one unique . Males wore rough wrappings and garments that provided protection and allowed ease of movement . Females could be distinguished by their elaborate jeweled masks with eyeslits and torso - covering sand - shrouds . Tusken children wore unisex cowls and simple cloaks , and couldn ' t dress like males or females until they reached adulthood . All Sand People wore mouth grilles and eye coverings to retain moisture and keep sand out . They were forbidden to remove their clothing in front of others , except at childbirth , on their wedding night , and at coming - of - age ceremonies . The Sand People and bantha s shared a close , almost mystical bond . During warrior initiation rites , a young Tusken was given a bantha matching their own gender and learned to care for it , with the pair becoming extremely close as the youth earned a place in its clan . When Sand People married , their banthas also mated , and , should its rider die , their bantha usually perished shortly after . If a bantha died before its rider , its remains were placed in a large graveyard , which was treated with great respect by Tuskens and other banthas . History . Pre - Clone Wars . During the Boonta Eve Classic , several Sand People camped out on Canyon Dune Turn . During the first lap , they took several shots at passing podracer s with their projectile rifles . Though initially unsuccessful , on the second lap a Tusken managed to shoot down the podracer of pilot Teemto Pagalies , causing it to crash . A month before the Battle of Geonosis , Sand People attacked the Lars moisture farm and kidnapped Shmi Skywalker Lars , whom they imprisoned and tortured . Her son , the Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker , returned to Tatooine to rescue her , but after finding her in a Tusken camp , she died of her injuries . The vengeful Anakin proceeded to slaughter every nearby Tusken . Following the massacre , the Tuskens began to fear Skywalker as a vengeful desert demon , and began performing ritual sacrifices to ward him off . Age of the Empire . In 2 BBY , while searching for Obi - Wan Kenobi , Ezra Bridger and C1 - 10P were ambushed by a group of Tusken Raiders , who succeeded in destroying their ship before being killed by the former Sith apprentice Darth Maul . Galactic Civil War . Two years later , Anakin ' s son Luke was attacked by A ' Koba and a group of Tuskens after venturing from the homestead to retrieve R2 - D2 . Fortunately , Obi - Wan Kenobi warded off the Tuskens by imitating the cry of a krayt dragon , Tatooine ' s deadliest predator . Shortly after the Battle of Yavin , Darth Vader slaughtered a village of Tuskens prior to his meeting with bounty hunter s Boba Fett and Black Krrsantan . Following the attack , the Tuskens then built a shrine to Vader , in order to sacrifice some of themselves to ensure that he would not return . Sometime after , a Tusken known as the " Jundland General " led his people in a series of coordinated strikes against the colonists of Tatooine . However , the efforts of him and his followers were crushed by a group of mercenaries led by Saponza and his partner . New Republic Era . In 34 ABY , during his self - imposed exile on Ahch - To , the Jedi Master Luke had a dream where he ignored Prince ss Leia Organa ' s message and never joined the rebellion . In his dream , two decades had passed since any Tusken Raider had been seen on his side of Anchorhead and that nothing was left of them except for bones . Luke noted that for some reason it made him feel sad . Behind the scenes . The Tuskens appeared initially in the of " Star Wars : A New Hope " , as Imperial spies deployed as a platoon onto the surface of Tatooine to search for whatever had brought Deak Starkiller to that planet . They appeared to be humanoid , with red eyes , and drove distinctive landspeeder s . They became a native people of Tatooine in the .