Matilde Sclafani
Born October 26 1908 -
Died December 9, 2007
Nonna you lived a long life and from what I know, you died a relatively peaceful death, so my only real regret or sorrow at your passing is that I didn't get to see you one last time and say good bye. I wish I knew you better and took greater advantage of the time you spent living with us.
God speed, Nonna.
Rangy, leggy, lean, rugged, and elegant, the Azawakh is extremely high-stationed, taller than it is long. Its back length should be 90 percent of its leg length to withers (shoulder blades). It has a deep chest, which should not go below the elbows, and a high tuck/waist.
The breed natively weighs from 33 to 55 pounds (15-25 kg); its height is 24 to 29 inches (60-74 cm). As a pet and without a strict (protein and reduced calorie) diet, an Azawakh that would weigh 50 pounds in the Sahel, can easily become a 70+ pound couch potato. The coat is very short and almost absent on the belly. Its bone structure shows clearly through the skin and musculature. Its muscles lie quite flat, unlike the Greyhound, and in this respect it is closer to the Saluki.
Colours permitted by the FCI breed standard are clear sand to dark fawn/brown, red and brindle (with or without a dark mask), with white bib, tail tip, and white on all feet (which can be tips of toes to high stockings). Currently, white stockings that go above the elbow joint are considered disqualifying features in France, as is a white collar or half collar. Many other colours occur in Africa such as black, blue fawn (that is, with a lilac cast), grizzle, and blue. The Azawakh in its native land also comes in particolour. Blue brindle is also found in about 0.5% of the population; this is a normal recessive gene which again does not meet current FCI standards. The Azawakh’s light, supple, elastic gait is a notable breed characteristic, as is a 'bouncy gallop'.
Uncommon for a large breed, Azawakhs have no known predisposed genetic diseases (such as hip dysplasia).
Azawakhs need to be well socialised from an early age and should be challenged with new situations.
Being desert bred means they have almost no odor relative to other dogs. They make excellent travel companions for such a tall breed because when seated they only take up a fraction of the space they do when standing.
They are a combination of a sprinter (though not anywhere as fast as a Greyhound) and a long distance runner (like a Saluki). Therefore they need a good to high level of exercise and should have regular runs off lead in large enclosed areas to run off steam.
it manages to balance a close bond with its owner with a strong,
almost feline independence. They are attentive yet aloof. With those
they accept, Azawakhs are gentle and affectionate. With strangers they
are reserved and prefer not to be touched, but are not aggressive.
Although raised to protect livestock, they do not have native
aggression toward canine nor human unless they perceive them as a
threat. They are also very lively and extremely intelligent.
Azawakhs have the unique ability to recognize other Azawakhs on sight, and bond naturally with members of their own breed.
Azawakh among the Tuareg
Bred by the Tuareg, Fula and various other nomads of the Sahara and sub-Saharan Sahel in the countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the breed is used there as a guard dog and to hunt gazelle and hare at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Though highly prized by the Tuareg they historically have been very stern toward them which has accentuated the breed's ruggedness and independence. Unlike some other Afro-Asian sighthounds it is more of a pack hunter and they bump down the quarry with hindquarters when it has been tired out. In role of a guard dog, if an Azawakh senses danger it will bark to alert the other members of the pack, and they will gather together as a pack under the lead of the alpha dog, then chase off or attack the predator. The Sloughi, by comparison, is more of an independent lone hunter and has a high hunting instinct.
They are relatively uncommon in Europe and North America but there is a growing band of devotees. There are estimated to be less than 200 Azawakhs in North America. It is very feline in temperament and therefore not a good pet for mainstream owners. It will not fetch. However, well socialised and trained, they can be good with other dogs, cats, children, and strangers. The breed is not yet registered by CKC or AKC (but is recorded in AKC’s Foundation Stock Service); it is registered with UKC, ARBA and others.
The Azawakh is perhaps the oldest known breed of domesticated dog. As a purebreed type, its history can be traced back almost 5000 years. Widely admired for its beauty, speed, and endurance, the Azawakh historically travelled throughout the Middle East with the nomadic, desert dwelling, Tuareg tribes and therefore the habitat and actual origin of the Azawakh comprised a region stretching through North Africa, most specifically Mali.
To strangers they may appear reserved and uninterested. They need regular exercise, but behave quietly indoors. They do not bark much but "sing" when they feel that something is wrong or when a member of the family is away for a long period of time. They get along well with children, but must be respected when they want to be left alone and rest. Azawakhs have a fairly long life span, living an average of 12-13 years.
Sensitive and extremely intelligent, the Azawakhs should never be trained using force or hard-handed methods. They are usually quiet and don't bark unless there is a reason.
Azawakhs really should not be allowed off leash. Their strong prey drive can lead them to chase deer and other animals, and they can be difficult to stop, seemingly becoming "drunk" with running. A fence of at least five feet tall is highly recommended, as an Azawakh can easily jump anything lower than that.
Like most sighthounds, the Azawakh is a very healthy breed. The biggest problem to worry about is their sensitivity to anesthesia as a result of their low levels of body fat
The Azawakh has historically served as a courser, a speedy hunting
dog that operated in packs. Descendants of the breed also appear on the Egyptian
tombs of 2100 B.C. They were so esteemed that their bodies were often
mummified like the bodies of the Pharaohs themselves. The remains of
numerous specimens have thus been found in the ancient tombs of the
Upper Nile region. In the Middle East, dogs were often seen as dirty,
but the Azawakhs were treasured by the Bedouin for the "Kiss of Allah" or
white spot on the dog. These dogs often hunted in tandem with falcons
which would find prey which the Azawakhs would then chase down. Bedouin
in the Middle East valued Azawakh and bred them over millenia to be beautiful and
to possess good hunting and guard dog qualities. So prized were they that they slept with their owners in their
tents to be protected from the heat of the day and the cold of the
night. They would also ride atop camels allowing them to scan the desert horizon for prey (hence the term sighthound). Once they spotted an animal they would alert the owner who would release the hounds who would then wear down the prey with their superior endurance. This allowed for the addition of another fresh meat source for the Tuareg and secured them a place in the tribe. The Tuareg are a truly amazing culture. They are feared throughout the desert as an extremely fierce tribe. Being nomadic they live an almost totally "free" lifestlye (their name actually means free people). They are worth checking out in their own right so I have included the wikipedia entry.
The Tuareg are nomadic people and are the principal inhabitants of the Saharan interior of North Africa.[2] The Tuareg (also spelled Touareg in French, Twareg in English, طوارق in Arabic, Itargiyen in Berber languages other than tamashek) are a pastoralist nation.[1] Tuareg is a name that was applied to them by early explorers and historians (since Leo Africanus). They call themselves variously Kel Tamasheq, Kel Tamajaq "Speakers of Tamasheq" and Imuhagh, Imazaghan or Imashaghen meaning "the Free people". The Tuareg people also call themselves Kel Tagelmust i.e. "People of the Veil" (See Rodd 1926).
The origin and meaning of the name Twareg has long been debated with various etymologies advanced, although it would appear that Twārəg is derived from the "broken plural" of Tārgi, a name whose former meaning was "inhabitant of Targa" (the Tuareg name of the Libyan region commonly known as Fezzan. Targa in Berber means "(drainage) channel", see Alojali et al. 2003: 656, s.v. "Targa"). A misinterpretation of Twārəg as a name connected with the Arabic root ṬRQ made up a false etymology "abandoned (by God)", which has no real linguistic support and is sometimes quoted by those who want to defame this ethnic group.
The Tuareg today are found mostly in West Africa, but, like many in Northern Africa, were once nomads throughout the Sahara. They have a little-used but ancient script known as the tifinaɤ.
Descended from Berbers in the region that is now Libya, the Tuareg are descendants of ancient Saharan peoples described by Herodotus, who mentions the ancient Libyan people, the Garamantes. Archaeological testimony is the ruins of Germa. Later, they expanded southward, into the Sahel.
For over two millennia, the Tuareg operated the trans-Saharan caravan trade connecting the great cities on the southern edge of the Sahara via five desert trade routes to the northern (Mediterranean) coast of Africa.[1] The Tuareg adopted camel nomadism along with its distinctive form of social organization from camel-herding Arabs about two thousand years ago, when the camel was introduced to the Sahara from Saudi Arabia. Like numerous African and other groups in pre-modern times, the Tuareg once took captives, either for trade or for domestic purposes; those who were not sold became assimilated into the Tuareg community. Captive servants and herdsmen formed a component of the division of labor in camel nomadism.
In the early nineteenth century, the Tuareg resisted the French invasion of their Central Saharan homelands for the purpose of colonization. Tuareg broadswords were no match for the more advanced weapons of French squadrons, and after numerous massacres on both sides,[2] the Tuareg were subdued and required to sign treaties in Mali 1905 and Niger 1917. In southern Algeria, the French met some of the strongest resistance from the Ahaggar Tuareg. Their Amenokal, traditional chief Moussa ag Amastan, fought numerous battles in defense of the region. Finally, Tuareg territories were taken under French governance and their confederations were largely dismantled and reorganized.
Before French colonization, the Tuareg were organized into loose confederations, each consisting of a dozen or so tribes. Each of the main groups had a traditional leader called Amenokal along with an assembly of tribal chiefs (imɤaran, singular amɤar). The groups were the Kel Ahaggar, Kel Ajjer, Kel Ayr, Adrar n Fughas, Iwəlləmədan and Kel Gres.
Following the independence of African countries in 1960s, Tuareg territory was artificially divided into modern nations: Niger,Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Burkina Faso.
Long-standing competition for resources in the Sahel has impacted Tuareg conflicts with neighboring African groups, especially after political disruption and economic constraints following French colonization and independence, tight restrictions placed on nomadization, high population growth, and desertification exacerbated by global warming and the increased firewood needs of growing cities. Today, some Tuareg are experimenting with farming; some have been forced to abandon herding, and seek jobs in towns and cities.
In Mali, a Tuareg uprising resurfaced in the Adrar N'Fughas mountains in the 1960s, following Mali's independence. In May 1990, in the aftermath of a clash between government soldiers and Tuareg outside a prison in Tchin-Tabaraden, Niger, Tuaregs in both Mali and Niger claimed autonomy for their traditional homeland: (Tenere, capital Agadez, in Niger and the Azawad and Kidal regions of Mali). Deadly clashes between Tuareg fighters and the military of both countries followed, with deaths numbering well into the thousands. Negotiations initiated by France and Algeria led to peace agreements (January 11, 1992 in Mali and 1995 in Niger). Both agreements called for decentralization of national power and guaranteed the integration of Tuareg resistance fighters into the countries' respective national armies.
Major fighting between the Tuareg resistance and government security forces ended after the 1995 and 1996 agreements, but in 2004, sporadic fighting continued in Niger between government forces and groups struggling to obtain Tuareg independence. In 2007, a new surge in violence occurred.
Traditional social stratification
Traditionally, Tuareg society is hierarchal, with nobility and vasals. The work of pastoralism was specialized according to social class: imúšaɤ, warrior-aristocrats who organized group defense, livestock raids, and the long-distance caravan trade; ímɤad, vassal-herdsmen who pastured and tended most of the confederation's livestock; ìnhædˤæn, blacksmith-clients who fabricated and repaired the saddles, tools, household equipment and other material needs of the community. After the adoption of Islam, a separate class of religious clerics, the marabout, also became integral to Tuareg social structure. Traditionally, the traders had a higher status than all but the nobility among their more settled compatriots to the south. With time, that difference has eroded, corresponding to the economic fortunes of the two groups.
Formerly —like most other Africans— the Tuareg also held éklan (slaves), often war prisoners darker than the generally brown-skinned Tuareg. According to the Travel Channel show Bob Geldof in Africa, the descendants of those slaves (known as the Bella) are still slaves in all but name. In Niger, where the practice of slavery was outlawed in 2003, a study found that almost 8% of the population are still slaves.
Tuareg territory
Areas where significant numbers of Tuaregs live
The Tuareg people inhabit a large area covering almost all the middle and western Sahara and the north-central Sahel. In Tuareg terms, the Sahara is not one desert but many, so they call it Tinariwen "the Deserts". Among the many deserts in Africa there is the true desert Tenere. Then we can cite numerous deserts more and less arid, flat and mountainous: Adrar, Tagant, Tawat (Touat) Tanezruft, Adghagh n Fughas, Tamasna, Azawagh, Adar, Damargu, Tagama, Manga, Ayr, Tarramit (Termit), Kawar, Djado, Tadmait, Admer, Igharghar, Ahaggar, Tassili N'Ajjer, Tadrart, Idhan, Tanghart, Fezzan, Tibesti, Kalansho, Libyan Desert & etc.
Tuareg confederations, political centers, and leaders
At the turn of the 19th century the Tuareg country was organized into confederations, each ruled by a supreme Chief (Amenokal), along with a counsel of senior tribesmen elected to assist the chief. The most famous Tuareg leader was a woman, Tin Hinan,
heroine and spiritual leader who founded a legendary kingdom in the
Ahaggar mountains.
Culture
The Tuareg are matrilineal, though not matriarchal. Unlike many Muslim societies, women do not traditionally wear the veil, whereas men do. The most famous Tuareg symbol is the Tagelmust, an often blue indigo coloured veil. The men's facial covering originates from the belief that such action wards off evil spirits, but most probably relates to protection against the harsh desert sands as well; in any event, it is a firmly established tradition (as is the wearing of amulets containing verses from the Qur'an). Men begin wearing a veil when they reach maturity which usually conceals their entire face excluding their eyes and the top of the nose.
Many Tuareg today are either settled agriculturalists or nomadic cattle breeders; though there are also blacksmiths and caravan leaders.
The Tuareg are sometimes called the "Blue People" because the indigo pigment in the cloth of their traditional robes and turbans stained the wearer's skin dark blue. Today, the traditional indigo turban is still preferred for celebrations, and generally Tuaregs wear clothing and turbans in a variety of colors.
Language
The Tuareg speak Tamajaq/Tamasheq/Tamahaq, a southern Berber language having several dialects among the different regions. Berber is an Afro-Asiatic language closely related to Pharaonic Egyptian and the Semitic languages (such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic). The language is called Tamasheq by western Tuareg in Mali, Tamahaq among Algerian and Libyan Tuareg, and Tamajaq in the Azawagh and Aïr regions, Niger. The Tamajaq writing system, Tifinagh (also called Shifinagh and Tifinar), descends directly from the original Berber script used by the Numidians in pre-Roman times.[1]
Religion
The Tuareg have been predominantly Muslim since the 16th century. They combine Sunni Islam (specifically the Maliki madhhab, popular in North and West Africa) with certain pre-Islamic animistic beliefs, including spirits of nature (Kel Asuf) and such syncretic beliefs as divination through means of the Qur'an.
Arts
Much Tuareg art is in the form of jewelry, leather and metal saddle decorations called 'Trik', and finely crafted swords. The Inadan community makes traditional handicrafts. Among their products are: Tanaghilt or Zakkat (the 'Agadez Cross' or 'Croix d'Agadez'); the Tuareg Takoba, a nearly one meter long sword, with red leather cover; many beautiful gold and silver-made necklaces called 'Takaza'; and earrings called 'Tizabaten'.
In 2007, Stanford's Cantor Arts Center opened an exhibition, "Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern World," curated by Tom Seligman, Director of the center, who first spent time with the Tuareg in 1971 when he traveled through the Sahara after serving in the Peace Corps. The exhibition includes beautifully crafted and adorned functional objects such as camel saddles, tents, bags, swords, amulets, cushions, dresses, earrings, spoons and drums.[3] The exhibition is also being shown at UCLA Fowler Museum in Los Angeles and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington DC.
Traditional music
Traditional Tuareg music has two major components: the moncord violin Anzad played often during night parties and a small tambour covered with goatskin called Tende, performed during camel races and horse races. and other festivities. Another popular Tuareg musical genre is Takamba, characteristic for its Afro-Berber percussions.
Tinariwen, a Tuareg band that fuses electric guitars and indigenous musical styles, was founded in the 1980s by rebel fighters. They released their first CD in 2000, and toured in Europe and the United States in 2004. The Niger-based band Etran Finatawa combines Tuareg and Wodaabe members, playing a combination of traditional instruments and electric guitars.
Many music groups emerged after the 1980s cultural revival. Among them Tartit, Imaran and known artists are: Abdallah Oumbadougou from Ayr, Baly Othmany of Djanet.
The Desert Festival in Mali's Timbuktu is the best place to see Tuareg culture and dance and hear their music. The event has the easiest access for tourists and is not yet very commercialised (though the process is happening).
Economy
The Tuareg are a pastoral people, having an economy based on livestock breeding, trading, and agriculture.[1] A contemporary variant is occurring in northern Niger, in a traditionally Tuareg territory that comprises most of the uranium-rich land of the country. The central government in Niamey has shown itself unwilling to cede control of the highly profitable mining to indigenous clans; the Tuareg are determined not to relinquish the prospect of substantial economic benefit; the French government has independently entered the fray to defend a French firm, Areva, established in Niger for fifty years and now mining the massive Imouraren deposit. Tuareg are distinguished in their native language as the Imouhar, meaning the free people; the overlap of meaning has increased local cultural nationalism. Additional complaints against Areva are that it's "plundering . . . the natural resources and [draining] the fossil deposits. It is undoubtedly an ecological catastrophe."
The regional mines yield uranium ores, which are then lightly processed to produce yellowcake, sought by aspirational nuclear powers. An acid controversy in the United States erupted out of a report asserting that Saddam Hussein had not tried to buy yellowcake from Niger, partly on grounds that Nigerien uranium mines were formally closed; in fact, many are disused and lightly sealed, allowing individuals to enter and mine at will.
In 2007, Tuareg people in Niger have allied themselves with the MNJ, the Nigerien Movement for Justice. U.S. Special Forces teams have trained Tuareg in the Sahel region as part of the Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership; the trainees often go on to fight within the MNJ, which is affiliated with AQIM, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb. The goal of the Tuareg in the alliance appears to be economic and political control of ancestral lands rather than being a confluence of religious and political ideologies.
Ethnic classification
The Tuareg are classified as a Berber group, and are closely related to both Northwest African Berbers and West Africans, in terms of culture and ethnicity. At least some sources argue that the Tuareg are defined by language and culture, not by ethnicity, and that predominantly Tamasheq speakers qualify as "Tuareg" (and, presumably, by implication, individuals of Tuareg descent but who have assimilated into various countries and do not speak Tamasheq languages). This is probably part of the reason for the widely varying estimates of the number of Tuareg on the earth.
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