The Unique Cliffside Homes Of Mali's Dogon People | Land of the Dogon

[Music] kundo gumo a little village right under the Cliffs of the bandiagara scarp in eastern Mali home to the Doon people for hundreds of years as they do every morning Jaa and the other women set out the souvenirs in the hope that tourists will find their way here and spend a little money in the village but there have been few tourists in recent years although this region is peaceful cases of kidnapping in the north have discouraged [Music] tourism Balo is also getting ready for the day's time masks fetching water working in the fields collecting wood pounding Millet and preparing food as all women here have done for Generations isaka her husband is a farmer and tourist guide but he hasn't much to do till Harvest [Music] Time as every morning one of the village Elders takes the daily ration of millet from his store and distributes it to the women of his [Music] family [Music] for some 700 years this escarpment which extends for 170 kilomet has been the home of the Doon up on the plateau in the Rock caves and down below where there's easier access to water and their fields in the past they used to seek shelter within the complex rock formations probably hiding from slave hunters from the north of the sahal [Music] Zone they built their huts and storehouses is like swallows nests in the caves hollowed out by wind and rain most of the cave dwellings have been abandoned only a few families [Music] remain beneath the massive rocks Life Goes On as it always did among the Doon everything revolves around Millet it's not only their staple food it's used in sacrifices and the Brewing of the ritual beer dog on women are responsible for the fields the children the home the animals for water firewood food and clothing and for market trading [Music] the division of labor here is strictly patriarchal even if the men have no work the women are always kept busy no man would ever do women's work every day the women prepare tour a porridge made of millet the staple crop of the door gone the storehouses the pointed Huts the women pounding Millet it could be a scene from a children's book about Africa picturesque colorful [Music] idilic there's no electricity here no lights no roads no Creature Comforts a harmonious River landscape where crime is virtually unknown and the elders are still [Music] respected under the roof of the tuna the palava house the elders still will regulate all the Affairs of the village younger people prefer to telephone but as the Doon say their life though poor in material Goods is rich in harmony yet this harmony is often only in the eye of the beholder of foreigners in search of the genuine authentic Africa real life in the land of the Doon is hard and full of privation janba isa's mother recently injured her leg with a hoe when working in the fields by the time she had climbed down the cliffs and reached the medical post it was too late for the doctor to stitch the wound and the doctor also said her blood was in a poor state that she was exhausted and working too hard if you work hard you need to eat well she should take vitamin but she has no money to buy either medicines or [Music] [Applause] vitamins our main work is farming because of the drought we seldom have a good harvest we can compensate for this through tourism we often act as supporters or guides and we sell local Village products the income from this is for our families we can buy Grain when the crops fail or medicines if someone's ill after field work in the morning there's nothing to do we feel as a loose end but even in this archaic world there's a yearning for Modern Life isaka and the elders debate what can be done to save the village there's a shortage of reserves in the storehouses and some weeks to go before the next Millet Harvest Isa suggestions don't meet with unanimous approval from the village elders bagara the regional capital of the land of the Doon only 30 kilm away from the escarment is another world modern and pulsing with life here there's everything a young dogon could wish [Music] for people get dressed up here on holiday days and here you can feel connected to the rest of the world appearances count for more and life goes at a faster Pace Pierre too lives in bandiagara and drives to work at the Cultural Mission every morning since 1989 the land of the Doon has been a UNESCO World cultural heritage site and the Cultural Mission is concerned with its preservation today's work focuses on the mums which the mission has set up in the land of the Doon with the aid of the German agency for International cooperation Angelica fry oldenborg advises the mission on preserving the Doon cultural [Music] heritage the museums are intended to show the indigenous population how special the culture is that they take for granted mhm and of course to attract tourists and thus boost the [Applause] economy the am doong camp in kundu beneath the escarment one of the biggest tourist hotels in the land of the Doon isaka and s are waiting for customers tourists they can show around their Homeland Keno the owner keeps the camp in order even though there are no guests at present the Travel warnings issued by many countries are adversely affecting a lot of people here guides Craftsmen Traders all those who earn a little from tourism and no one really understands why the foreigners are staying away they tell us it has to do with alqaeda but we don't know what that's about we've never had any problems in dogon land people here are very worried because we live from the tourists and now we can't sell the things we make I think that's an interesting thing this one piece will make 52 layers watch on mobile devices or the big screen all for free no subscription [Music] requ Angelica and Pierre are out on Mission business they're driving along the escarment to nouri the only roads here are sand tracks and now in the rainy season they're often well nigh [Music] impossible it's Market Day in nor borri as it is every 5 days the length of a week in the land of the [Music] Doon nbor is Pierre's home Village so ritual greetings are protracted he hasn't been back for a long time and there have been a lot of changes there's some talk of his in for the position of [Music] Mayor outside the museum Pierre and Angelica meet up with the director and an old man who's offering various objects he wants to be given a loan in exchange the museum functions as a cultural Bank people bring in an object and are lent money if they're unable to pay it back the object remains in the museum so everyone benefits La person this person needs money if there were no system providing credit for the object they'd be forced to sell it this is the way we found for combating the illegal trade in our cultural property and protecting our culture this idea supported by the German agency for International cooperation and the Cultural Mission has proved successful in many cases the Museum's director selects the most interesting objects for his collection and the credit sum is agreed the objects are cataloged and the deal is done the museum is once again richer by a few [Music] exhibits in isa's Village further up in the cliffs the elders have decided to solve the problem in their own way a chicken is to be sacrificed to the ancestors so that they can counter the power of alqaeda and ensure that tourists come to the Village again soon the Elder asks for the ancestors blessings ancestors we offer you our morning greetings grant us prosperity there are problems in this world protect us against all evil protect us against Wicked winds and Thorns accept our sacrifice and give us your blessings [Music] my heart is at peace thanks be to [Music] God the fetish has accepted the offering to the dogon their God Amma is in all things in the earth that nourishes human beings the sky that gives them water the an ancestors who protect them and the word that binds them together everything is interwoven isaka wants to know more about the dogon myths so he visits Alay the headman of Yanda at in Al's drawings which have already been exhibited in Paris he tells of the chief God Amma and the power of the fetishes every sacrifice on the altar of amama links one to the ancestors and what they represent fertile soil a harmonious Clan sufficient rain good health but sacrifices must also be made to the demons who cause evil in the world of humans the the ancestors of the Doon made use of bricks in their cave dwellings the high priests cast these up to the caves with his magic staff according to the legend p gindo is on his way to Yanda at high up in the escarment he's on business for the Cultural Mission in bagara which is a state Institution [Music] [Music] The Village headman has asked the mission for help in the old part of the village the Gin the clan Elders house is in bad condition uh [Music] the Gin has considerable social and religious significance for the Doon it's not only the residence of the village headman it's where the fetishes needed for sacrificial ceremonies and ritual feasts are stored sacrifices are made to them for bringing rain ensuring a good harvest and obtaining the ancestors protection for the village if the fetishes are not kept safe the welfare and fate of the village and its families are endangered everything depends on the restoration of the [Music] G what interest us at the Cultural Mission are the objects that are stored in the G the traditional building method requires skills we want to preserve this is good too but it's even more important to preserve the ritual objects that play such a vital role for the village for the time being the chief fetish is being kept in the village headman's house he tell Pierre that the statue is not particularly good not very finely worked the idea is to protect it from thieves its spiritual power is not dependent on how beautiful or ugly it may be this world cultural heritage is in danger of falling apart many of the buildings in dogon land are like the ginar of Yanda but the Cultural Mission does not have sufficient funds to restore them all the storehouses the pointed Huts the clan centers they're all built of clay just as they were by the ancestors of the doong built in soft rounded shapes like bodies snuggling up to the Rocks as if formed by the gentle hands of a Great Divine Potter [Music] but this is a transient form of architecture nothing here is built for eternity in the dry season the clay splits in the rainy season the walls absorb a lot of water they need repairing again and again year after year from one generation to the next [Music] in the evening Pierre and the headman's son discuss how the ginar can be saved the whole family are still living in the Clown house it's disin ating but he can't restore it on his own he'll have to find Builders who still Master the old techniques he'll have to buy wood the clay bricks will have to be made the builders will need food and the ritual beer has to be provided and it all costs money you should apply to the Cultural Mission so that they can apply for funds from UNESCO or other organizations it's a big task the restoration the necessary sacrifices for the fetishes the Brewing of ritual beer it's all too much for him but as the son of the head man it's his responsibility his father is now too old [Music] isaka has persuaded his father to climb the rock cliff above their Village a project not without its [Music] dangers hundreds of years ago their ancestors used to climb up to their cave dwellings like this every [Music] day high up there where the dogor used to live and also bury their dead the two of them are hoping to find ancient cultic objects fetishes or [Music] Ceramics these could be sold and helped to relieve poverty in the [Music] [Music] village in earlier times the sacred places of the escarpment were rich in valuable objects but under French colonialization ethnologists arrived in the 1930s and they were followed by art dealers nowadays the best examples of doong culture are in the museums of the West there's very little left here but perhaps the two of them will be lucky dried skins their function and origin is often obscure some traditional knowledge has already been lost but now they found something a TM statue some 600 years old double twin figures with raised arms a gesture of praise the cultic objects sculptures and masks of the Doon are world famous often exhibited in Western museums as works of primitive African art they have exercised a strong influence on Modern European art but for many Doon they're not art Not museum exhibits they're a living element of their daily lives they're imbued with the spirit of their ancestors charged with magical power and not just for looking at but for use in rituals a living tradition in spite of the fact that many dogons have long been Christians or Muslims sidu is preparing to enter the cave where the sacred masks are hidden he's in charge of The Masks of ND now an Islamic Village lying below the escarment as Keeper of the masks it's s's duty to keep them in good condition and preserve their spiritual power but just as the life of the Doon is changing so is the life of the masks in the old days mask dances were used to escort the dead to the realm of the ancestors or to to celebrate a good harvest this has been dying out since the spread of Christianity and Islam in the land of the Doon these days The Masks dance mainly for paying tourists the last time these masks were used was about 20 years ago I had not yet been initiated so I couldn't take part but I did see the men dancing The Mask that's most strongly representative of the burial ceremony is the [Music] canaga aaga has arms which stand for the sky to appeal for rain and arms represent the Earth and appeal for fertile soil we say water is life and in order for us to live water Must Fall on the earth we must cultivate the soil in order to feed ourselves we are here between the two there are other masks in the village or the museum which also dance they dance every year but nowadays mainly for the tourists commercially those masks may look exactly the same but only to the real ones do we make sacrifices of sheep or goats even if they don't dance this is very important and highly respected so s do Watches Over The Masks even though they may never leave the cave again never again dance a Dharma the traditional burial ritual of the Doon every 3 years the Dharma is held they're not here any longer because this Village is 100% Islamic The Masks here are dead for the time being but they could be brought to life [Music] again in more traditional Villages The Masks are still alive and say do dances with them there every few years the traditional burial ceremony the dhama takes place here in which the souls of those who have done are escorted to the realm of the ancestors every mask has its own significance its own dance steps its own magical [Music] power the god Amma created the world while [Music] dancing [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] all [Music] s's Village nday is also waiting for tourists the masks in this souvenir shop are not ritual objects their reproductions crafted for the tourists sedu is visiting his father he too converted to Islam a long time ago sidu has never asked him why as here in nday Islam has already replaced belief in the ancestors in many villages s's father became a Muslim because many others in his family converted he says when you don't pray like your children you're separated from them we Doon are in favor of Harmony not separation God bestows Paradise on all who have a pure heart now he prays in the early morning and no longer venerates any fetishes but he still respects the ancestors he disapproves of Muslims having so many wives they marry one and then they cheat her then they marry another and cheat her too then a third with so many wives you can't tell anyone the truth even if he is a Muslim he's against it it isn't God's will Pierre is once again on the way to Yanda at for the Cultural Mission here restoration of the clan house is in full swing the clay is mixed with Millet straw and animal dung to make it harder and more durable the traditional handmade clay bricks are laid on this [Music] mortar the Cultural Mission has provided some funds to get the most urgent work started the porous wall is coated with plaster to seal it the mud architecture of the Doon is an ecological way of building it's relatively energy saving in production and regulates the temperature in a simple way clay insulates well protecting against heat in the daytime and cold at night the first step has been taken and a world cultural heritage could now be saved but for Pierre the Cultural Mission and The Villages it's not yet certain whether sufficient funds can be found to restore the whole clan housee meanwhile the future of the fetishes is uncertain fore spe [Music] in isa's Village Life goes on as usual time seems to pass more slowly here more calmly The Village headman inspects the TM statue that isaka and his father found in the cliffs you know Isa thinks it would fetch a good price at Keno's Camp the old man isn't sure it should be sold after all it's a legacy of the ancestors but the village needs money in any case the statue is no longer a ritual object it's no longer used for sacrifice so it could be sold [Music] [Applause] not an easy decision meanwhile some tourists have come to the Village only two but better than none has the chicken sacrifice worked everyone's hoping they'll leave some money in the village the elders have got themselves ready for a photo and have lit their pipes but the visitors don't seem very interested in their performance it's always remarkable how primitive it all is here like 500 years ago at home at first you think how lovely but when you're here longer you realize how hard life is how AR archaic who does all the work and when the question of women's rights child mortality health care how people of 50 look like we do at [Music] 70 the rituals are exciting but sometimes rather brutal and bloody a different world hard to judge because it is so different well on is uses the chance to make contacts the two tourists haven't bought any souvenirs but they have left a small donation so the village headman is pleased do the women of the village get their share the headman decides from case toase boolu isa's wife fetches water several times a day a permanent spring in the cave keeps life going [Music] here [Music] isaka is on the way to kundu to Keno's tourist Camp the elders have authorized him to offer the TM statue for sale Keno can recognize from its smell whether an object stems from an altar or the soil of a burial ground he likes the statue but the price demanded by the elders is too high for him if they were to come down he might purchase it they should think it over again if you have an authentic object in your home and it's worth 15,000 or 303,000 E and you're dying of hunger and you have no use for it if this is your problem you try and sell it of course we want to preserve our cultural heritage but we have no choice poverty forces us to sell colonial times the whites have been taking away our clan objects we were always afraid of them coming to our houses asking for objects throwing down a coin and taking them away perhaps it wasn't theft but there was pressure European art dealers come here too we here don't know the real value of the objects and they don't tell us we also see that as a kind of theft most of our art has disappeared like that really authentic objects are now rare there aren't many [Music] left isaka is looking for a mobile network sidu has suggested that he phon Pierre at the Cultural Mission perhaps isaka can obtain a loan for his [Music] statue promptly the next day Pierre sets out for isa's village [Music] my power they meet up at the Hunter's house which is decorated with trophies sacrificial animals and [Music] [Music] [Music] fetishes [Music] Pierre makes an offer the statue goes to the museum in nomori and the village receives a loan in exchange for buying the necessary grain the deer is completed and sealed with the obligatory Millet beer Pierre is content though ritual objects don't mean much to him personally he's a Christian a Christian [Music] dogon praying to a fetish or making a sacrifice is not something I can do because I regard God or Jesus as my idol I can't make any other sort of offering as for the rest if there's an evening of traditional dances organized that's my culture I have no problem with it I personally have no conflict between my religion and my way of life [Music] so Pierre regards it as a highlight of his work to attend the enthronement of the Hogan of the aru the new candidate is Led in procession to the temple the Hogan is the religious leader and the aru are one of the four clans of the Doan he's respons responsible for rain the well-being of his clan and a good harvest the Temple of aru has been restored with the aid of the Cultural Mission and the world Monument fund and the enthronement is the crowning achievement of Pierre's work up to [Music] now after the death of the last high priest almost 15 years ago no one could be found to take on this honorous task some time ago an interim hog was attacked by people from the surrounding Villages and the temple was desecrated because there was no rain for the rest of his life the Hogan will be confined to the temple precincts his meals will be brought by a young [Music] girl people will bring him Gifts of money because he can no longer cultivate his [Music] Fields he will arbitrate in disputes and accept sacrifices in order to preserve the balance between nature and Humanity when I talk of the crowning of our activities I don't mean we created this but we have played our part in it which is very satisfying we've really achieved our aim because there's not much point in restoring a house where no one [Music] [Music] [Applause] lives [Music] [Applause] the enthronement of the new hogon of the [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] aru this is possibly the last enthronement ceremony for a Doon high priest his power is fading he's losing influence and importance among the younger generation hardly anyone will want to take over the responsibilities next time there are doubtless many ways of protecting and preserving this unique [Applause] culture but it's likely that the Doon will simply absorb and mold everything new and modern into their familiar gentle and organic [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] world [Music] [Applause] [Music] spe for

Channel: TRACKS - Travel Documentaries

Views: 277,456

Keywords: ancient civilizations, cultural anthropology, cultural diversity, cultural heritage sites, cultural pride, eastern Mali, heritage conservation, indigenous culture, indigenous documentaries, indigenous lifestyles, lesser known cultures, local artisans, plateau living, remote communities, rock caves, traditional architecture, traditional practices, unique habitats

Id: -nW_n-YjnMI

Length: 53min 13sec (3193 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 16 2024