Baby Issouf Koumama
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Issouf Koumama
Baby Issouf Koumama arrived in mid-June. Since he was born in a private clinic in Niamey Elhadji and Kola had the thrill of being together during the delivery. This practice, so common in the western world, is almost unheard of in Niger. Kola came through just fine and was home the same day. Most women give birth at home attended only by women who use traditional remedies to stop bleeding. Too often they fail and the women die.
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Elhadji, Issouf and Azara
Issouf is a happy thriving baby. Except when he is sleeping he is always in the arms of his mother, father, siblings and a dozen other adoring relatives. Sometimes he is tied to Kola’s back when she has work to do. He is smiling and laughing. Sometimes he tries to squirm free to explore his little world. Since the weather is warm he is naked most of the days. He gets several baths in warm water every day. He seems to like them. So far he is fed only mother’s milk. Soon he will get bites of rice and macaroni and then spoonfuls of boule, a mixture of pounded dates, raw millet and goat cheese mixed with a little sugar and water. Boule will be a regular part of his diet for the rest of his life.
Tuareg babies are toilet trained at a very early age. Diapers are not used. Even now Issouf is put on his potty after feedings. Of course there are times when he “waters” his mother’s clothes. By the time he is a year old he will be reliably toilet trained.
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The War In Northern Niger
Some Tuaregs rebelled against the central government in February 2007 because they said that the government had not honored the agreement they made to settle the rebellion in 1995, and because the government is taking their best grazing lands to sell the uranium mining rights to foreigners without sharing the profits with them. The war continues. News reports say that many military and rebels as well as civilians have been killed in the fighting.
Many military have been sent to the north. There have been reports that Tuareg nomads and people in the small villages in the Air Mountains have been robbed and murdered and their camels and goats slaughtered. It is difficult to know what is happening because the government does not allow journalists into the area.
Both the rebels and the military claim to be heavily armed. Recently the rebels announced that they have anti-aircraft guns and have threatened to shoot down all airplanes that fly over the area. The military has some track vehicles as well as four wheel drive ones that can travel in the desert.
People in Agadez are suffering, but not as much as those who live outside of the city. Residents of Agadez are not allowed to go more than five kilometers from the city during the day without a military escort. None of the residents go outside of their homes after dark. I was relieved to talk by telephone with my nomad friends who live just outside of Agadez. They have returned to their usual grazing area. None of them have been injured or killed. However, I was saddened to hear that people in the village of Inabisquin where I helped with their garden for several years have lost at least four of their number to a military attack and that the others are desperate for food.
Many of the artisans have fled Agadez and are now living in Niamey. They seemed happier than when I visited in January because with Elhadji’s help a number of the married men have brought their families to Niamey. Life here away from their beloved Sahara and their extended families isn’t easy though. For example there are two artisan families with a total of 15 people sharing a small two room house.
Elhadji’s oldest brother, Sidi, is supervising the artisans who are still working in Agadez. This is a great partnership. Sidi’s eyesight is no longer good enough for him to make jewelry. However, with his long years of experience and his senior status in the artisan community he is helping to guide the younger men to make high quality jewelry and to make sure that none of the men are tempted to steal the silver. Finished work is brought to Niamey by one of the other brothers.
So far the Nigerien government has refused to negotiate with the rebels because they say they are bandits and drug smugglers and not fighters for a cause. The Tuaregs hope that this will change and that a solution can be found.
It is forbidden both by the Nigerien and US governments for me to go to Agadez where I have a home. Even if I was not prohibited by the governments it would be extremely dangerous for me and my Tuareg friends. For now I will continue to come to Niamey at least once a year to work with the artisans here. Everyone hopes that somehow things will return to normal in the north.
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Inquiring Minds Will Want To Know:
What is the symbolism of the chachat?
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Simple Chachat Earrings
The Chachat is a necklace made of small triangular pieces strung on beads or cord. It is usually the first piece of real jewelry given to a small girl. She will wear that necklace or others in the same shape for the rest of her life, often layered with other necklaces and pendants.
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Simple silver chachat necklace
The Chachat might be quite crude and made of glass or plastic triangles strung on a rough cord with knots holding the pieces in place. Often it is made of nickel or Maria Teresa coins, an alloy of silver and other metals, which are melted in a clay crucible in a charcoal fire. The sizes of the pieces may vary from half an inch long to two inches or so. Today it is common to string the pieces on a cord with black glass or onyx beads interspersed with silver beads.
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Fancy Chachat Necklace
The Koumamas make several styles of Chachat, always in fine (99%) silver. One of the most popular styles is a petite necklace with seven to nine engraved half inch long triangles strung on onyx and handmade silver beads. Another style is about the same size but has alternating colored glass and silver triangles, most often red, blue or amber. The “Fancy Chachat” always has a larger central stylized triangle with a hinged piece at the top and smaller hinged stylized triangles on either side. There are endless subtle variations on this style. Some have three pieces on each side of the central one while others have four. The shape and designs on the central piece is almost always unique to that necklace. A typical Fancy Chachat is shown in Photo 3.
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Glass and silver simple chachat necklace
They also make both simple and fancy earrings to match the Chachats. Simple ones may be all silver, silver trimmed with ebony or silver with black beads. Shapes and sizes vary as well. The Fancy Chachat earrings (Photo 5)
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Fancy Chachat Earrings
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