Life Of A Nomad People : Desert Dwellers (1949)

for meat milk and wool to find enough pasturage and water for the flocks the nomads keep moving from place to place people who follow this kind of wandering or nomadic life are found in various regions of the world the tundra lands of the Arctic the step lands and deserts of Central Asia the dry lands of Australia and and the northern part of Africa these regions where the climate is not suitable for farming but is suitable for grazing it is here in Africa on the Northern edge of the great Sahara Desert that we find the arom ads we have been watching the leader of these desert Nomads is called a Sheik he decides where the group shall make their next camp the campsite will be near this water hole water is most important to the nomads and their flocks the place the Sheik has chosen may look dry and bare but there are small shrubs on which the flocks can graze and so the Sheik gives the order make Camp setting up camp is a job that these people have done many times over the Chic supervises the work for he has complete authority over the 30 people in his group let's meet one of the families in this group of Nomads Ali the boy and mimona his sister are helping their parents unload the family tent camels which are Hardy and well suited to Desert life can carry heavy burdens the tent is made of cloth woven from wool and goat hair the tent poles are carried along too while the women busy themselves setting up the tents the men and boys look after the flocks of sheep and goats the animals are already finding shrubs on which to graze as a protection against the hot sun Ali and his father wear a head covering called a turban and each one wears a loose cloak called a bernes a protective covering against the hot winds and blowing sand back at the camp Ali finds his mother and sister lacing the tent and he's just in time to lend a helping hand Ali works on one end of the cloth while his sister mimona fastens the other end mimona skillfully pins two pieces of the tent together Ali unfolds one of the Woolen rugs that is part of the household goods belonging to the family each family carries all its possessions blankets utensils some food and of course water the water is usually kept in a goat skin bag and when mother empties the water bag Ali and mimona know that they have another chore to do at the water hole near Camp they fill the bag water is precious on the desert the lives of these people and of their flocks depend on these water holes which are few and far between while the children get the water mother prepares supper the main dish is called cuscus a kind of flour paste the meal will be ready by the time father is finished with his evening prayers these people are mohammadans and they pray with their faces toward Mecca the holy city of their faith a little later the family is seated in their tent for supper of course there are no chairs they would be too bulky to carry from place to place everyone sits on rugs or mats and shares the same dish of kuskus after supper the children gather around the fire and listen to a Storyteller relate old Tales stories about their tribe and legends about great heroes from generation to generation knowledge is passed on by Word of Mouth there are no books for these Nomad children here is a pattern of Life much like that of the wandering tribes of Biblical times the next morning soon after Sunrise the nomad camp is beginning to stir with activity with a light lunch of dates and bread Ali and his father are off for the day the shepherd who has watched the flocks all through the night is now relieved of his task from their sheep the nomads get wool which the women weave into cloth nimona and her mother weave their Woolen yarn on a hand Loom the loom is part of the tent frame and is small enough to be carried about with the tent some of the cloth that mother is weaving will be made into clothing or blankets some may be sold in the village at the edge of the desert grinding flour is another task the women do wheat bought in the village is ground between two stones the women also gather dry shrubs for fuel sometimes this daily routine of nomad life may be interrupted right now Ali and his father are looking for a baby goat that is missing from the flock the binoculars father is using are one of the few pieces of find the animal quickly Ali has found the goat he is a good shepherd and so day after day the simple life goes on Ali and his father and the other Shepherds tend the flocks that are their livelihood and then one day the Sheik rides up to talk with the Shepherds with great respect each one greets the leader the Sheik has been looking for new pasturage for the flocks it is time he says to move on for most of the pasturage Here Is Gone the flocks have eaten most of the shrubs in this area and so the decision is made to move the men bring the news to Camp everyone must be told to begin packing when Ali's mother is told she sets to work at once the other families too begin to take down their tents the camels are brought in for loading everyone knows what to do for breaking Camp is something that is done again and again down comes every tent in a little while everything is packed the camels are loaded the Shepherds begin to drive the flocks the nomads are on the moon somewhere in the vast desert they will find new pasturage and another water hole food and water for their flocks this is the pattern of Life moving grazing the flocks and moving again this is the life of nomad people the wanders to live with their flocks under the Open [Music] Sky