Dogon Tribe

The Dogon Tribe is an ethnic group living in the country of Mali, Western Africa.

Population

Customs

• Most men only have one wife
• They live in enlarged families which most have at 100 people
• Each village has 1 or more granaries to keep grains safe
• Granaries show the wealth of a village like the Dinkas,  but with cows
• Elaborate meanings when a Dogon meets another

Beauty Practies

• Lots of women wear nose,ear,& face rings
• They wear lots of beads
• Head wraps
• More

Marks of Maturity

Daily Life

• They are best known for their religious traditions
• They do lots of mask dances
• They make a lot of wooden sculptures & architecture
• Attract lots of tourists

Dogon Mask Dances & Our Dances

• Similar:
• We both dance to show emotion
• We both dance in celebration or sad times
• We both dance to music
• We both dress up in special costumes

Differences

• The mask binds  the Dogon people to the celestial world of heaven
• We usually dance for fun, celebration & sometimes people compete
• We usually don't honor people passed away, but they do
• They think their masks can connect them to the underworld
• Some Americans just doitfor exercise, but they usually do it for ceremonies