Images of tribal culture, rituals, and festivals in Niger

“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.”

— Kurt Vonnegut

Yaake dancers at the Gerewol festival.

Who is the fairest of them all?

The Wodaabe men adorn themselves in cloth tightly wrapped from the waist down which accentuates their height, as well as colorful beaded and embroidered belts and headdresses with tall feathers.

Daily life at the Gerewol festival.

Legendary herders and caravaners of the Sahel desert, the Wodaabe are among the last nomads on earth.

The Gerewol celebrates the fertility the rains bring to the parched edge of the Sahara.

The Wodaabe and Tuareg people often spend months apart, searching out pastures for their beloved animal herds, and staying true to their traditions.

The men decorate their faces and dance for hours to impress the young female judges who have been nominated to decide who will be the winner of the contest.

In the Sahel desert of Niger in West Africa, the nomadic people of the Wodaabe tribe spend months searching out pastures to feed and water their herds. When the rains are good, an extraordinary courtship and beauty contest takes place, called the Gerewol, where it's the men on display.

The Gerewol marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the tribes' journey to their dry season pastures. During this week-long celebration, the men perform psychedelic line dances in the sweltering Saharan sun and are judged on their physical beauty, stamina and attractiveness to the women, who judge the contest.

This was a biblical journey: 1,000 nomads, 2,000 camels, donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats, 110 degree heat and 4 western women, sleeping under the Milky Way listening to the cacophony of sounds from the herds at night.

We stepped back in time. What a life we were privileged to witness…

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