From the plain, trees at the edge of the village, Sanga region, Mali

Object Details

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "The Dogon value trees for several reasons. Some trees add important ingredients for seasoning and shortening the sauce added to the daily meals of millet mush. the Oro tree, a baobab, bears leaves that when cooked with sesame yield a dark green sauce greatly relished by the Dogon. Used more intensively than other trees, the baobab yields poor firewood and consequently is never cut down. Other trees that are important for their fruit are the Ponu; Omunu; Sa; and Yuro." [Hollyman S. and Van Beek W., 2001: Dogon, Africa's People of the Cliffs. Harry N Abrams, Inc.]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in Sanga (Sangha), a group of thirteen villages lying east of Bandiagara at the top of an escarpment. The most important villages are Ogol-du-Haut and Ogol-du-Bas. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.