History

- Tuareg people are the creators of the Festival

- Sometimes known as the "blue people" for the traditional indigo-dye colored clothes they wear which can come off and color their skin 

- Part of the Berber people of North Africa, speak a number of Tuareg languages, known as Tamasheq, which is also from a branch of Berber language

- Nomadic and Muslim people

• Important in the spread of Islam in North Africa

- Tuareg society features different clans with social status and caste hierarchies unique to each

- Population primarily based in Niger, where there are more than two million Tuareg people, Mali has the second highest Tuareg population at about 530,000

• Also have significant populations in Burkina Faso, Algeria and Tunisia
• Though their population technically falls within the borders of modern North African states, their true homeland is the sahara desert

They have controlled many trans-Saharan trade routes and are been important players in colonial and post colonial conflicts 

- The Tuaregs have a longstanding tradition of coming together for annual meetings called Takoubelt, meaning "gathering"

• On these occasions Tuareg clans from all across Northern Africa come together to share, trade, dance, and play music 
• The increasing amount of outside interest in these gatherings led to the official creation of the Festival