The Shawiya (pronounced Shah-wee-ya) are one of the numerous Berber groups in North Africa. Berber is a foreign name given to the original inhabitants of North Africa, who pre-existed in the region before the Arabs and other advancing powers came to this area of the world. The major hub of the Shawiya is in the Aures mountain area of north-eastern Algeria.
The major feature that binds the Shawiya together is their language. Since the 8th century they have been dominated by the Arabs who forbade expressions of their language and culture until recent years.
The Shawiya region in Algeria has a rugged terrain, of spectacular hills, cut by river ravines. As rural inhabitants they make a basic living from their herds of sheep and goats and some have the produce of palm trees and small gardens.
Generally, the Shawiya have strong family ties and value the extended family. Marriages are arranged by parents, and often between cousins. Men are responsible for family decisions, finances, security, and reputation. The women have few inidvidual rights and privileges outside of household chores and raising children, yet some are recognised for their mystical powers.
Life for the Shawiya is simple. Whether living in humble rural dwellings or in modern homes and highrise apartments in the cities or larger towns. They have long been mocked by their country men for being simpletons, yet are known for their wisdom.
The lives of the Shawiya are based on Islamic traditions learned from birth. They are superstitious and have combined their Berber traditions with Islam. The Shawiya are unreached with the Gospel. They believe in the existence of Jesus as a holy prophet, but do not accept that He is God. There isn’t a Bible in their heart language yet, although some beginning has been made towards the goal of translating the scriptures in their language.
Some Shawiya have come to know the Lord in Europe, there is still a need for a breakthrough so that there will be a viable church planted amongst the Shawiya in Algeria. They believe that their religion is inherited, so change is not allowed and those who accept Jesus may face strong opposition from family.
Identity/Location
People Name: Shawiya
Ethnologue Code: SHY
Other Names: Shawi
Population
Total People: 1.5 million (estimate 2000)
Urban Percent: 25-28%
Other location information: An estimated 70-72% live in the Aures mountain area, 25% have moved to larger Algerian cities, and 3-5% live in Europe.
General Description
The name Shawiyas means ‘shepherds’. Traditionally they have been semi-nomads they live in the lowlands in winter, returning to the higher lands in summer with their sheep. In the north they have been more sedentary.
These people are a mixture of three major clans of Berbers. Some of the population now well assimilated with the Shawiya are believed to have fled from Tunisia during the Arab invasion of the Middle Ages. It is a very closed, individual society, and they have always resisted all the different colonising powers.
Language/Literacy Information
Adult literacy: 58% country data (1990)
Primary language: Chaouia - 100%
Second language: Algerian Arabic
Third language: French
Economics
GNP per capita: US$1851 (country data, 1992)
Occupations: Semi nomads, shepherds, farmers. Some found work in neighbouring countries.
Income Sources: Selling of surplus agricultural products and animals.
Products/Handcrafts: Carpets made of goat hair, jewelry of silver with filigree, coral and enamel.
Unemployment: 30% (1999, Reuters)
Farming/Agriculture: The agricultural sector is relatively poor and undeveloped.
Other: Two important oil and and gas pipelines in the direction of Skikda go right through the area. Also mining possibilities have been investigated in this area of Algeria.
Living Conditions/Community Development Status
Basic diet: Subsistence agriculture of fruit (apricot, apples, dates), sorghum, vegetables.
Shelter: The terraced stone villages (dechra) are built in the mountain tops, or on the edges of the cliffs, being observation points as well as entrenchments. The houses are built in tiers, one above the other the whole being dominated be a ‘guelaa’ (qal’ah), or fortified granary. The guela is the main factor of economy for the group, where the guarantees of foresight, administrations of reserve and thus the future of the collectivity lie. It often happened that their ancestors were buried in or close to the ‘guelaa’, so that it became a holy place where many family rites were performed. In winter the nomads live in the lowlands in tents or natural shelter.
Clothing: Women wear very colourful robes. Men wear western-style clothes, or a white coat and a turban.
Health care: National health plan provides free hospitalisation, medicine and outpatient care. Acute shortage of water, insufficient knowledge of sanitation and modern health practices.
Water supplies: Certain villages do not have safe drinking water yet and water has to be carried to homes.
Energy/Fuel: Cooking is done on wood, collected and carried on the back of the women. Many households have some accessibility to electricity since relatively recent changes. New houses have been built within reach of power lines, and a number of families have shifted out of more traditional dwellings to take advantage of this.
Other: Despite the influence of modernisation and a special budget for equipment in the Batna wilaya (region), the agriculture remains very poor. A special development program focuses on reforestation, irrigation, and implantation of industrial activity that hardly existed before independence.
Society
Family structures: The Family plays an important role. The ‘aieul’ exercises his authority over the children and grandchildren that live under the same roof, or in neighbouring houses. The power and unity of the family can manifest themselves also in matters of honour. The family will assist any unfortunate family member whose honour is threatened. Girls especially will experience the family pressure. Shawiya women choose their own husbands and sometimes retain the dowry after divorce. They marry very young, but after that gain quite some influence in the life of the family and community. A Shawiya woman will not tolerate polygamy or infidelity, and prefers divorce. Only the man has the right of repudiation, so she will challenge him to use this right. Divorced or widowed the woman becomes an ‘azriya’, and she can behave very freely then and will attend every possible feast. According to some literature the women were all magicians, learning about magical incantations and the composition of various philters from their mothers. Men are said to respect the magical powers of their wives and treat them accordingly.
Neighbour relations: In the past the Shawiya have lived in isolation, broken only by some Kabyle or Saharan traders interacting with them. Their society was self-sufficient and closed. During the independence war the region was a stronghold of anti-French sentiment, and more than half of the population was removed to concentration camps. Since that time the isolation has been less evident.
Rule/Authority/Selection: The ‘harfiqth’, or fraction consists of a social unit, made up of all the male descendants of a common ancestor. It can also be reprisented by a ‘clan’ among the nomads, or a ‘quartier’ among the sedentary people. The members of the harfiqth have to defend the patrimony (women, fields, houses) and their honour, which is considered more precious than life.
Social habits: Many aspects of life remain strongly characterised by the dualism between nomadism and sedentary life.
Celebrations/ Recreation: Weddings, name giving feasts, Muslim religious celebrations.
Recreation: People visit one another. Watching TV. Young men might play or watch soccer.
Art Forms: Jewelry, carpets
Media (Radio/TV/Newspapers/Films/Videos/Recordings): Radio, television, newspaper etc. are either in French or Arabic. Satellite television reception dishes are widespread.
Cultural Change: Rural - Slow, Urban - Medium to fast.
Self Image: (X) Threatened ( ) Depressed (X) Prestigious/Proud
Similarity to National Society: ( ) Distant (X) Near ( ) Semi
Judicial system/Trial punishment: Legal system inherited from France being superceded by Algerian civil, criminal and family codes.
Crisis/Conflicts - History/Status: In the past the people did not submit to the Roman authorities and organised resistance to Roman influence. When the Vandals arrived they raided the towns and fields of the people of Constantine. The 6th century invaders, the Byzantines, feared these Berbers. The Arab conquest clashed with them in the 7th century. A female warrior and Jewish chieftaness, Kahina, led in the revolution against Arabisation. By 710 AD, the area was Arabised incorporating Islam into their religious tradition. When the French colonised they destroyed many villages, burned the forest areas down, transported the population to the surrounding plains here they were forced to live in camps (where it was easier to keep an eye on them).
Foreign Relations: Algeria has friendly relations with France as a former colonial power. Relationships with neighbouring countries have been strained as a result of the civil unrest, and fear of overspill into neighbouring countries.
Political situation: Internal conflict in Algeria has been intense. Militant Islamic groups were set to win a democratic election late in 1991, and the military government, seeking to move towards more democracy annulled the election result, and since that time over 100,000 lives have been lost in bombings and massacres. Grief, fear and mistrust abound as a result of this conflict. Prior to the conflict of the 90s, there was a Civil war also before the independence of Algeria in 1961. At that time there was also a heavy loss of life, and the scars remain for the current generations living in Algeria.
Children/Youth
Population: Over half of the Shawiya are under the age of 25.
Education/Type of Schooling: Free public education through university level. Attendance is compulsory for nine years on primary and intermediate levels. It is mainly in Arabic, French taught as a foreign language.
Labor/Tasks: Girls have to help in the family, often taking care of younger siblings from a young age on. In rural areas the boys help with the animals or fields.
Problems: There is a very high unemployment rate (30% in 1999), which does not encourage young people to study, knowing that it will be very hard to find employment.
Greatest needs: Employment, sufficient health care.
Religion
Islam is the major religion of the Shawiya people. Their lives are based on the traditions learned from birth. They are superstitious and have combined their Berber traditions with Islam. Marabouts (mystical religious leaders) perform protection rites, and Imams are spiritual leaders who guide life lessons through teaching the Qu’ran. They believe that they will receive God’s favour if they practice their religion faithfully. Legally they cannot change their religion.
Religious practices/ceremonies: Common Muslim holidays and practices. Women especially are involved in folk Islam, often occult practices.
Redemptive Analogies/Bridges: Anologies common to Islam.
Spiritual Climate/Openness: The Shawiya people believe in Jesus as a Prophet. There are strong influences in their society exercised by the spiritual leaders and also women, who have a strong influence through occult-like practices.
History of Christian Presence Amongst This People Group
The Timgad area in the Aures region was one of the most important villages of the Donatists in the fourth century. A council meeting took place there in 397 AD. The situation today is that there was nothing that survived the eventual submission of the Shawiya to Islam. All that remained was the relics of the Roman Christian communities in the ruins found in the Aures region.
From 1960-1972 a French reformed mission helped the people in agriculture, but they closed down without seeing any marked results.
Current Church Development
There are no known believers. There are no churches, pastors etc.
Scriptures available: Luke, Jonah
Other Literary Resources: French and Arabic materials, materials in other Berber languages.
Christian Radio: Not in Chaouia yet.
Recordings Available: Gospel recordings
Videos: Jesus film
Statistics