Amazigh Culture, Redefining the Narrative

     Morocco, as a country, has an interesting racial and ethnic makeup. Moroccan culture has traces of European, African, and Amazigh influences. The Amazigh (formally Berber) culture is probably the most influential, given it is native to the country. This ethnic group has inhabited Morocco for centuries. Interestingly enough, this native group and the country as a whole are undergoing an image change. 

    In the past, this native group of people was known as Berbers. For many years, individuals worldwide and within Morocco referred to this ethnic group as Berbers. During our tour of Chefchaouen, we learned a language shift is happening within Moroccan culture. Our tour guide explained that the name Berber came from the Latin term barbar, which meant barbarian. The Amazigh have moved away from embracing the name Berber because it is offensive and misrepresents who they were and are as a culture. The Amazigh tribes had sophisticated systems of life and their own civilization hundreds of years before the Spanish, Portuguese, or French ever arrived on their land. To define them as barbarians was not offensive, but it was wrong. There was nothing barbaric about a group of people who had formal ways to communicate among small tribes, developed a trade market, and established leadership systems within their tribes. 

    Moroccans today will educate you on Amazigh culture, history, and traditions. Visitors to the country can tour historical sites and ruins and are informed of the rich history of the Amazigh people. In the future, Amazigh will certainly be globally recognized, and the Berber name will be a thing of the past.