Naturally Obscure Margins of Arcadian and Distant Spaces (NOMADS)
This project seeks to collect, record, and digitize the oral histories of nomads in Morocco in order to reinvigorate, voice, and preserve their stories, their folk tales, challenges, and their overall cultural heritage. Several regions in Morocco were dwelled or once inhabited by nomads. The nomads’ movements and transitions from one geographical place to another characterizes a habit practiced for years and years. Nowadays, it even become a reality predicted by the climate change. Nomads have a unique way of life and culture that is at risk of being lost over time. This project aims to ensure that the nomads’ stories are digitized, recorded, and made accessible to future generations by preserving it in Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane’s (AUI) digital repository or within repositories of collaborative and contributing libraries and/or academic and cultural settings. The project involves establishing connections with the community of nomads, traveling to identified areas of Morocco where they live, and recording their stories using audio or video equipment. The collected stories will then be transcribed, translated, and analyzed in order to create a digital archive that can be accessed and shared online.