WOLOF TRIBE LIVELIHOODThe Wolof people have always lived in established agricultural and artisanal communities. Millet has traditionally served as the primary source of nutrition, with rice coming in as a close second when the rains are abundant. Cassava is also grown, but its value lies in the fact that it has historically provided Wolof farmers with a source of income. Peanuts have been the most important crop for exportation ever since the colonial era.The Wolof culture is patrilineal, and members of the caste that owns agricultural land pass it down through the generations. Farmers in a hamlet typically offer the landowner rent in the form of waref in exchange for the right to cultivate the land.Farmers of Wolof descent typically supplement their diet with fish that has been either dried or smoked, as well as the chickens and goats they raise themselves. Cattle are also kept, but not for consumption; rather, they are used for milk production, for tilling the ground, and as investment vehicle.People who live in rural Wolof communities do not eat beef very often, and when they do it is often as part of a ceremonial meal. Some modern-day towns collaborate on the sale of their peanut harvest by using shared agricultural equipment and operating as a cooperative.Those Wolof people who are members of artisan castes are the ones who work with metal, weave and dye textiles, produce leather items, make pottery and baskets, tailor clothes, produce thatch, and engage in other forms of economic activity. Another set of Wolof smiths specializes on making gold jewelry, whereas the first group creates implements for agricultural use.Caste and gender have always been used to determine one’s vocation in life. There are distinct castes of men who work as blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and weavers (now the profession of former slave descendants).Men have traditionally been responsible for religious and political duties, while women have traditionally been responsible for domestic duties such as bringing water from wells or rivers and keeping the household running smoothly. In addition, women are responsible for the planting, weeding, harvesting, and collecting of firewood. Women who belong to the pottery caste group assist with the many procedures involved in the production of pottery.

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