A group of Dinka gather around a cow, proudly showing me its specially-shaped horns. The Dinka are traditionally cattle herders, owning hundreds or thousands of cows per family. Dowries (payment by a man's family for marriage to a girl) are also paid in cows, with a beautiful girl garnering a bride price of hundreds of cows.

A woman in the village of Kalabougou in Mali throws fire on a giant stack of hay, under which are buried pots to be fired in this kiln.

Dressed in her brightest, finest clothing, made-up, and wearing the hallmark silver coin jewelry of the Fulani of Niger, 9-year old Dicko readies herself to walk the five or so miles from her village in southwestern Niger to the town of Torodi. In Torodi, she will sell the fruit of the karey tree that she worked so hard to gather the past week.

In the seasonal Fulani village of Bantagiri in northern Burkina Faso, reflections of light from the sequins of a young woman's shawl dance across her face. The Fulani are traditionally nomadic pastoralists, crisscrossing the Sahel season after season in search of fresh water and green pastures for their cattle and other livestock.

In the town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, young "doohoobe" (people who sing "doohaali") dance in traditional fashion. The men and women each form a line facing each other, rhythmically shuffling towards and then away from each other. The women clap their hands and sing as the men "dooho," or sing a distinct, deep rhythmic chant. The man in the purple turban plays a calabash (a form of drum), as the other men hold "cabbi," sticks which are used when herding cattle. "Doohaali" is a distinct form of music practiced only by the Fulani in Djelgooji, a particular area of Burkina Faso. The young men in this image are the winners of a regional music and arts competition, going on to perform at Burkina Faso's 2010 "Semaine Nationale de la Culture" (SNC) in Bobo-Dioulasso. The women clapping at left are members of the community who have joined in the nighttime fun.