Bedouin of the Negev

Many years ago I wanted to visit a Bedouin village. I was warned by many that the Bedouins still living in the desert are dangerous, “a closed society”, and that I should not go there. This is the story focused on the Bedouin family that took me in during my time in the central Negev/Naqab desert. I intend to document this family and their broader community including their significant kindness which shattered the negative misconceptions cast toward them.

This Bedouin village is considered an illegal settlement and they rebuild their homes about every 5 years due to government destruction of their village. The challenges are complex and have been building steadily from even before the Ottoman Empire’s forced sedentary policies against nomadic tribes. This particular village lives a hybrid lifestyle by embracing some modern technology (especially with green technologies) and maintaining Bedouin tradition in the face of continued pressure to fully assimilate.

This project is extremely technical as many video conversations will be done through interpreters to better document pieces of the larger community which speak only Arabic. A Cultural Immersion Photobook, Video Documentation, Art Prints, and many other items including a Children’s Book will be created out of this project.

Peace to You!

-Trey