The Dogon an ethnic group are mainly located in the administrative districts of Bandiagara and Douentza in Mali, West Africa. There are approximately 700 Dogon villages, with an average of 400 inhabitants. During the hot season, the Dogon sleep on the roofs of their earthen homes. The tribe's folk call themselves 'Dogon' or 'Dogom', but in the older literature they are most often called 'Habe', a Fulbe meaning 'stranger'. Millet Harvest - Dogon women pound millet in the village of Kani Kombal. Millet is of vital importance to the Dogon. They sow millet in June and July, after the rains begin. The millet is harvested in October.
The precise origins of the Dogon people, like those of many other ancient cultures, are not yet determined. Their civilization emerged, in much the same way as ancient Egypt. Around 1490 AD the Dogon people migrated to the Bandiagara cliffs of central Mali.
The religious beliefs of the Dogon are enormously complex and knowledge varies greatly within Dogon society. The religion is defined primarily through the worship of ancestors and spirits. There are three principal cults among the Dogon; the Awa, Lebe and Binu.