The Dan tribe live in Ivory Coast, surrounded by forests and jungles.
They belong to a larger ethnic group called the Mande.
The Dan are closely related to the Guere and they like to paint.
They paint decorations on the walls of their houses,
which are round with conical roofs.
The women do the domestic work, as is so very common,
but they also have another very important role to play in Dan society.
The clan leader makes the rules and enforces them.
Here he is enforcing, or debating or maybe just chatting.
Sometimes the themes of the paintings that decorate the walls are domestic,
but at other times they’re more esoteric.
This tribe of women painters is very respectful of its environment,
especially since they worship forest gods.
Their bridges are built out of lianas
and they believe that they are built by the gods
They use no nails and no screws, and they are sacred,
just as all that comes from the forest is sacred.
That’s why they cross the bridges exclusively with bare feet.
The fact that they are sacred doesn't keep the lianas from wearing out with use,
so the bridges don’t last more than a year or so.
When the clan leader determines that a bridge is deteriorating, he’ll prohibit its further use.
He is also responsible for making sacrifices and other offerings to the gods.
It looks like this chicken is about to become a dead duck.
These men have been initiated, so they can participate in building the new bridge.
But they will do so in a trance state
While the bridge is being rebuilt, no one must go near the forest.
I’m sorely tempted, but of course I’ll stay away.
When it comes to gods, it's better not to take a chance.
If it’s white, that means that the spirit is at ease,
The ceremonial masks represent spirits, and they’re taken out of storage when needed.
The clan leader has exercised another prerogative
and selected one of the group of initiated men to dance with his face covered.
This mask is called Glegben, and it represents justice.
If it’s white, that means that the spirit is at ease,
but when it’s black it must be agitated in some way.
An initiated dancer follows the movements of the masks.
Some Dan women are working to eliminate a terrible form of mutilation,
a delicate topic that affects millions of African women.