The Vezo
The Vezo are a subgroup of the Sakalavas ethnicity, one of the 18 that constitute Madagascar. The Vezo are semi-nomadic coastal fishermen who live on the southwest beaches of Madagascar. Their territory, from which the Anakao village is part of, is very extended as it englobes more than 300 kilometers of coast. Their number and origin are objects of speculation. They are about 60 000 individuals who would be originating from Indonesia.
The Vezo are above all fishermen. Their main work instrument is the well-known outrigger canoe; without which a proverb says they are nothing. These traditional canoes are carved from a tree trunk, fitted with a square sail rigged on 2 “V shaped” masts and a single outrigger. The Vezo manufacture these canoes themselves, using unchanged ancient techniques their ancestors conveyed them. They are useful for fishing, transport and sometimes accommodation during migrations.
The link between the Vezo fishermen and the sea is almost mystic. For the Vezo, the sea is a holy place. They believe in a great nameless God which conducts the sea and in the spirits which live there and watch over it.
The Vezo are very attached to tradition. They have numerous “fady” (forbidden things), and keep on fishing with harpoons and nets. Turtle fishing gives prestige to those who practice it; the sharing of the prey follows very precise rules. The death rites are also highly respected, for instance, a Vezo must be buried in his birth place in order not to cut the link with his ancestors.
The Vezo women wear beauty masks based on natural powder they craft themselves. These masks clean their skin and protect them from the sun. Some of them decorate the masks with pretty drawings and flowers in general.
