Iraqi Marsh Interviews – Grain Seller

This interview discusses the economic life of a grain seller, their experience with raising and selling water buffalo, price movements, their experiences when the marshes were drained in the 1990s, settlement of tribal disputes, and the distinction between the public and private value of the marshes to various members of the community. The conversation examines the advantages and disadvantages to life in the marshes versus the city of Al Chibayish where the interview was conducted, the beauty and simplicity of life in the marshes, but also the exhausting nature of the work and the marsh's harsh conditions. The interview discusses the introduction of t.v. and electrical appliances in the 1980s, methods for refrigeration, changes in diets, the changing role of religion in their culture, and the ways life was different under the regime of Saddam Hussein.