- published: 15 Mar 2011
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The Tekna is a Sahrawi tribal confederation of Lamta Sanhaja Berber origins in today southern Morocco and parts of northern Western Sahara, but traditionally with wider migration routes.
The Tekna tribes speak Hassaniya Arabic and the Berber Shilha dialect in varying degrees. They are divided into several berber-speaking and Arabic-speaking subtribes, organized into the two rivalling Ait Djemel and Ait Bella leff, or factions. All Tekna are Muslims, belonging to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam. Their traditional lifestyle was partly nomadic, based on camel and goat herding, and partly sedentary, controlling important routes of the Saharan caravan trade.
During the 18th century, Morocco under Ismail Ibn Sharif sized control over the territory from Senegal and Timbuktu to Moulouya River, after the death of Ismail in 1727 a civil war in Morocco led to losing these territories.
In May 30 1767, Mohammed ben Abdallah (Sultan of Morocco) signed a peace & commerce treaty with the Spanish King Carlos III recognizing that he doesn't have control over the Tekna tribes.