The Dogon people live in Mali, West Africa in an area composed of plains, sandstone cliffs up to 600 meters tall, and plateaus running parallel to the Niger River. Dogon families live in compounds in villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, sleeping on their rooftops during the hot season. They traditionally farmed millet and the blacksmiths now work with scrap metal, while masks and male social centers called "Houses of Words" are also part of Dogon culture.