MAASAI

By D’kota Barrios

LOCATION

Kenya and Northern Tanzania Along the Great Rift Valley Migrated from Nile Valley Region in

1500’s Residence near many game parks of East

Africa

LITERATURE

Language: Maa Maa is a member of the Nilo-Saharan

language family Related to Dink and Nuer All are educated in Swahili and English Very few learn how to read, for education

is secondary to cultural duties

HISTORY

In the 1800’s, their population was devistated due to years of drought and small pox epidemic.

In 1911, Maasai lands in Kenya were reduced by 60% when the British evicted them to make more room for settler ranches.

This confined the Maasai to present day Kajiado and Narok districts.

Maasai lands were further enclosed for the creation of game parks.

HISTORY continued

After their population was devastated, the Kenyan government took 2/3 of their land.

After independence, Tanzania implemented a socialist policy of villagization in Maasai areas.

This meant that people were physically resettled into boma’s, a circular cluster of homes.

In 1976, the government officially resettled the Maasai in Monduli and gave them a maximum of 3 acres of land to each for farming.

CLIMATE

East Africa’s climate averages 70-90 degrees.

December-March are the warm/dry months

April-May produce the most rain June-September are the cooler months

RESOURCES

Use rocks and sticks as tools Use cattle dung as cement for the homes Use wooden, hand made spears for

hunting Use animal bones for tools and

accessories such as earings

ECONOMIC LIFESTYLE

Indigenous pastoral society Raising their cattle is the most important

thing to their society Live in desert areas Native

DECLINE STATUS

Much of their land has been taken by the Kenyan government

Small pox wiped out a lot of their population

As well as drought Only 400,000 Maasai left

MIGRATION

They migrated from the Nile Valley region to The Great Rift Valley in Kenya

They owned a lot of land until the government kicked them out

They follow wherever the cattle migrate to

GOVERNMENT

The elders make up the rules “court of elders” Killing is legal, no punishment In the morning, everybody in the village

meets up and the elders tell everybody the schedule for the day

The elders assign jobs and decide who will marry who

CLOTHING

Red is their favorite color to wear Blue, black, striped, and checkered cloth are

often worn They used to use animal hide as clothing, but

replaced that with cloth SHUKA is the word for sheets wrapped around

the body. Shuka’s are usually red They wear sandals made of cow hide, but more

often are bare foot Shuka’s are usually dressed with beaded

earrings

MUSIC

Consists of a vocalist singing harmonies while a leader sings melodies

Women chant lullabies and hum songs to their sons

Singing and dancing in Maasai culture is viewed as an act of flirting

They use instruments such as drums and horns

ART

Women wear many forms of beaded ornaments in their earlobes

Thorns, twigs, stones, and tusks are used as piercings

Women spend lots of time beading jewelry for friends and family

CUSTOMS

Marriages are arranged by the elders without consulting the bride or her family

Polygyny is an ideal Most women marry older men They can only marry one time Patriarchal; father’s control is absolute On the day of a wedding, the bride is

alocated a herd of cattle When the parents die, the oldest son

inherits the residue of fathers cattle

CUSTOMS continued

Boys are trained to be warriors by father, uncles, and older brothers

A girls childhood is usually dominated by a strict avoidance, even fear, of her father

RELIGION

Ngai means God (also sky) Ngai is not male nor female Ngai is the creator of everything and

owned all the cattle that Maasai have Ngai sent the Maasai their cattle When sun shines, they believe it is Ngai

EDUCATION

Maasai boys are forced to choose between secondary school and cultural education (becoming a warrior)

Girls are not allowed to attend school; they spend their time learning their household duties

Most young boys choose to become a warrior than go to school

RELATIONSHIPS

Girls get married at young age, usually a few days after they hit puberty

Girls are always married to older men who usually have other wives

Father has all control Maasai society is organized around age-

sets. 5 Boy sets: boys, warriors (morans), junior

elders, senior elders, elders. 3 Girl sets: girl (ndito), woman (yeyo), koko,

(grandmother).

RELATIONSHIPS continued

After a girl goes through puberty she becomes a woman

After a woman has 4 healthy babies, she becomes a koko

Most married women become widows because her husband was so much older than she

CULTURE

The Maasai occupy a total of 160,000 square kilometers of land

Maasai society is comprised of 16 sections

They are a Nilotic ethnic group which means they are inhabitants of the Nile region

They are semi-nomadic which means they move usually following the route of the cattle

Women are circumsized right after puberty and right before marriage

Maasai Today

Are famous for their fearsome reputation as warriors and cattle-rustlers

Tourists can actually take a safari tour through parts of their village