Maasai people and culture

The Maasai of East Africa are the most photographed and famous of all of Africa’s tribal people. When it comes to tourism they are as important to an East African safari as lions and elephants.
When most foreigners talk of African culture they are usually refering to the likes of the maasai.

Although development through tourism has begun to change some aspects of their lives, and even some maasai men and women have being able to scale the corporate and political ladder, generally the majority of them have nevertheless manage to live a life close to the land and their traditional culture.

Off course the maasai of today are not the same as the maasai of 100 years ago.

Today the Maasai are trapped in a contradiction - living their ancient culture by walking the wilderness herding their livestock, while at the same time taking occasional breaks to speak on their cellphones.

The Great Migration

The Maasai are from the Maa speaking tribes that moved south from the lower Nile valley during the 15th century. They are now the southern-most Nilotic peoples in Africa and by the mid-nineteenth century they occupied an area stretching from Mount Marsabit in northern Kenya to Dodoma in south-central Tanzania.

Although historically nomadic, the Maasai have been forced to lead a more sedentary lifestyle because of shrinking grazing lands due to farming and growth in tourism.

These grazing lands are shrinking due to the growth in tourism as some of the elders lease land to safari companies. Although they are allowed to graze their cattle in these leased areas, their freedom of movement has been curtailed.

Nevertheless, it’s not unusual to see red-blanketed Maasai tending their cattle in some of Africa’s great wilderness areas such as the Masai Mara, Serengeti and even the Ngorongoro Crater.

They can still also be seen even today grazing their cattle in the out skirts of the cities such as Nairobi during the dry season when good grass is harder to find due to overgrazing of the vast plains and competion from other wild grazers the likes of elephants, wildebeest and buffalo.

During a recent trip, we came across two young Maasai boys herding their cattle homewards. Generally boys fend the stock and men defend the tribe from intruders but today, as the danger from intrusion is now almost non-existent, it’s not unusual to see young and old alike looking after the herds.

Cattle play a central role in Maasai community where it is believed that God gave the Maasai all the cattle in the world to look after. Cattle are still a symbol of wealth in Maasai culture although goats and sheep have become more prevalent in recent years.

Wealth in stock passes through to the polygamous practice in Maasai culture where a man can have as many wives as befits his wealth in livestock.

Cattle are important in the diet of the Maasai as milk mixed with cow’s blood is a staple diet.

Laws passed by the Kenyan government have affected important parts of the Maasai culture. The carrying of shields has been banned as they are symbols of war. However the maasai are still able to carry their swords and clubs, making them the only people allowed to do so.

Female circumcision has also been banned, although it is still practiced in secret in some areas of the region.

The killing of male lions by Maasai warriors as part of the initiation into manhood has been outlawed by the governments of Kenya and Tanzania.

Although the Maasai keep close to their cultures, westernisation is becoming more of a threat as more of the children head off to larger centres to be schooled … and learn western ideals.

The Maasai, as with most Maa peoples, believe in a creator god who dwells in everything on earth. Although traditional beliefs are still strong, Christianity is making strides into the cultures.