Kenya’s Maasai Tribe Preserves Its Traditions

March 16, 2011
Written by Rita Cook in
Feature Stories
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Sunset in Kenya.

With as many as 70 tribal groups in Kenya, and though the line might be somewhat blurred as to the different rituals and customs of each, the Maasai tribe remains true to its heritage. The Maasai is a tribe still leaving its mark on the country.


This is seen first and foremost in the spoken languages. While the primary languages taught in Kenya are English and Swahili, Maa, the local Maasai tribal language, remains prominently spoken throughout the rural Maasai villages.


A Nilotic ethnic group and semi-nomadic, the Maasai population is around 453,000 in Kenya. However, these estimates are complicated because the Maasai often live in remote villages, continuing a way of life they have sustained for hundreds of years. It is this nomadic lifestyle and fierce loyalty to their culture that keeps Maasai traditions alive.


As missionaries constantly stream into the country to provide schooling to the various tribes, it is as much a hindrance as a blessing since many of the tribal traditions are then lost. Perhaps one of the strongest traditions for the Maasai is the longstanding way in which boys move into manhood. Sometimes they live in the bush for a number of years, which also means they do not attend school.


The Maasai society is strongly patriarchal and elders in the village decide matters for the entire group. A full body of oral law addresses many behaviors, and normally payment in cattle will settle any matter, or using an “out of court” process called ‘amitu’ or ‘to make peace,’ which involves a substantial apology.


A monotheistic society (a society that believes in only one God), the Maasai still living in remote villages, have sacred customs related to death. When someone in the tribe dies, there is no ceremony. In fact, they leave the dead outside, and if a corpse is not eaten by scavengers (like the spotted hyena), it can possibly cause the family of the deceased great social disgrace.


Maasai life centers on the family’s cattle, which are both a source of food and income because they measure a man’s wealth by his cattle and children. Families live in nomadic homes called Inkajijik, houses that are either star-shaped or circular, and built by the tribal women.


altMade from timber poles dug into the ground and linked together with small branches, the structure is then plastered with mud, sticks, grass, cow dung (to guarantee the roof won’t leak), human urine, and ash. Inside the home, the family cooks, eats, and sleeps. Food and fuel are also stored inside, as well as small livestock, which might otherwise succumb to lions or hyenas during the night.


An acacian-thorn fence surrounds the entire village. At night, villagers herd all the animals including cows, goats, and sheep into the circular area for safety.


Indeed, the Maasai village is seemingly a safe place to live, and tradition is strong.


One of the most important traditions within the tribe takes place when boys reach roughly the age of 15. Even though young, Maasai boys must take care of the lambs and calves at a very early age. Every 15 years they initiate a new generation of warriors called Morans through a series of rites of passage. The most painful rite of passage for the Maasai boy to move into the ranks of junior warrior is a circumcision ceremony, a procedure performed with no drugs. The elders use a knife and cattle hide bandage to perform the circumcision, and if the boy does not face the ceremony in silence, he is apt to disgrace not only himself, but also his entire family.


After the ceremony, when the boy becomes a junior Moran, he then receives both a headdress and markings on his body, and then lives in a “manyatta” built by his mother for a number of years. A coming of age ceremony for the young boys’ includes a dance called Eunoto, which might last for up to 10 days with singing, dancing, and rituals.


Another common Maasai tradition still alive today is head shaving during rites of passage. Only warriors within the Maasai tribe may wear their hair long and in thin braids. However, when the warrior becomes a village elder, he must have his hair shaved off again.


As one of the only tribes in Kenya to drink cow’s blood, the Maasai believe the blood makes the body both stronger and warmer. An arrow punctures the cow’s jugular vein and the blood flows into a gourd and mixes with the cow’s milk. This blood drinking diet does not cause the cow’s death because the Maasai takes care of the animal until it heals.


Maasai villagers also either remove their lower two front teeth, burn their skin, or stretch their earlobes to identify with their tribe, and women are not allowed to wear long hair. Rumor has it that lions are more afraid of the Maasai than any other tribe in Kenya, and tribal members always wear red to scare away predatory animals. However, if called upon, they will defend their village using spears and bow and arrow.



Sources:
Insider Magazine Travel Article, “The Many Faces of Kenya” by Rita Cook
www.jambokenya.com
www.africancraftsmarket.com
 

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Comments

Keeping true to who we are

Submitted by ACU-8 on

We live separated lives each in our distinct part of the world. It is our traditions, rituals and such commonaries that make us who we are as a greater part of of this world. In regards to still speaking their Maasai tribal language and to the circumcision of their young men; the Maasai Tribe is holding on to their strong traditional beliefs in this ever-changing world. We as American live at the center of this ever-changing world; yet for some of us we still hold on to traditions and beliefs that we are not so willingly ready to give up. When we begin to conform to those around us we lose our identity as individuals. We need to remain true to our individualism, our traditions and beliefs just like the Maasai Tribe.

I have travel all the travel

Submitted by mytravel on

I have travel all the travel destinations and all the times i am very interested to know more about the tribes and culture of that place. Last summer vacation I was in Assam that time. This is one of the interesting tribe in Assam. Their culture and tradition is also very unique. I had really enjoyed in Assam.