Maasai

Dr. Diana Prince

Description

This is a story of a remarkable people, facing the challenge of a changing world.
This book is about a remarkable group of people called the Maasai.
Known as the "Warriors of Africa", they exist at a pivotal point in history.
For centuries, they have lived in what is now Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
Today their ancient ways confront a new world of technology. They are a resilient people.
This is their story.

Sujets

• Photographie Créative
• Kenya
• Maasaï
• Regional
• Photography
• Tanzania
• Travel
• Maasai
• Kenia
• Subjects
• Themes

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 23 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798823008532
• Langue: English

Extrait

MAASAI

WARRIORS OF AFRICA

DR. DIANA PRINCE
© 2023 Dr. Diana Prince. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

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All photos were taken by the author, and are the sole property of the author.

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0854-9 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0855-6 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-0853-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023909164

Published by AuthorHouse 05/23/2023
Table of Contents

The Story of the Maasai

MAASAI in Kenya Photo Log

MAASAI in Tanzania Photo Log

The Story of the Maasai
This book explores the world of the “Maasai Warriors”—a remarkable people who today work their ancestral land as they have for centuries. Meeting them has been a privilege, and an insightful look at how the ancient past survives.
This book explores the world of the Maasai. The name of the tribe comes from the “Maa” dialect, which is the traditional language of the tribe.
The Maasai continue to pursue their way of life, while facing the reality of a rapidly changing world. This book will discuss some of the aspects of their lives, as they confront a world that is engulfed in forces that threaten their ancient traditions.
While keeping their sacred rites and traditions intact, the Maasai face an ongoing challenge. They must determine how to retain their rich and enduring culture in the midst of the world that has changed around them.
Their respect for the elders who have come before them, now comes face to face with a daunting new world. It is a world on the edge of dynamic change and technology.
Their challenge is to emerge with the richness of their culture preserved intact for future generations.
The Maasai people today live primarily in two places—Central Kenya and Northern Tanzania. After discussing some of the forces at work in the lives of these indomitable people, I will include photos I have taken in both Kenya and Tanzania. They are meant to capture the lives of the Maasai people in the context of a rapidly changing world.
The photographs in this book are divided into the two major regions where the Maasai flourish today—Kenya and northern Tanzania. I hope that the photographs, included in this volume, will give some insight into what words can sometimes fail to capture.
The Author
Origin of the Maasai
It is speculated that the origin of the Maasai tribe was in the northernmost part of Africa. Their migrating tribes later migrated to the rugged Great Rift Valley. Centuries later, these tribes still occupy that territory which we now know as Kenya and Tanzania—on the expansive plains in East Africa.
The first recorded contact with the tribe occurred in 1840, when two missionaries from Germany founded a settlement in Kenya. These men were Ludwig Krapf and John Rebman.
The two men recorded that the Maasai were so feared that when the slave dealers came to Africa, they did not even attempt to capture members of that tribe to become slaves. The Maasai dominated large tracts of land, and defended them fiercely. The interactions of Krapf and Rebman with the native population took place near the areas of Ngorongoro and also Olduvai Gorge.
Later in the l9 th century, Henry Stanley and David Livingstone, visited the region. They provided new insight into the mysteries of the vast African plains. Soon an exodus of European adventurers headed to Africa to explore and to make their fortunes. Their earliest exploits into this region were in the areas of the highlands north of Nairobi. As European settlements flourished here, the Maasai, over time, lost access to the most fertile lands, and settled in the lowlands.
T oday, many of the Maasai settlements lie near Africa’s most famous game preserves, particularly those at Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara and Ngorongoro.
The god of the Maasai tribe is called “Enkai”. Tribal tradition says that this god entrusted to them the livestock of Africa, which is central to their tradition, their lifestyle and their very existence.
The Maasai co-exist with nature, and they must have sufficient land for their large herds of cattle. This necessity makes extensive grazing and herding grounds necessary. Simultaneously, there is an innate respect for land, and a concerted effort to sustain and renew, rather than to deplete. To maintain the resources of the land, seasonal migration is practiced by the tribe. It is vital to maintain their herds and to sustain and replenish the land.
When a Massai person dies, the body is usually set out in the bushes for predators to eat. This is believed to return the physical body to the earth, by feeding and sustaining other animals or creatures. This then becomes the instrument in the renewal of the cycle of life. There is another tribe, called the Samburu, who live primarily in Tanzania. They share many of the Maasai customs, and are, in fact, related to the Maasai tribe.
Maasai Physical Characteristics
One significant physical attribute is the observed height of the average Maasai. Typically, both men and women in the Maasai tribe will reach an average height exceeding six feet. This ranks them among the tallest of all the ethnic groups in the world.
The Tutsi tribe of Rwanda is the only tribe which surpasses the average height of the Maasai. Most Tutsi tribe members, including both men and women, have an average height over seven feet.
There are some surprising contradictions regarding the lifestyle of the Maasai. For instance, while their diets are very high in animal fat, they have a much lower than average rate of heart disease.
Despite that distinction, however, according to current calculations, the Maasai people have the world’s lowest life expectancy.
Surprisingly, the statistics indicate that both men and women in this group live only an average of 43 years. The exact reason for this is unclear.
Meat is often eaten raw, and the blood from cattle and milk are not processed.
The entire diet of the Maasai consists of four primary foods––milk, cattle blood, meat and honey. The regular daily intake of cow’s milk is sometimes consumed directly, or in some cases it is mixed in a traditional porridge.
Cattle, not money, is the measure of prosperity among young men in the Maasai society.
Cow’s blood is also a regular part of the Maasai diet. There is a traditional way of acquiring the “raw blood from cattle”. It is done in a ceremony in which a sharpened arrow is inserted into the artery in the neck of a cow, and the blood is collected in a gourd. If done in the traditional way, it appears not to hurt or injure the cow, and can be done repeatedly at intervals of time. Blood acquired in this way is used especially in rites of passage such as in circumcision and marriage. Girls, as well as boys, are circumcised when they come of age.
Also in tribal rituals, both men and women will shave their heads. This is also tied to significant events such as weddings. It is also regularly observed when men or women are circumcised.
Pneumonia has been one of the leading causes of death in this population. There has been a tribal effort to reverse this trend with vaccines to immunize the population.
The Maasai Today
Today the Maasai live in central and southern Kenya. Known as the warriors of Africa, they inhabit regions near Africa’s spacious game parks. They also inhabit Africa’s great lakes region.
In Kenya alone, their numbers are currently around 1,200,000. In addition, the Maasai also occupy an extensive region in northern Tanzania. That settlement originated in the 1400’s when a large number of Maasai migrated from Kenya to occupy what is now north and central Tanzania. The Maasai population in Tanzania is currently about 810,000 individuals.
Girls generally marry in early puberty when they have reached the age of twelve or thirteen.
Upon death, bodies are not buried, but left in the open for natural deterioration to occur, or for wild animals to consume. It is considered “the way of Nature” to allow the life force to return back into itself.
Religion among the Maasai
To the Maasai, Enkai is the powerful god who created and nourishes the world. He is sometimes represented as the “God of Thunder”.
Two colors, red and black, represent Enkai’s powers over the sky and the earth. The red color refers to the energy and creative power of God. The black color refers to the receptive earth. Together these energy forces create and shape the world. In this process, God’s active power replenishes the earth. When the rain of heaven penetrates the dark ground of the earth, it flourishes and brings forth life.
The god, Enkai, is believed to sustain man in the alternation of powerful thunder, and in the rain which nourishes the earth. And the Maasai are, above all, the children of the land for whom all nourishment is provided. It should be noted that the large Samburu Tribe, located mainly in Central Kenya, is also related to the Maasai tribes, and shares many of their cultural beliefs.
Rites of Passage
Circumcision Ritual
The life of the Maasi is steeped not only in tradition, but in clear milestones. One of the most significant is the tribal circumcision called “Emuratta”. This initiates the young warrior into manhood. It should be noted that women in the Maasai tribe also experience a circumcision after reaching puberty around the age of 12. This is critical because it is the rite of passage into their womanhood, and deems the