Maasai

Presented by: Nima Godusi Pedram HosseinySkylar VagniniHCOM 301 Group Worldview Project

Where they live

Pastoralists

History

● Originated from the lower Nile valley north of Lake Turkana (southern Sudan)

● Migrated south in 15th century while other ethnic groups were forcibly displaced as they settled in a long trunk of land stretching from northern Kenya to central Tanzania

History continued

● Maasai "Emutai" of 1883-1902: marked by epidemics of Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, rinderpest, and small pox.

● By one estimate, two-thirds of the Maasai died during this period.● 1904 & 1911 Treaties

A glimpse into their lives

https://youtu.be/XNhFVhTJIy4

What they look like

What they look like

Spiritual Beliefs

● Ngai is neither male nor female, but seems to have several different aspects. For instance, there is the saying Naamoni aiyai, which means "The She to whom I pray". There are two main manifestations of Ngai: Ngai Narok which is good and benevolent and is black; and Ngai Na-nyokie, which is angry and red, like the British.

● At birth, Ngai gives each man a guardian spirit to ward off danger and carry him away at the moment of death. The evil are carried off to a desert, while the good unsurprisingly go to a land of rich pastures and many cattle.

● Ngai created the first warrior, Le-eyo (or Leeyio), and gave him a magic chant to recite over dead children that would bring them back to life and make them immortal. However, in the manner of such fables, Le-eyo did not utter the chant until his own son had died. By then, however, it was too late - because of the selfishness of Le-eyo, death will always have power over men.

● According to popular myth, it was the folk of the forest who taught the Maasai the medicinal uses of various plants

Social Beliefs

● They are nomadic● Traditionally, the Maasai measure a man's wealth in terms of cattle and children rather than

money.● A herd of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children a man has the better.● Herd size has always been a way to distinguish the rich from the poor and have long been the

bond between many social and personal bonds.● The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai

to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle and adopt an agrarian lifestyle instead.

Beliefs and Concerns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5pDJvS_KCY&nohtml5=False

Laiboni: Medicine Man

● The Laiboni are the ritual and spiritual leaders of Maasai society, whose authority is based on their mystical as well as medicinal/healing powers. They are aided in their tasks by age-group leaders called olague nani

● There is usually only one Laiboni per clan. ● Their role is multiple: to officiate and direct ceremonies and sacrifices, to heal people of both physical

and/or mental or spiritual ailments, and to provide advice to elders on the spiritual aspects of community matters.

● They are also prophets, shamans and seers, and are the ones -with help from the elders - who name the successive age-sets, and open and close the various ceremonies of age-set transitions. The post of Laibon is confined to only one family in the Nkidong'i location and is inherited.

● They have no political power, although the British installed a number of them as quasi-paramount chiefs during the colonial period, whose rivalries ensured that the British would always remain in control. A Laibon also command a lot of power depending on his personality.

● It is fact that long before western medicine was introduced, the Maasai used to inoculate people against the deadly small-pox virus by making scratches in the person's forearm in which a small amount of pus from a dying patient was smeared.

A photo depicting a traditional Medicine Man

Warriors

Maasai Warriors

● Lion Hunt 100 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_4THjDmYJY&amp=&nohtml5=False

Jump Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMiY-tjGnZU

Current Battles

● Continue to fight to retain their identity as a tribe● Tribe of morani, or warriors, protecting their cattle against lions and other predators

Clothing

Maasai Beadwork

Red. Represents bravery, strength, unity and incredible challenges Maasai people face each dayBlue. Symbolizes energy and sustenance and the color of the sky which provides water for the people and their cattleGreen. Symbolizes nourishment and production, representing the land that provides food for the people and their livestock while also symbolizing the putting down of roots and the protection of one’s territoryOrange. Symbolizes warmth, friendship, generosity and hospitality, representative of the color of a gourd which is used to share milk with guests and welcome visitors into one’s home.Yellow. Symbolizes fertility and growth, representing the color of the sun which helps grow the grass to feed the livestock and sustain life.White. Represents purity and health symbolizing the color of cow’s milk that provides sustained nourishment.Black. Symbolizes unity, harmony and solidarity, representing the color of the people and the daily struggles they endure each day.

Maasai Beadwork

● Women make maasai beadwork, famous around the world. ● Use bright hues mainly the colors red, green, and blue the beads are very symbolic to

the culture. ● Although these necklaces are renowned around the world they are a traditional

pieced and are a very significant part of their culture. ● For both Maasai women and men beauty is a very important aspect of Maasai culture

and the beads are used as a form of adornment throughout everyday life, ceremonies, and rites of passage and is often given to visitors as a sign of gratitude and respect.

● The Maasai have always been known for their vibrant dress and colorful beadwork.

Cultural Patterns

● Culture has not remained static, beliefs and core values are strong● Myths, legends, folktales, riddles, and proverbs● Compose many songs● Women create songs inspired by heroic tales● Improvise teasing songs, work songs● Songs to ask their traditional god (Enkai) for rain● Drinking raw blood from cows

Folklore

● Ascent from a crater ● Emergence of first Maasai prophet-magician (Laibon)● Maasai relations between the sexes● God of Maasai Ngai (that means sky) bringing cattle to Earth

● Rain God entrusted them with the cattle when the sky and the earth split

Cultural Patterns

● Pierce earlobes● Colorful beaded jewelry ● Women & children shave heads

Rural Agrarian

● Semi-nomadic people ● Communal land management system● Movement of livestock is based on seasonal rotation● Believe that God gave them his cattle to watch over● Cattle, goats and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai● Livestock are traded for other livestock● Milk and meat are the best foods● Maasai measure a man's wealth in terms of cattle

Rural Agrarian

● Meishoo iyiook enkai inkishu o-nkera"- Maasai prayer translating “May Creator give us cattle and children.”

● Cattle and children most important aspect● Maasai traditional land agreement, no one denied access to natural resources such as

water and land

Poverty

● Underprivileged● Poverty all time low● Mara region poverty due to climate change● Impact for families to find food● Affects international tourist trade● Deaths of numerous cattle and goats

Poverty

Impact of Climate change in Kenya

Education

● Lack of education (women especially)● Children educated by their elders● No formalized educational system ● Wide Gap between Western schooling● Children learn to overcome fear, endure pain, assume adult tasks

● Efforts to bring formalized education to the tribe● Private and public donors from outside of Kenya fund the efforts● Few practical rewards for formal education

History of being Oppressed

● Endured a long history of colonization by the British ● British perceived the Maasai and other tribes to be incompatible with the wildlife

that inhabited the area● With the separation of people and nature, national parks in Kenya were created

without any consideration for the local communities. ● Currently increase of tourists wanting to experience this world in its most natural

form, and it is making the indigenous people suffer● Maasai opportunists still take advantage of land grab deals

Oppression of Women

● Sex tourists flock to Kenya● Women, men, girls and boys have been identified to be trafficked in Kenya● Poverty -->Selling of daughters into slave markets● Female genital mutilation● Denied education:only 10% girls secondary school● Married to whoever their father chooses● No divorce● If her husband dies she is passed on to a brother to be his property

Segregated from Wider Society

● Accepted some western cultures, but kept their indigenous culture● Preserve their own ways in an increasingly modern world ● One of few African tribes who still live life the way they have for decades

Issues Facing Maasai

Sickness and disease

Issues Facing Maasai

Lack of education and poverty

Issues Facing MaasaiLand allocation and wildlife preservation

Future of Maasai

Maasai group in Monterey!

Works Cited

Climate Change in Kenya is changing women’s lives. (2013). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from https://womennewsnetwork.net/2013/03/16/climate-change-kenya-womens-lives/

Environmental Justice Cast Study: Maasai Land Rights in Kenya and Tanzania. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/maasai.htm

Facts About Maasai People, Tribe and culture. (2013). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://buzzkenya.com/maasai-people-tribe-and-culture/

Hopeful inquiry ben small. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from https://ds.lclark.edu/bensmall/2014/03/13/systematic-environmental-theory-and-the-maasai-in-ngorongoro-tanzania/

Maasai. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Maasai.html

Works Cited

Maasai. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Maasai#Female_mutilation

Maasai Primary School | Kenya. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.maasai-association.org/primary-school.html

Maasai religion and beliefs - Traditional Music & Cultures of Kenya. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/maasai/beliefs.htm

The Life of a Maasai Woman. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.maasaigirlseducation.org/the-need/the-life-of-a-maasai-woman

The Maasai Creation Myth from Africa. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.read-legends-and-myths.com/maasai-creation-myth.html