The Masai are
one of the 42 tribes of Kenya whose people are found spread over the
South Western part of Kenya and across into Northern Tanzania. This
unique group of people have earned many admirers being the only people
who have preserved their way of life amidst mo
dern
culture. The Masai morans (warriors) are well known for their exploits
at conquering the ‘King of the Jungle’ (the lion) as they graduate into
manhood. Take a walking safari
into the heart of Masai Land in Kenya.
The Masai people of East Africa live in southern part of
Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and
arid lands. The Masai in Kenya occupy a total land area of 160,000
square kilometres with a population of approximately one half million
people.
The Masai both
in Kenya and Tanzania have over the years defied modernisation and
managed to maintain a unique lifestyle in their natural habitat.
The Masai community is comprised of sixteen sub groups
(known in Masai as Iloshon): A majority of the Masai population lives in
Kenya. Groups such as Isikirari, Parakuyu, Kore and Ilarusa lives in
Tanganyika.
The Masai both in Kenya and Tanzania live in Kraals
arranged in a circle. The fence around the kraal is made of
acacia
thorns, which prevent lions from attacking the cattle. It is a man's
responsibility to fence the kraal while women construct the houses.
Traditionally, kraals are shared by an extended family. However, due to
the new land management system in the Masai region, it is not uncommon
to see a kraal occupied by a single family. The Inkajijik (Masai word
for a house) are loaf-shaped and made of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung
and cow's urine.
Women are responsible for making the houses as well as
collecting water, collecting firewood, milking cattle and cooking for
the family.
Warriors are in charge security while boys are
responsible for herding livestock. During the drought season, both
warriors and boys assume the responsibility for herding livestock. The
elders are heads of families and act as advisors for day-to-day
activities. Every morning before livestock leave to graze, an elder who
is the head of the inkang sits on his chair and announces the schedule
for everyone to follow. Take a walking
safari
in Kenya and experience the ultimate Masai way of life.
Both
the Masai in Kenya and Tanzania are a semi-nomadic people who lived
under a communal land management system. The movement of livestock is
based on seasonal rotation. Each section manages its own territory.
Under normal conditions, reserve pastures are fallowed and guarded by
the warriors. However, if the dry season becomes especially harsh,
sections boundaries are ignored and people graze animals throughout the
land until the rainy season arrives. According to Masai traditional land
agreement, no one should be denied access to natural resources such as
water and land. The
conservation tour in Kenya provides you with an opportunity meet and
learn about the Masai way of life from non other than the Morans
themselves.
Masai
Economic activities:
Livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep are the primary
source of income for the Masai. Livestock serves as a social utility and
plays an important role in the Masai economy. Livestock are traded for
cash or livestock products such as milk and siege. Individual, families,
and clans established close ties through giving or exchange of cattle. "Meishoo
iyiook enkai inkishu o-nkera"- so goes a Masai prayer. The English
translation of this prayer is: "May Creator give us cattle and children.
Cattle and children are the most important aspect of the Masai people.
Increasingly
the Masai economy in Kenya is dependent on marketing livestock
products and Masai artefacts (beads and clothing)
to other people including visitors. It is therefore now common to see
young Masai men and women in major towns and cities of Kenya selling,
not just goats and cows, but also beads among other items. The
entrepreneurial spirit is something new in this society.
Traditionally,
the Masai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for food. People
drink blood on special occasions. It is given to a circumcised person
(o/esipolioi), a woman who has given birth (entomononi) and the sick (oltamueyiai).
Also, on a regular basis drunk elders, ilamerak, use the blood to
alleviate intoxication and hangovers. Blood is very rich in protein and
is good for the immune system. However, its use in the traditional diet
is declining due to the reduction of livestock numbers.
More recently, the Masai in Kenya have grown dependent on
food produced in other areas such as maize meal, rice, potatoes, cabbage
(known to the Masai as goat leaves), etc. The Masai n Kenya who live
near crop farmers have engaged in cultivation as their primary mode of
subsistence. In these areas, plot sizes are generally not large enough
to accommodate herds of animals; thus the Masai are forced to farm.
Other Masai traditionally frown about this. Masai believe that utilising
the land for farming is a crime against nature. Once you cultivate the
land, it is no longer suitable for grazing.
Source: Masai Association
Kenya