Origins
Long ago, the Maasai people lived in the Western Nile Valley. In the 16th century, they started to migrated with their herds. Now, an
estimate in 1994 said that 450,000 Maasai's are living along Kenya's Border and 430,000 People living in Tanzania. Now, they are settled in the land between Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria. The Maa language is spoken by the Maasai and it has been traced back to Juda. The Maasai also have a Christian like religion, where they believe that there is one god and that he sent down three groups, The Torrobo, The Kikuyu and The Maasai. The Torrobo was a hunting and gathering group, but was also gifted by god with animals and honey for survival, the second group was called The Kikuyu, who planted and gathered crops and was gifted seed and grain, and the third group was the Maasai who was gifted with cattle, also, legend says that all of this came sliding down from a rope between Heaven and Earth.
Long ago, the Maasai people lived in the Western Nile Valley. In the 16th century, they started to migrated with their herds. Now, an
estimate in 1994 said that 450,000 Maasai's are living along Kenya's Border and 430,000 People living in Tanzania. Now, they are settled in the land between Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria. The Maa language is spoken by the Maasai and it has been traced back to Juda. The Maasai also have a Christian like religion, where they believe that there is one god and that he sent down three groups, The Torrobo, The Kikuyu and The Maasai. The Torrobo was a hunting and gathering group, but was also gifted by god with animals and honey for survival, the second group was called The Kikuyu, who planted and gathered crops and was gifted seed and grain, and the third group was the Maasai who was gifted with cattle, also, legend says that all of this came sliding down from a rope between Heaven and Earth.
Culture
The Maasai people do not celebrate any major holidays, but they have ceremonies and feasts for marriages, circumcisions, etc. and are celebrated by the whole village. The government of the village also put kids in a "age set" so that they can control the jealousy and selfishness within the people. The maasai people are proud with the way they live, although they live in an almost poor conditions. Their homes are windowless houses that are almost like igloos that are made of sticks and braches that are connected with mud and cow dung and now have tin roofs. They live in a controlled society where men and fathers speak for women and make decisions for people. Also, boys move away from their fathers village after they have been circumcised. The Maasai people also where clothes that are signified by period, age, gender and place in society. They started to wear animal skins in the 60s. For food, the Maasai turn to their cows for both utensils for cooking and for food. The cows ribs are used for spoons and stirring sticks and horns are used for drinking mead and butter dishes. The Massai only eat and drink six things, meat, tree bark, fat, honey, milk, and cow blood, but meat like chicken and fish are forbidden, and they usually eat only to meals a day. Everyone in the village has special jobs, the men work with the cows, and the women raise the kids, and kids help their parents. during their free time, they play sports and games like tag, and soccer and warding people of and hunting animals can also be a sport. For entertainment, the men gather and tell stories and the girls sing. They are also know for their bead jewelry and wood carvings which are both popular with tourist. their are also two different ways of education for people, one is schooling and the other is getting used to pain, overcoming fears and doing some tasks. They also have well known literature about myths, legends, etc.
Problems and Issues
A lot of problems happen within the Maasai culture. some problems are that cattle are being stolen and tribes , even of the same culture, are going to war with each other. Other tribes want others land, people are trying to get jobs out in the world, lack of education, and deciding weather or not to live the way they usually do. They don't want their children to go to school be cause they don't want them to use education that is learned in the west, but at the same time, it become necessary for them to do so. Rights are even a problem, since male dominate over women. Women even need to act differently in certain ways when married, and they cant even be near their husbands when eating, just to name a few. But there is still respect between men and women in these cultures.
A lot of problems happen within the Maasai culture. some problems are that cattle are being stolen and tribes , even of the same culture, are going to war with each other. Other tribes want others land, people are trying to get jobs out in the world, lack of education, and deciding weather or not to live the way they usually do. They don't want their children to go to school be cause they don't want them to use education that is learned in the west, but at the same time, it become necessary for them to do so. Rights are even a problem, since male dominate over women. Women even need to act differently in certain ways when married, and they cant even be near their husbands when eating, just to name a few. But there is still respect between men and women in these cultures.