A Peek At Village Life On The Maasai Mara – Photo Review

The Maasai are a prominent semi-nomadic ethnic group of cattle and sheep farmers inhabiting large parts of northern, central, and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. While other tribes of the Great Rift Valley area have welcomed many of the accoutrements of modern living, the Maasai have held on to much of their traditional lands and way of life.

During a three-day visit to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve in May 2022, I visited a Maasai village (kraal) for an introduction to the people and their culture. Maasai Mara is an incredible ecosystem that is the northern portion of Tanzania’s Serengeti. At Maasai Mara I enjoyed two amazing vehicle safaris and one balloon safari. A visit with the Maasai provided the opportunity to experience the lifestyle of one group of humans who for thousands of years have managed to thrive in the midst of the dangerous wildlife I saw from the safety of a vehicle or balloon.

Rather than rely solely on my recollection of the information my generous hosts provided, excerpts from Maasai Mara Travel provide a more reliable context for the photos from the visit.

The Maasai tribe, historically a nomadic people, have traditionally relied on readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their unusual and interesting housing. The traditional Maasai house was designed for people on the move and thus their houses were very impermanent in nature. The houses are either circular or loaf-shaped, and are made by women. Their villages are enveloped in a circular Enkang (fence) built by the men and this protects their cattle at night from wild animals.

The kraal I visited is located in a Maasai conservancy bordering the reserve. It was a short drive from my accommodation, AA Mara Safari Lodge. The son of the village leader and two others met my guide and myself outside the krall.

There are over fifty tribes of native people originally from Kenya. The Maasai are one of the few tribes that have managed to stick to most of their traditions and keep their culture alive. This didn’t come easy though. According to Maasai history the Maasai tribe is originally from north-west Kenya, north of Lake Turkana in the lower Nile Valley. Later on, they migrated south and settled in the Great Rift Valley and the Dodoma and Mount Marsabit region. They were feared for raiding cattle as far east as the Tanga Coast in Tanzania. These proficient warriors excelled in the use of shields and spears but were especially feared for throwing their clubs known as ‘orinka’. Maasai warriors were known to be able to throw the orinka with expert precision across a distance of up to 100 metres.

The Maasai tribe, historically a nomadic people, have traditionally relied on readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their unusual and interesting housing. The traditional Maasai house was designed for people on the move and thus their houses were very impermanent in nature. The houses are either circular or loaf-shaped, and are made by women. Their villages are enveloped in a circular Enkang (fence) built by the men and this protects their cattle at night from wild animals.

Traditional Maasai people’s lifestyle concentrates on their cattle which make up the primary source of food. Amongst the Maasai the measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of children and cattle. So the more the better. They believe that a man who has plenty of cattle but not many children is considered to be poor and vice versa. A Maasai myth says that God afforded them all the cattle on earth, resulting in the belief that rustling from other tribes is a matter of claiming what is rightfully theirs, a practice that has now become much less common.   

I was invited inside one of the homes. Each small, loaf-shaped home consists of three rooms, a kitchen/dinning/sitting area and two bedrooms. In keeping with tradition, there is no electricity. It is dark inside even during the day because windows are small as a precaution against wildlife intrusions.

 

The Maasai have a very patriarchal society. Masai men and elders make all of the important decisions for Masai tribes. They measure a man’s wealth in terms of the number of children a man has and heads of cattle. The more the better. Their diets traditionally consist of the raw meat and milk of their cattle (and at times also of the blood in times of drought). The hides are used to make furniture and the bones are used to create tools. The Maasai clothe themselves in colour swatches of cloth known as ‘Shúkà’. The Maasai have a very colourful culture of music and dance. The women are known to recite lullabies, hum and sing songs of praise about their sons. There’s always one song leader, known as an olaranyani, who leads the group in song.

After the home tour, we went outside for a demonstration of the way the Maasai make fire.  This was the part I wanted most to see.  The process is surprisingly fast and easy.    Maasai start with a notched piece of wood, a small stick that fits into the notch, tinder and kindling.

They roll the stick rapidly between their palms for several seconds until the tinder in the notch glows. The glowing tinder is carefully placed in a bundle of tiny, easily combustible twigs. The firemaker blows on the ember until a flame erupts.

Even though my hands were unfamiliar with the motion, I was able to get a fire going without much difficulty. Using the right materials is crucial. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the names of the materials used for the tinder and twigs.

Clothing varies by sex, age and place. Young men wear black for several months after their circumcision. Although, red is a favored color among the Maasai. Black, Blue, checked and striped cloth are also worn, together with multi-coloured African garments. In the 1960s the Maasai began to replace sheepskin, calf hides and animal skin for more commercial material. The cloth used to wrap around the body is the called Shúkà in the Maa language. The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewellery, which plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Ear piercing and the stretching of earlobes are also part of Maasai beauty, and both men and women wear metal hoops on their stretched earlobes.

Young Maasai men go through a ceremony that marks their passage to adulthood.

The Maasai traditionally hold ‘coming of age’ ceremonies during which the horn of the Greater Kudu is used to summon all of those coming of age, the initiates, to the ceremony. Such ceremonies last ten days or more and involve quite a bit of singing, dancing and flirting. During the ceremony young men will line up and chant towards a line of singing women standing across from them. A very unique and interesting sight to see. Some parts of Maasai tradition have changed in recent years. Until recently, the single-handed slaying of a lion with a spear was a requirement for all boys who wanted to become Masai warriors.

Source

The lions appreciate the change in tradition as the Maasai population is now about one million. Despite my age, the hosts had me participate in a mock ceremony.

In sixth grade I read Treks Across the Veldt by Theodore Waldeck.  I don’t remember the story except that it sparked a recurring dream of walking across the African savannah with just a spear and a big dog.  The ceremony and lion head hat made me recall that childhood dream. 

The Maasai people don’t use instruments when they are singing or dancing. All of their music is vocal, except for the large horns used for certain songs. Their music comprises of rhythms rendered by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies, all the while the olaranyani (song leader) sings the melody. The olaranyani is usually the person who can best sing that song. When olaranyani starts singing a line or title (namba) of a song, the group responds with one unanimous call in acknowledgment. The beads that both the men and women wear also create a jingling sound themselves while the Masai jump and dance.

This video shows Maasai singing a traditional song and performing a jumping dance.

Maasai understand the concept of marketing as the last item on the agenda was perusing a selection of jewelry and artifacts handmade by Maasai craftsmen. Bargaining was involved, and I’m sure I overpaid for a few souvenirs. I didn’t mind since I’m uncomfortable bargaining when I have no idea of the real value of the products. I looked at the process as a donation. Among other endeavors, Maasai earn income from leasing their land to safari and hotel operators and serving as guides.

Overall Impression

I very much appreciated meeting friendly Maasai warriors and getting a glimpse of the Maasai lifestyle. I applaud them for holding on to their traditional culture. Thanks for visiting. Please enjoy your weekend.