The Massai

During my last two posts I've mentioned the Massai tribe. They are the dominate tribe around Masai Mara and can easily be spotted due to their unique customs and dress. This is a semi nomadic culture that lives pretty much like they did a thousand years ago. As we neared Masai Mara it was obvious we had entered Massai country and we saw many of the men grazing goats and cows along the dirt road.

After our second day of safari our tour guide took us to one of their villages for an up close look at their culture. She knew the village chief so we were invited to get a first hand tour of their village. We arrived and were greeted by the chief's son. I was surprised to learn he spoke perfect English. He explained that some Massai do go to school, though usually only through 8th grade (primary school here) but during that time they are taught English. However many do not attend school, especially the girls. As we entered the village an entire group of Massai men came up to us and started to do a ritual welcome dance which was more of a chant, with lots of jumping up and down in place. They started to pull us into their dance and put "kikoi" over us (see pictures). After our official "dance" we were invited on a tour of the village.

Now I want to try and give you a sense of the smell and feel of this village. The Maasai live around a kraal (like our corrals) arranged in a circular fashion. The fence around the kraal is made of acacia thorns, which prevent lions from attacking the cattle. Their actual homes are called Inkajijik (singular enkaji) and they surround the perimeter of the kraal. As I mentioned in my first safari post their homes are constructed of sticks that are plastered over with with cow dung, ash, mud, grass and human urine and are the responsibility of women to build. Since cows are the mainstay of the Massai it is important they not get eaten by animals thus the requirement that they be housed at night in the center of the village. during the day the men take them out to graze but at night they are housed in the center of the village. Every 9 years or so they leave their village behind, move down the road and construct a new one due to the fact that their homes become infested with termites. Now when one lives in a place where there is literally cow dung EVERYWHERE guess what you experience, a zillion flies and a horrific smell. Wading through cow poop is just a way of life as well as a building material.

So off we waded through poop and flies to get our tour. Our first stop was the center of the kraal (even more poop and flies) to watch them make fire by rubbing together sticks. They then explained (okay gentlemen who are reading my blog this is gonna hurt) the process by which some of the boys become "warriors". A select group of boys is chosen between the ages of 15-18 men go through a rite of passage to start the process to become "warriors". This includes a circumcision ceremony, which is performed without anaesthetic. This ritual is typically performed by the elders, who use a sharpened knife and makeshift cattle hide bandages for the procedure. The boy must endure the operation in silence (sounds like a ton of fun doesn't it). After this ceremony the boys are sent out into the bush to live on their own for 3 years, must prove their warrior nature by killing a lion then at the end of 3 years return to their villages full fledged warriors and take their first wife (yes they have more than one).

From the kraal we were given a tour of an enkaji (a house). Within this space, the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes, stores food, fuel, and even small livestock. Another feature of the enkaji is it has no windows. The feeling inside was quite claustrophobic and between the smoke and livestock smell I could barely breath.

I must say a word about the women in this culture. Like the warrior men, all women are circumcised when they reach puberty and in their case the procedure kills and mains many of them. Infant and mother mortality rates are some of the highest in any tribe in Kenya and even today most will not seek modern medical care. The women's role is to build the houses, rear the children, cook the food, make jewelry and crafts, and maintain the home. It's a very hard life as I could see when I looked into many of their faces.

Though hot, smelly and fly invested I found my tour fascinating and was glad to have the opportunity to get a glimpse at such a unique and foreign culture.