The Maasai

The Maasai, originally uploaded by Benjamin Long.

(I want to be the first to point out that living in Maasailand for two months in no way makes me an expert on the Maasai. I will try to sum up what I have learned from my experiences.)

The Maasai are a cattle people who believe that all the cattle on earth belong to them. Cattle form the basis of their entire culture, being the main form of sustenance, wealth and power. The strong bond formed between the Maasai and their cattle has necessitated a semi-nomadic way of life for them as they follow the seasons in search of grass and water for their herds. This classifies the Maasai as pastoralists. Pastoralism as a whole is under threat from climate change, shifting global markets and increased competition for land and other natural resources. All of these effects are very evident in Longido.

The past few years have been increasingly difficult for the Maasai in Longido. Severe drought killed hundreds of cattle just in the last two years. Electricity is coming to Longido soon. The village is also on the Nairobi road which is becoming a vital connector for trade. With these factors combined, the land prices are rising as the village is growing. You would think that the increase of business would be a good thing but it is not. Currently, every shop, restaurant or food market in Longido is not owned by a Maasai, even though Maasai account for over 90% of the population in the area. Other tribes have moved in to exploit the less business savvy Maasai. The growing village takes up more land and water that are both precious commodities for the cattle.

The main problem taking place today is the traditional beliefs clashing with modern society. Throughout their history, the Maasai have fought to maintain their traditional way of life. Today, however, they can no longer resist the pressures of the modern world. For example, the elders would traditionally drink alcohol heavily. Traditionally, this was accepted because once they become elders their responsibilities become solely advisory. The beer did not cost anything either because it was the local brew. Today, at any given time in Longido you can find numerous elders falling over drunk. The problem arises when the traditional family structure is still enforced today. Traditionally, all of the money a man’s wives and children earn must be handed over to that man. Today, elders are still drinking heavily but beer costs money. I have witnessed a man passed out in a bar only to be wakened up by his wife to give him money to buy more beer. She probably earned this money selling extra milk or jewelry. On any given day, the wives do 95% of the manual labor, the young boys tend to the fields, the morans have to find work as night watchmen (which pays very little), and the leader of the family is often drinking away all of the money being earned by his family.

The survival of the Maasai culture has ceased to be a question, in truth, it is rapidly disappearing. The culture is in a transition phase right now which made it very hard for me to understand it upon my arrival. If you ask five Maasai the meaning of a certain ceremony, you will get five very different answers. Some Maasai have adapted better than others to modern society. Education is the first step which many have finally realized. Noonjuma (the elder that took me to orpul), for instance, has sent every one of his children to school. He pays a moran from a different family to shepherd his goats and cows during the day. This is a relatively new phenomenon that many people are adapting. It is good because the children are in the classroom instead of the fields. It is a start.

A part of me admires the Maasai culture and their conviction to try to keep it intact. I also understand that because of this conviction they have begun to suffer. Maasai boys are forced to leave their homes in search for low paying night watchman positions where there is no hope of promotion. There is some hope for the future and as I said before, education is the first step. Many have realized this and have sent their kids to school instead of the fields. It is a step in the right direction.