Maasai People – Cultural Tourism in Kenya Safari Destination – East Africa
The maasai people are the unique and emotional tribe who are called Nilotic ethnic group that are resident of the northern ,central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania .That’s why are among the best famous local populations internationally who live near many game parks of the African Great Lakes and due to their distinctive customs and unique dressing which acts as a tourist attraction to tourists .These are the unique people of Kenya who speak the Maa language and a member of the Nilotic language family that is close related to the Dinka languages. According to their high population in the area it has led some of the elders maasi people to live in rural areas. And most maasai people have driven from their mother tongue language to official language of Kenya and Tanzania ‘’Swahili and English’’.
National population census; In 2019, their population in increased in Kenya to 1,189,522 recorded people compared to the population census in 1989.
Maasai Clothing -Dressing Code –Multicolored African Design
Interestingly, the Maasai tribes in Kenya Safari destination as acted as an attraction that welcomes numbery of tourists to their home villages to experience their impressive culture, traditions, lifestyle as well as their unique tradition dressing code.
You will get amazed of seeing their shelter covered in cattle dug for waterproofing. Their dressing code is quite pleasing with your sights, you will see them in multicolored African designed in ear rings and in many handmade neckless that makes them unique and impressing figure to look at. However, since they love designing themselves with lot of jewelries in their highly favored colors like red, blue, black, stripe and they also love putting on checkered cloth. But Maasai that live near the coast like wearing Kikoi which is a type of sarong that comes in many different colors and textiles, their preferred style is stripes.
Maasai Culture
Maasai family live in community with elder maasai men who sometimes go join the retired elders through determining most major matters for the maasai tribes. They say that are Christians and their God is called Engai or Enkai.
They live a traditional way of live and if one of their family dies, they don’t arrange for the funeral ceremony instead live the dead body outside for the scavengers. For their culture it is believed that burial is harmful to the soil.
Since, they live in traditional life style, concentrate much more on their cattle that act as their primary source of food.
Maasai Traditional Music and Dance
Traditionally, the Maasai music is composed of traditional rhythms rendered by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies whereas the song leader sings the melody in their local name ‘’Olaranyani’’. The Olaranyani is a person who is expert in singing. Then women love hum songs and sing music that praises their sons.
Their vocal creation of maasai music is the function of the horn of the greater Kudu to summon morans for the Eunoto ceremony, means age ceremony. This ceremony can take ten or more days singing and dancing around the manyatta involves teasing. The ceremony is entertained by the young men who line and chant and women who stand in front of them and sing in counterpoint to them.
Furthermore, they also love animal skins, calf hides and sheep’s skin with commercial cotton cloth which they use as their tradition beds and as a mat for their home use.
In general, Maasai people –tribe are an indigenous ethnic family in Africa of semi-nomadic people settled in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the foremost African ethnic group who are known internationally because of their links to the national parks and reserves.
Despite their language derived from Nilo-Saharan which is related to Dinka and Nuer. The Maasia tribe also speak the official languages of Tanzania and Kenya that is Swahili and English. Currently, their population increased is now estimated 900,000 record.
In spite the fact that, the Kenyan and Tanzania government have established official programs to help the Maasai to leave on their semi-nomadic lifestyle. The Maasai people have carried on their age old customs. Although it will change by time.
Historically, Maasai tribe originated north of Lake Turkana to the north-west in the lower Nile Valley. The journey of migrating in 15 century began from south and arrived in the long trunk of land stretching across central Tanzania and Northern Kenya during the 17th and 18 century. Their territory enlarged in size in the 19 century when they covered most of the Africa Great Rift Valley and this forced the government to adjacent land from Dodoma and Mount Marsabit.
They raided cattle far across the east at Tanga coast in Tanzania and used shield and spears but were afraid of being thrown in orinka which was measuring up to paces.
The result of their migration lead them of being now the southernmost Nilotic speakers.
Then in 1883 -1902 there comes the Maasai ‘’Emutai’’ after the time of expanding. During this period there was epidemic diseases that put people into fear such as smallpox and rinderpest. A lot of cattle and wild species died from rinderpest. Drought was also in the area, no rain almost two years,’’1897 to 1898.
In 1904 treaty followed by another treaty in 1911, Maasai lands in Kenya were cut down by 60 percent when the British evicted them to allow space for settle ranches hence restricting the Maasai people to present day Narok and Kajiado districts.
Those who migrated in Tanzania were forced out from their fertile lands between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru as well as near the mountainous regions of Ngorongoro in 1940s. The land that was enclosed from the Maasai claimed it to create the national parks and wildlife reserves. Such as, Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro, Amboseli, Serengeti, Manyara, Samburu, Tarangire among others.
Maasai are traditionalists who don’t want of urging of the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to adopt more of the modern lifestyle. In fact, the maasai people who are cattle gatherers have peacefully demanded pasturing and grazing around several national parks in both Tanzania and Kenya.
The maasai people come with a version of eating birds and game. They now live East Africa’s finest nature and wildlife areas.
Visit the heart of Africa on your next safari to Africa and meet up the unique Maasai tribe-people on Kenya Safari Destination. Where you will be able to enjoy their amazing cultural interactions and experiences .But with no worry where to stay as you can choose to combine a cultural safari to Game viewing to Maasai Mara national park a home of big fives with lots of classic accommodation unit . In Maasai Mara you will be able to enjoy safari walk ,rewarding endless plains and wonderful full day game drive viewing conducted by the local Maasai very fluent in English and other languages ,who knows the secrets of the Maasai Mara and its wildlife .Get started now!
