The Masai people are nomadic pastoralists who live in Kenya and Tanzania and follow their cattle herds. They are known as skilled warriors who have resisted colonization. Masai society has strict gender roles, with men owning livestock and going through stages as boys, warriors, and elders. Women care for children and homes and can become elders after having four children. They speak Maa and rely on cattle for food, clothing, and shelter.
2. The Masai People
The Masai are a tribal group
of people living along the
border of Kenya and
Tanzania. They are nomads,
moving their homes from time
to time. They do this to follow
their cattle - the source of
their livelihood.
The Masai are continually
trying to preserve their own
ways in an increasingly
modern world.
3. The Masai People
The are nomadic herders of livestock. The livestock consist
of sheep, goats, donkeys, and especially cattle.
The Masai are especially known to be warriors. When the
British tried to overtake and colonize Africa, the Masai
fought back.
"Among the tribes of Africa,
no tribe was considered
to have warriors more
fearsome or intelligent
than the mighty Masai.“
4. The Masai People
The Masai people are tall and have deep dark skin. They
live the same way today as they have for many, many
thousands of years. They are still hunter-gatherers.
They camp in one place, and
then move on. They know
where and when wild plants
are ready for harvest.
Using sticks, the women dig
melons, bulbs, roots, tubers,
nuts, fruits, and leafy
vegetables as they are in
season.
5. The Masai People
The Masai men hunt wild animals using spears and bows and
arrows dipped in poison. The Masai depend on their cattle for
many parts of their life. Their main diet consists heavily of
meat and milk. They drink cow's milk and blood as a sacred
drink .
They use the cows' dung to cover and seal their homes.
They don't slaughter their cattle for
food; but if a cow is killed, then the
horns are used for containers, the
hides are used to make shoes,
clothing, ropes, and bed
coverings; and the hooves and
bones are made into ornmanets.
6. The Masai People
Masai men are classed by age
into three categories:
boys, warriors, and elders.
They are not authorized to make
decisions for the tribe until they are senior elders.
Masai men between the ages of 14 and 30 are known as
morans and live in isolation, learning tribal customs and
traits to become a Masai warrior.
The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered
to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered
poor. "Rich" men have a thousand or more.
7. The Masai People
The cattle, though owned by
the men, are considered to
belong to the man's entire
family.
The family names the cattle
and can recognize each
animal's distinct voice!!
8. The Masai People
Masai women raise the children, build the houses, and
tend to crops.
They also make necklaces, dresses, and headdresses
out of beads.
Women and children keep their heads shaved.
Women can also become elders, once they
H ave given birth to four healthy children.
All Masai wear large hoops in their pierced ears.
They speak a language called Maa