Curious Questions for The Maasai: Part 2

"Due to globalization, the Maasai society is changing day by day. A few decades ago, the Maasai perceived foreigners as the enemy, and so they would find ways to remove them from their homeland. They would also perceive the outsiders as ‘ignorant’ due to their clothing, like wearing trousers, which were foreign to the Maasai culture. In fact, the Maasai would call those people ‘irmeek’ which is denoted to people who wear clothes outside of Maasai norms. But slowly, people are now interacting with people outside their community. Tourism has also played a big role in bringing this change."

"For Maasai, a meaningful life means having a family. The Maasai elders have a philosophy which says that family will help you even if you're poor, for you will get enough manpower to work and make the changes necessary in your life. Even after you are lost or have died, your name will still exist through your family. You should also have cattle, goats and sheep. But having the above things will be meaningless if you are not a culture upholder. Maasai are very conservative and firm about not misleading or having wrong ideas about their culture."

"Yes, we have always used such innovative things in our workings, like we use ladles made of hard barks of the trees. Maasai children use soaked soil to make toys to play with. Previously, many years ago, Maasai wore clothes and belts made of animals' skin. We still use cow's skin as a mattress for sleeping on a bed made of wood."

"In Maasai society, it is considered a shame for men to shed tears or cry. Generally, during mourning, they go to the forest. There is also medicine from certain plant roots that the men drink whenever they are angry or in a hard situation. This medicine stimulates their body and their emotional feelings. The women in grief stay in their homes. They are supported by men who encourage them and try to resolve their challenges."

"The system of colonization involved controlling the weaker state by the means of exploiting it for natural resources. Many tribes in Africa were colonised by white imperialists from Europe. Tanzania was then referred to as Tanganyika. The Maasai tribe fought for the liberty of their country and also tried to defend their territory. Colonialism also made Maasai migrate from their land to other places, some of which were remote areas, to escape the white-dominated territories. Many Maasai people lost their lives in struggling to fight for their liberty. It also made them believe that all the people from outside the tribe are their enemies who have come to conquer and dominate them. This is also a major reason why the Maasai didn’t allow the children to go to school."

"The Maasai believe in God, but their tradition of worshipping is quite different from Christianity. Many peoples tried to resist Christian intervention in their homes but were unsuccessful when the government interfered. There are religious ceremonies traditional to Maasai culture, but they are not attended by people who have now converted to Christianity. The Maasai have still maintained their traditions by imposing strict laws against people who don’t uphold their culture. It is legal for the Morans (Maasai warriors) to punish anyone who is against the tribe’s traditional rules, especially on religious issues."