Starting with a 1904 treaty,[19] and followed by another in 1911, Maasai lands in Kenya were reduced by 60% when the British evicted them to make room for settler ranches, subsequently confining them to present-day Samburu, Laikipia, Kajiado and Narok districts. This bead work plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Married women who become pregnant are excused from all heavy work such as milking and gathering firewood. [106] This would symbolize the healing of the woman. The Maasai of east Africa are one of the best-known groups of people in Africa. [49], Many Maasai have moved away from the nomadic life to positions in commerce and government. Fewer and fewer Maasai, particularly boys, follow this custom. According to the study's authors, the Maasai "have maintained their culture in the face of extensive genetic introgression". "The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries", "Livestock as food for pastoralists in Africa", "Maasai herding: An analysis of the livestock production system of Maasai pastoralists in eastern Kajiado District, Kenya", "Ethnobotany of the Loita Maasai: towards community management of the Forest of the Lost Child; experiences from the Loita Ethnobotany Project; People and plants working paper; Vol. They have to sell their animals and traditional medicines in order to buy food. However, the practice remains deeply ingrained and valued by the culture. Well, for the girls born at dawn, Naeku is their name. A Tribe is an organization of people who share the same culture and language. [54], When a new generation of warriors is initiated, the existing Il-murran will graduate to become junior elders, who are responsible for political decisions until they in turn become senior elders. Engai has a dual nature: Engai Narok (Black God) is benevolent, and Engai Na-nyokie (Red God) is vengeful. [36] The "Mountain of God", Ol Doinyo Lengai, is located in northernmost Tanzania and can be seen from Lake Natron in southernmost Kenya. The exception is found in extremely remote areas. They have demanded grazing rights to many of the national parks in both countries. [15][16], Because of this migration, the Maasai are the southernmost Nilotic speakers. Maasai. READ ALSO: 50+ funny names you can only find in Africa. It is dressed with animal fat and ocher, and parted across the top of the head at ear level. page 136. The enkangsettlement (plural inkang'itie; also called kraalor boma) is the basic Maasai social unit, and is where the married elders and their families live. The big one. The Maasai (Masai) could be the most known Kenyan tribe outside Kenya especially for tourists The Maasai (Masai) are more commonly associated with Kenya, but they've been a presence around the Ngorongoro Crater of Tanzania for over a 150 years and are the area's main residents. The Maasai are an ethnic group of people that live in Kenya and in the north of Tanzania.They are well known for the way that they dress and because they live near some national parks in Africa that a lot of tourists go to. [42], Traditional Maasai lifestyle centres around their cattle, which constitute their primary source of food. The houses are either somewhat rectangular shaped with extensions or circular, and are constructed by able-bodied women. meeting Masai tribes in the heart of the savanna. [47], Over the years, many projects have begun to help Maasai tribal leaders find ways to preserve their traditions while also balancing the education needs of their children for the modern world. Maasai are pastoralist and have resisted the urging of the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. [94], The mixing of cattle blood, obtained by nicking the jugular vein, and milk is done to prepare a ritual drink for special celebrations and as nourishment for the sick. Further study with carbon-14 tracers showed that the average cholesterol level was about 50 percent of that of an average American. The Maasai speak a language known as Maa and their shared Nilotic origins link them in various ways to the Kalenjin tribe of Kenya which is famous for producing some of the best long distance runners in the world. The olaranyani begins by singing a line or title (namba) of a song. [26], The Maasai's autosomal DNA has been examined in a comprehensive study by Tishkoff et al. Common rhythms are variations of 5/4, 6/4 and 3/4 time signatures. [67][68], Maasai music traditionally consists of rhythms provided by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies while a song leader, or olaranyani, sings the melody. Most of the tested Maasai belonged to various macro-haplogroup L sub-clades, including L0, L2, L3, L4 and L5. They speak a language called Maa.. The Maasai language is called Maa. It has recently been replaced in some instances by a "cutting with words" ceremony involving singing and dancing in place of the mutilation. Hassan Joho submits presidential nomination papers to ODM, gears up for 2022 con... Isiolo: BBI-chanting youths disrupt William Ruto's rally, 3 Kenyan prison wardens who rose to influential billionaires but their empires are now under siege, Mombasa woman who boiled stones for hungry children gets KSh 1.4m modern house, Moses Kuria excites netizens with witty riddle about Uhuru's succession politics, Hassan Joho submits presidential nomination papers to ODM, gears up for 2022 contest, Gospel singer Gloria Muliro engaged to American lover six years after divorce, No man left behind: Men's conference dominates trends with funny memes, Top 20 signs you are socially awkward and how to fix it in simple but effective steps. Each song has its specific namba structure based on call-and-response. Well, if you are anything like me, you have wondered what could be the name of the man or woman you meet on the streets dressed in shawls. This period coincided with drought. The Maasai are in part the better known ethnic people in East Africa due to their traditional origins from areas surrounding Masai Mara Game Reserve and Amboseli near the Tanzania border. Located in northeastern Tanzania, on the shores of Lake Natron, you will meet the Maasai people and the Massai culture. If you are looking for maasai names for men, look no more. Any child which may result is the husband's child and his descendant in the patrilineal order of Maasai society. Bantu is the largest division making up about 70% of Kenya’s population An out-of-court process is also practiced called amitu, 'to make peace', or arop, which involves a substantial apology. The Omo Valley in southwest Ethiopia is a fertile region that’s … [9] The Maasai and other groups in East Africa have adopted customs and practices from neighboring Cushitic-speaking groups, including the age set system of social organization, circumcision, and vocabulary terms. The ban on cultivation was lifted in 1992 and cultivation has again become an important part of Maasai livelihood. In the article, we bring you beautiful names in the Maasai community. Facts about Maasai Tribe of Kenya 2: population. Interesting choices for your newborn, 50+ funny names you can only find in Africa. Red beads came from seeds, woods, gourds, bone, ivory, copper, or brass. White beads were made from clay, shells, ivory, or bone. An ILCA study (Nestel 1989) states: "Today, the stable diet of the Maasai consists of cow's milk and maize-meal. The names are given to preserve and honour the community heritage like the rest of the tribes in Africa and beyond. One rite of passage from boyhood to the status of junior warrior is a circumcision ceremony performed without anaesthetic. [37] Many Maasai have also adopted Christianity and Islam. Swarms of vultures followed them from high, awaiting their certain victims." The Maasai Tribe. No inner kraal is built, since warriors neither own cattle nor undertake stock duties. The piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai as with other tribes. Lion hunting was an activity of the past, but it has been banned in Southeast Africa – yet lions are still hunted when they maul Maasai livestock,[60] and young warriors who engage in traditional lion killing do not face significant consequences. [63] To others the practice of female circumcision is known as female genital mutilation, and draws a great deal of criticism from both abroad and many women who have undergone it, such as Maasai activist Agnes Pareyio. [6], The Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, but the people have continued their age-old customs. Maasai society never condoned the trafficking of human beings, and outsiders looking for people to enslave avoided the Maasai. Members of the group may raise the pitch of their voices based on the height of the jump. Note that the Maasai cattle are of the Zebu variety. [13], The Maasai territory reached its largest size in the mid-19th century, and covered almost all of the Great Rift Valley and adjacent lands from Mount Marsabit in the north to Dodoma in the south. The manyatta has no encircling barricade for protection, emphasizing the warrior role of protecting the community. This one is given to children who are born in the evening. Women are also circumcised (as described above). The third most frequently observed paternal DNA marker in the Maasai was E1b1a1-M2 (E-P1), which is very common in the Sub-Saharan region; it was found in 12% of the Maasai samples. The Maa word for circumcision, "emorata," is used for both female and male genital mutilation. On special occasions, such as when a person is circumcised, gives birth … [10][11], According to their oral history, the Maasai originated from the lower Nile valley north of Lake Turkana (Northwest Kenya) and began migrating south around the 15th century, arriving in a long trunk of land stretching from what is now northern Kenya to what is now central Tanzania between the 17th and late 18th century. [53], During this period, the newly circumcised young men will live in a "manyatta", a "village" built by their mothers. However, red is a favored colour. [107] A woman who has miscarried in a previous pregnancy would position the hair at the front or back of the head, depending on whether she had lost a boy or a girl. Are you looking for beautiful Maasai names? Maasai is essentially a linguistic term, referring to speakers of this Eastern Sudanic language (usually called Maa) of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Many ethnic groups that had already formed settlements in the region were forcibly displaced by the incoming Maasai,[12] while other, mainly Southern Cushitic groups, were assimilated into Maasai society. In particular the Maasai had a very low 0.4% of bone caries. They are settled in spacious steppes of Kenya and northern Tanzania. [111], As males have their heads shaved at the passage from one stage of life to another, a bride to be will have her head shaved, and two rams will be slaughtered in honor of the occasion. Maasai. In the days when African life was largely rural, few members moved away from their tribal areas. [108], Two days before boys are circumcised, their heads are shaved. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1980. page 171. The tribe migrated south across Kenya and into Tanzania, and made this area their home between the 17th and 18th centuries. These include the pastoral Maasai who range along the Great Rift Valley of Kenya and Tanzania, the Samburu of Kenya, and the semipastoral Arusha and Baraguyu (or Kwafi) of Tanzania. When late in the nineteenth century, great quantities of brightly colored European glass beads arrived in Southeast Africa, beadworkers replaced the older beads with the new materials and began to use more elaborate color schemes. The sweetness here is likely to imply beauty both in appearance and character. The removal of deciduous canine tooth buds in early childhood is a practice that has been documented in the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania. The needs for protein and essential amino acids are more than adequately satisfied. The Maasai have a population of about 1 million people. [84][85] Amongst Maasai males, circumcision is practiced as a ritual of transition from boyhood to manhood. [106] The cockade symbolizes the "state of grace" accorded to infants. The plan for the NCA was to put Maasai interests above all else, but this promise was never met. Young boys are sent out with the calves and lambs as soon as they can toddle, but childhood for boys is mostly playtime, with the exception of ritual beatings to test courage and endurance. Camerapix Publishers International. Maasai. However, in this article, we have given you the names whose meaning are well known. [100] Maasai near the coast may wear kikoi, a type of sarong that comes in many different colors and textiles. Before contact with Europeans, the beads were produced mostly from local raw materials. We understand that a name with an awkward meaning can be a burden on the holder’s shoulders. Their bright red robes set them apart visually. The tall one. The estimate first put forward by a German lieutenant in what was then northwest Tanganyika, was that 90% of cattle and half of wild animals perished from rinderpest. It is important to understand the difference between ethnicity and tribe. [74][75] When many Maasai women gather together, they sing and dance among themselves. 1987. 1987. The dress and custom of the Maasai tribe are different. Hair is then plaited: parted into small sections which are divided into two and twisted, first separately then together. Polyandry is also practiced. Today, they have a political role as well due to the elevation of leaders. In order to survive they are forced to participate in Tanzania's monetary economy. Government policies focusing on the preservation of their national … A man who has plenty of one but not the other is considered to be poor. [71], Women chant lullabies, humming songs, and songs praising their sons. They are … The Maasai are traditionally polygynous; this is thought to be a long-standing and practical adaptation to high infant and warrior mortality rates. At Eunoto, the warriors who managed to abide by this rule are specially recognized. A fascinating hypothesis suggests that the Maasai – warriors and soldiers by instinct – are the descendants of a lost Roman legion that either deserted or became lost in … According to their oral history, the Maasai people originated in northwest Kenya during the 15th century. Facts about Maasai Tribe of Kenya 1: language. Repayment of the bride price, custody of children, etc., are mutually agreed upon. Even though it not easy to ignore the influence of the outside world and modern culture, the Maasai have adapted uniquely, integrating modern ways of life with their culture. Ecotourism, masai tanzania, visit tribe maasai, Meet the massaïs village, native massai visit, travel eco friendly | visit native maasai | masai Here is a list of Maasai lion names and what they mean: One who is quick to claim glory by killing a lion. The mothers of the moran sing and dance in tribute to the courage and daring of their sons.[81]. The enkaj or engaji is small, measuring about 3 × 5 m and standing only 1.5 m high. Kenya is a land of great diversity in its people and cultures. Let us have a look at some of them. [52] The boy must endure the operation in silence. The Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume IV: Distribution of Population by Socio-Economic Characteristics", "The Maasai Tribe - Maasai History And Culture - Kenya Travel Guide", Contrasting patterns of Y chromosome and mtDNA variation in Africa: evidence for sex-biased demographic processes, Appendix A: Y Chromosome Haplotype Frequencies, "Phylogeographic Analysis of Haplogroup E3b (E-M215) Y Chromosomes Reveals Multiple Migratory Events Within and Out Of Africa", "The phylogenetic tree based on SNP data – Y-DNA haplogroup E-V22", "Kenyan crossroads: migration and gene flow in six ethnic groups from Eastern Africa", "African water symbolism and its consequences", "Kenyan Tribes & Religions | Travel to Africa", "Challenges To Traditional Livelihoods And Newly Emerging Employment Patterns Of Pastoralists In Tanzania", "Mashada Forums - View Single Post - Paul Muite...another piece to the Mt. In the summer of 1935 Dr. Weston A. In modern times, boys living close to towns with doctors may endure the ceremony in safer conditions, but still without anaesthetic because they must endure the pain that will lead them to manhood. Warriors are not allowed to have sexual relations with circumcised women, though they may have girlfriends who are uncircumcised girls. A big male lion took a Masai cow. 2003. That is why we deem it fit for one to know the definition behind a name before naming his or her kid.