Massai Tribe

As the days get longer and the sun gets brighter I am (literally) having dreams about my trip in July. Recently I have been thinking and researching about the Massai Tribe.  All the basic questions like "who are they?" and "what do they do?"

Maasai Tribe

The Massai tribe are people that live in parts of Tanzania and Kenya and are typically known as tall fierce warriors. They are recognized by a special red cloth called Shuka. The Maasai people live a nomadic life moving from place to place with their animals. They rely on their animals feeding on milk, meat, and animal blood. They walk many miles with their animals to find fresh food and water typically by trading (swapping) with other Maasai people. The men carry spears to protect the cattle from wild animals like lions. It is illegal for a Massai warrior to kill a lion or other animal that is trying to kill his cow.  

The woman are responsible for cooking, gathering sticks for the fire, taking care of the children and building homes. The homes are called Manyatta, and they are made out of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung/ urine. It is also very common for woman to have many piercings that leave either small or very large holes for special beads and patters to be hung there Twigs, bundles of twigs, stone, elephant tusks are all used to pierce or stretch to ears. Beads used for earrings, bracelets, necklaces are made from many different things such as; clay, shells, bone, seeds, wood, copper, brass etc. All the beadwork is done by the woman. 

The clothing varies by age and location, some Shuka have patterns some are just simple red. Many Maasai in Tanzania wear simple sandals which are recently made from cowhides. 

There are has been so many amazing things that I have learned about the Maasai tribe(s) just by doing a little research, I can't wait to experience it all in just a couple months away. While reading through all this new information there was a few things that really stuck out to me, like..

-Maasai boys go through a circumcision at age 14 and then traditionally spending up to 8 years looking for livestock far from their villages. They become warriors upon their return to the village to get married. 

-A woman who has miscarried in a previous pregnancy would position their hair at the front or back of the head depending on whether she had lost a boy or girl. 

- Two days before a boy is circumcised their heads are shaved. 

-Their diet mostly consists of raw meat, raw milk, and raw blood. 

All these things surprise me because I never realized how different life can really be. I have grown up in one place my whole life, things have been the same for me for 14 years and for me to do some research about a tribe in Africa is so eye opening. It's so surprising to me to see that people like this actually do exist and the was they live is an actual lifestyle. 

When I think about being with the Maasai people I truthfully don't know what I would ask them. I think that when the time is right and I am actually in Tanzania experiencing and taking it all in I think that I will have a million questions running through my mind. 

I can't imagine growing up as a Maasai. Having lived the life I have lived for the past 14 years it is so hard to picture it any other way. All the things that I have learned about are all very shocking to me and almost confusing, but if I were a Maasai all these confusing things would be so natural, and I am sure that it would go the same way for a Massai warrior to look at me and try to picture himself as 

me.