The Maasai and Marriage

            The Maasai are involved in several different types of marriage. Some families have pre-arranged marriages set from an early age usually when the girl is still a baby. Others have the man decide who he wants to marry. The Maasai practice both monogamy and polygamy, more specifically polygyny where a man has two or more wives, although, polygyny is now only practiced among older men as their culture has continued to change causing some traditions to be discontinued. It is the man’s choice whether or not to marry more than one woman. Depending on the family, there are different reasons to marry. The man needs a wife to cook, clean, collect firewood, etc. The wife is to be faithful to her husband and take care of him. A Maasai man can marry a woman outside of the tribe, but a Maasai woman may only marry a Maasai man. Also, a woman is only allowed to marry once.

To be even considered for marriage a woman must be circumcised. The circumcision symbolizes that she is ready for marriage and she has become a woman. Today, more and more Maasai women argue against this practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In the Maasai culture, the common age for a girl to marry is 15 years old. They practice what is called bridewealth also known as brideprice where the husband brings gifts to the wife’s family. Honey to the women in the future wife’s house, honey to be fermented into beer for the men in her family and cattle once the agreement is made. The older people in the family decide whether or not the woman will be married over in the first place. If the proposal is agreed to, there is an animal sacrifice made at dawn for the father of the bride and the fat is used to bless the bride. Once the bride reaches the groom’s home she’s given a baby to carry into her new home, milk, and a cow. The marriage ritual is done within 3 days after the bride moves in with the groom.

Maasai Religion and Beliefs

            The Maasai have polytheistic beliefs mainly based on two Gods. A red God and a black God. The red God is the God of life and death, the angry God. The black God is the good, benevolent, and munificent God. For this reason, black in the Maasai culture is considered a lucky color. Their word for God is Enkai. They do not worship their ancestors and do not necessarily believe in an afterlife, but some actions may be seen as if they do. The Maasai people do not hold funerals and it is looked down on if someone dies in a home. Generally, they would remove the person from their home and into the wilderness close to their death. Also, once a member of their tribe has died, their name is no longer spoken.

            Cattle is seen as a positive symbol for the Maasai, as a gift from God to man. In many rituals, such as birth, circumcisions, marriage, and age-set ceremonies livestock is killed and eaten. This is due to the fact that eating the meat or drinking the milk is a form of uniting with the God. Their rituals are not all held in one place, but specific places are used for certain rituals. Circumcisions in one place, age-set ceremonies in another, etc.

            Today, many of their traditions have changed.  More and more Maasai people are converting to Christianity. Also, many of them are becoming better educated and many churches are providing paid, sponsored opportunities to go abroad.

References:

Finke, Jens

  2003  Maasai – Clans and Families. Electronic Document, http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/maasai/family.htm, accessed March 24, 2014.

Masai Kenya

  N.d.  Masai Ritual & Beliefs. Electronic document, http://www.masaikenya.org/MAASAI_RITUALS.pdf, accessed April 5, 2014.

Philosophy, Theology, And Religion

  N.d.  Maasai Religion. Electronic document, http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/maasai.html, accessed April 5, 2014.

SouthWorld

 2013  The Maasai Marriage. Electronic Document, http://www.southworld.net/newtest/index.php/component/k2/item/463, accessed March 24, 2014.

Maasai Family Ties and Kinship

 The Maasai society is divided into two groups "orok kiteng" and "oodo mongi", and within these two groups the Maasai are further grouped into their own clans in there communities. Within these clans are smaller families that follow the patrilineal line of descent. As shown below this means that males and females both belong to their father’s kin group. This means that only the males pass down there family identity to their children as woman’s children are members of the husbands patrilineal line because family identities are only passed down through the males. Children join the father’s clan while the mother is a part of her own family’s linage. This is shown in this kinship diagram as the red indicates how the patrilineal line is passed down through the males. The male has the most important role in the Maasai household. It is said that the father is the key figure in the family and his control is absolute only subject to intrusion by elders in times of crisis. Although it may appear that the Maasai families are broken up into many clans they are actually very close to each other. Members of the same clan often live close to each other, living in neighboring houses. Shown throughout the Maasai as some sections are filled with just members of a single clan. Families are so close because every tribe and linage is believed to descend from one common ancestor thus each member of the community considers one another a distant relative. This is why although it may seem broken up amongst the families the Maasai are actually very close to each other as a whole.

Economic, Cultural & Physical Barriers for Maasai Education 

               Education is an important part for any group but for the Maasai, there are many cultural as well as physical barriers. Formal education is very expensive and is not something that can be affordable to many of the Maasai making it impossible for them to go to these schools. It is estimated that approximately 75 percent of the Maasai people are illiterate. This is because of the expenses involved that make it impossible to afford having children in school. These expenses include things like uniforms which in themselves are too expensive for most families but are required to have. Those who are able to afford putting their children in school are mostly male children. Currently only 48% of Maasai girls are enrolled in school and out of that, only 5% of them go to secondary school. This is because The quality of education in the first school are completely inadequate for teaching and preparing the kids for passing the national test that allows them to go to secondary school. Since it is so expensive to put a child through school, if a family can only afford to have one child attend school it is more beneficial to have a male go instead of a female for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons are that there are economic incentives for families such as early marriage that give them dowries as well as the feeling that they will not benefit from educating their female child because once they are married she will be part of her husband’s family and they will receive the benefits. If they educate a male child, when the child gets married he will still stay near the family as the wife would become part of their family. Along with this is the idea that a female child won’t be able to travel the long walks to get to school safely that a male would be able to do. Because of the immense expanse of educating children this is way many Maasai choose to educate their sons over there daughters, if they are able to have the choice to make at all.

References:

Cliff , Cadi .

    2012."Seen in a Snapshot: The Maasai." Exploration. http://www.explorationonline.co.uk/article.php?id=814 accessed March 27,  2014.

Dhoruba.

     2006. "The Maasai Nomads." Free Website Builder. http://www.freewebs.com/themaasainomads/tribelore.htm accessed March 26, 2014.

 Maasai Girls Education Fund.

      2012. "Economic, Cultural & Physical Barriers." Barbara Lee Shaw. http://www.maasaigirlseducation.org/the-need/barriers-to-education/economic-cultural-   physical-barriers accessed March 27, 2014.

My Chosen Vessels.

      2011. "MAASAI EDUCATION." MAASAI EDUCATION. http://www.mychosenvessels.com/maasai-education.html accessed March 26, 2014.

O'Neil, Dennis.

      2006. "The Nature of Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1)." The Nature of Kinship: Descent Principles (Part 1). http://anthro.palomar.edu/kinship/kinship_2.htm accessed March 26, 2014.

The Survival of Maasai's Population - Van Nguyen

The Maasai population in 1979 was 212,000, however, in 2009, the population was 840,000. The Maasai are nomadic people that live in southern Kenya, where most of the surrounding land is dry and deserted. Because of harsh environment, social tradition, and war, the population growth rate is much smaller compared to Kenya’s general population.

Since most of Maasai’s lands are deserted, it is impossible for the Maasai to farm, this led to the traditional nomadic pastoralism. The Maasai depend heavily on little water on land for them to raise livestock; they often trade livestock for other resources with outsiders. However, during the drought, lack of food and water could greatly reduce their livestock. Shortages of food are a frequent problem, which led to malnutrition and lack of trade. In addition, the Maasai often sleep in the same hut with their livestock, which is unhygienic and often lead of many diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. With lack of food and water, plus the present of many diseases, it was estimated that only 3 out of 8 children survive beyond 10 years of age.

Additionally, the Maasai’s strict social traditions also lead to even lower birthrate. Young men must undergo a warrior period of attaining enough cattle to gain the eligibility for marriage. On average, most Maasai male marry at between 25-35 years of age; while the average age of marriage for women is 17 or 18 years. Illicit sex is frowned upon and girls could only have sex after marriage. However, polygyny is considered to be normal and males in the same age could freely have sexual intercourse with wives of their fellow males; these practices lead to the spread of STD and infertility among the tribe.

References:

Sindiga I. Fertility control and population growth among the Maasai. Human Ecology (USA) [serial online]. 1987;Available from: AGRIS, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 26, 2014.

Molnos, A. Cultural Source Materials for Population Planning in East Africa (Vol. I).1972; East African Publishing House, Nairobi. Accessed March 26, 2014.

Maasai Language Overview & Subtribes - Harry Drimoussis

In Kenya, tribes are differentiated by their language. For the Maasai people, it is their identity that truly sets them apart. The word Maasai means ‘my people’, and while ‘Maa’ means the language, there are sixteen subtribes of the Maasai that all share the same language. These tribes are as follows: Ildamat, Ilpurko, Ilkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Ilkaputiei, Ilkankere, Isiria, Ilmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko. These central core East African people are predominantly classified as being historically, culturally and developmentally vital to this region of Kenya. For a region that is typically known for being under developed, the Maasai people have found social and societal roles within their community. This enables them to be noble, proud and independent people, allowing themselves to live a nomadic lifestyle of herding sheep, goats and cattle. By taking from the Earth, and also giving to the Earth; the Maasai people have been able to avoid a loss of resources. This allows them to be able to stay in one region for generations, with a constant rejuvenation of animals and goods. The Maasai language stretches far and wide around Eastern Africa, and as a result, the people that speak it have a connection deeper than the language itself.

Language, Livestock & Community

The ‘Maa’ speaking peoples are so large and vast, the East African Maasai are often referred to as “Maasai Proper”. This large region only represents forty percent of the total ‘Maa’ population. Although scholars believe the ‘Maa’ people originated from the Nile base in Southern Sudan, the roots of their language traces them back to the Nile Valley in Egypt. There are over three million Maasai, and have spread to regions in Kenya and Tanzania; far from their emigrational roots in Egypt. Modern day governments often try and claim Maasai lands and livestock from them. They claim they have too many animals, and too much land. In fact, the Maasai are very efficient livestock producers, and within the tribes, they believe that the reason for this is because of their great respect for the Earth and Mother Nature. They move their herds from one place to another to find fresh water sources, and to give the grass a chance to grow again. Traditionally, this is made possible by a communal land tenure system in which everyone in a locality shares access to water and pasture. However, individuals are obliged to respect private water points and grazing grounds where each household cares for its young and sick animals. In times of drought the Maasai of a given locality will allow others, including non-Maasai groups, to enter their lands, because they know that at another time they might themselves be in need of access to others' land to sustain their herds.

References:

--The Maasai and Maa-Speaking Peoples of East Africa  et. al.

2010 Oxford Bibliographies, Reference from Kenya.

--African IP Trust et.al.

The Maasai-2010-The Maasai Intellectual Property Initiative.

Maasai Gender Roles and Sexually Transmitted Diseases - Jacob Courchaine

Maasai gender roles are an integral part of their culture in many ways including sexual interaction. However, STDs such as HIV and AIDS have recently become an important issue in Maasai culture. Due to Maasai cultural practices, STDs have been able to perpetuate and infect many individuals. Health officials are intervening by introducing forms of contraception and family planning. Although beneficial, these new practices have changed Maasai cultural practices as a result of sexual lifestyle changes.
The female and male roles in Maasai culture are the primary cause for sexual interaction. Young women in Maasai culture are called ‘Ndito’ while males and warriors are known as ‘Morani’. Older Morani tend to have sexual relationships with young Ndito women during night dances and circumcision ceremonies which are prominent in Maasai culture. According to L.K. Birks, a researcher at the University of Calgary, the introduction of HIV/AIDS into Maasai society is due to Morani living among urbanized areas in Eastern Africa. In these locations Morani have had anonymous sexual encounters with outsiders.
As a result, an epidemic has cloaked the Maasai people. However, family Planning activists have been taking proactive steps to minimize cultural impact among Maasai individuals. For instance, activists are encouraging Ndito to attend afternoon dances instead of night dances, where Ndito run higher risk of anonymous sexual encounters with Morani. These same activists have designated small-body educators in each Maasai community to teach fellow kinsman the benefits of safe-sex practices and how STDs are spread through a population. Lastly, government funding has produced mobile clinics which periodically visit these communities and perform testing and regiments for individuals with or at risk for any STDs.


References:

Birks, L. K. et al
2011 Promoting Health, Preserving Culture: Adapting RARE in the Maasai Context of Northern
Tanzania. AIDS Care 23(5):585-592DOI:10.1080/09540121.2010.516344