Maasai men and women play different roles in cultural ceremonies and traditions. Maasai men undergo what is known as the Enkipaata and Emuratta ceremonies. The Enkipaata is a coming of age ceremony where boys are initiated into manhood through various trials and the Emuratta is the circumcision ceremony. These are important rites of passage and are considered the transformation from a boy to a young man (Enkipaata) and then a young man into Morani (Emuratta). Maasai women will also undergo the Emuratta ceremony, but due to a shift in gender roles in the 21st century, are more often opting out of the ceremony. This is due to the fact that more and more Maasai women are taking up dominant, worker roles in order to provide services and raise money for the Maasai people. Eco-tourism has had a lasting effect on Maasai society and this is one of the changes the Maasai have made to their culture in order to adapt to globalization.Maasai women, traditionally do not have a dominant role. They perform domestic duties and require dowry in order to be wed. Often, a Morani warrior will have to pay a dowry in cattle in order to marry a Ndito (young woman).
After initiated, Morani live in warrior camps called Emanyatta. These camps are free-visit camps where the warrior's wife is allowed to stay. However, due to jealousy and to avoid confrontation, many Morani whom are married live in the clan camps rather than in the Emanyatta. confrontations over wives are typically very serious and involve weaponry. These confrontations can result in death.
However, Ole Maimai states, that much of these traditions have slowly been eroding away since the start of the 21st century and western ideals are taking root. Often, warriors are being displaced into urban environments where they can work for food and money. All the while, Maasai women work on reserves and resorts providing services like food preparation and beadwork to be sold for tourism purposes.
References:
Maimai, Ole
2013 Preserving and Celebrating Maasai Cultural Heritage: Maasai Ceremonies and Rituals. MAASAI Association.
2012 Africa by Franchi: Journey to Masailand. Benelli USA.
The fact that men and women have differing roles in society is definitely characteristic of culture. What I’ve noted is that the cultural roles put in place by the Maasai were influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Dowries are especially characteristic of Maasai culture and were probably adopted to spread wealth of resources to families that share kinship bonds. Like most cultures, I have noted that kinship plays a major role in Maasai living. Maasai women typically tend to domestic duties while men become of warrior status. As noticed in the video we saw during the semester about the Maasai, called “Milking the Rhino”, These roles are changing in response to ecotourism. The nature reserves put in place have displaced the local populations of Maasai and have thus changed their duties in society significantly.
ReplyDeleteBiologically, the men are better and running and hunting on the plains of West Africa so becoming a warrior is highly sought after by both the men themselves as well as the Maasai culture. The various and tumultuous ceremonies that Morani must endure prove again, that the warrior is a prestigious and highly valued rank in Maasai culture. All in all, I’m interested, but not surprised to find out, that Maasai gender roles are as such.