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= = __**Language**__ The Maasai speak Maa. It is believed that the Maa language originated in Southern Sudan, and it is commonly spoken by indigenous tribes in North Eastern Africa. There are over 20 varieties of Maa spoken today. The Maasai speak Olmaa, but many just refer to it as the Maasai language. The Maa language has 9 vowels and 25 consonants. Another important part of the Maa language is the tone or pitched that is used. Using a different tone can change the meaning of a word. The basic tones of words are a high tone or a low tone, you can also have a tone that changes during a word to change it.

The Maasai are a monotheistic culture. They believe in a single god, Engui, but they believe that he is a dual nature God. The black side is benevolent and the red side is venegful. The Maasai believe that they are the chosen people and that is why they were given cattle. They have lots of myths that talk about the creation of the people, about their prophet (Laibon), how they received the cattle and many other important parts of their culture. They believe that they started with two tribes, one that was of all women and on that was of all men. The women raised gazelles and antelopes and had zebras and elephants to help them. The men raised sheep goats and cattle. The peoples of the tribes would meet in the forest. The children would live with the women, until the boys were old enough to join the men and do their duties.
 * __Beliefs__**

**__Values__** In Massai culture there are many rites of passage that every member must go through. They believe that everyone, especially males, must go through rites of passage to be complete members of the tribe. Babies are not named until the third moon. At 15 the boys go through a painful circumcision ceremony. They are not to make any sign of pain, this is considered shameful. They then must wear black clothes for several months, until they become full members of the tribe. Girls are traditionally supposed to go through female circumcision but because of the painful nature of this activity it is illegal in both Kenya and Tanzania and rarely preformed anymore. Massai are very much a patriarchal society. The elders make all the decisions related to the tribe. The Maasai are also traditionally polyandrists, where women have more than one husband. They also highly value the cow. They rarely kill cattle and when they do it is normally for a ceremony and every part of the cow is used in some way. They believe the cow to be holy and a direct gift from Engui. __**Behavior**__ The Maasai are a very traditional tribe. They sing and dance just like they have for generations, mostly for traditional ceremonies. The chorus sings the harmony while one leader, called the Olaranyani, sings the melody. Part of their singing is done using throat tones. Another activity the Massai do at ceremonies is Adumu, the traditional jumping dance, this is what the Maasai are most famous for. They are also known for their piercings. They use twigs, stones and even elephant tusks to stretch their ear lobes and pierce the tops of their ears. This is one way that the Maasai decorate themselves, another way that they decorate themselves is with bead work. They make huge necklaces that surround their necks along with head coverings. Another major part of the Maasai culture is their diet. It use to be mostly cattle, but with the shrinking of the herd numbers they are turning more to maize as their main source of food. They use it to make a mush and bread. They also make soups, in which they use maize. Even with the herds shrinking cattle are still very ritualistic in the Maasai culture. They eat the meat, use the hide for clothes, drink the milk and also drink the blood. The drinking of blood, mixed with milk, is used for ceremonies.

The Maasai have to deal with a lot of challenges. They must deal with the government in the country in which they live. Kenya and Tanzania treat their Maasai differently and some of the tribes move between borders. In Kenya the forest where the Maasai live is being destroyed. Because of this the Maasai are running out of room to live, heard their cattle and farm. Some have to walk great distances to find farm land. Farming is another change. The Maasai are natrual hunters and since their natural lands are being destroyed a lot of their prey are not surviving in the numbers they use to. There are an estimated 200 hundred lions left in Kenya and with the rate the Maasai are hunting them there will soon be no lions left in Kenya. Also the Maasai are starting to change their beliefs. Many are converting to different religions. The area around the Maasai lands is primarily Christian and a lot of evangelists are venturing out to Maasai lands to try to convert the members of the tribe.
 * __Impact__**

**__ Sources __** Buck, Laura. Photograph. //Three Examples Of Maasai Culture//. Laura Buck, 7 Oct. 2008. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . This is a good example of women's dress in Maasai culture. It shows the clothes along with the intense beadwork that they tradtionally wear. Combs, Stanley. "July 30, 2005." //It Was The Best Of Times- It Was...Well, Tanzania// (2005): 60-69. Print. This source is informative about how the Maasai interact with people outside their culture. It also explains how the Maasai are converting to different beliefs and becoming more intergrated outside the tribe. Driedger, Melanie. //Jumping Competition//. 2009. Photograph. African Adventure Part Three : Masai Tribe, Guelph. //Melanie Driedger Photography//. 13 May 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . This photo is a good example of the traditional Maasai jumping dance. It shows traditional dress and the competition in the dance. Hillman, Eugene. "The Pauperization of the Maasai in Kenya.(African Rights Monitor)." //Africa Today// 41.4 (1994): 57. //Gale Virtual Reference Library//. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . This source was helpful with informing on how the Maasai are treated today. It talks about how the Kenyan government looks down upon the tribes. Payne, Doris L. "Maa Maasai Language Project." //Maa Language Project//. University of Oregon, 15 Aug. 2008. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . This source is insightful about the Maa language. It breaks it up into each part and into each nation that uses the language. It also gives a history of the Maa Language. Zeleza, Tiyambe. //Maasai//. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1994. Print. This book was very helpful. It went over every section of the Maasai's life and went into detail about many of the behaviors of the tribes. It also very elaborate about the vaules and beliefs of the people.