Amanda+-+CA+-+SP10

=The Maasai of Africa =

The Maasai people of Africa speak a special language called Ol Maa, which is native to the region surrounding the Nile River ("Maasai People"). Despite living in Kenya and Tanzania, the Maasai people still strick with their traditional language, instead of adopting a new one, like Puerto Rico adopted English into their Spanglish, which is not spoken full time.

Raising and respecting cattle is a main part of the Massai people's beliefs ("Maasai - Introduction"). The more cattle one has, the more power he has ("Maasai People"). However, Maasai people are also renowned for how they dress themselves ("Maasai People"). Red is the most popular color for clothing ("Maasai - Introduction"). Folklore provides that women and men tribes used to be separate, but the women could not stop fighting and lost their herd, so they had to join the men's tribe and agree to work under the men. The story went, "It holds that the Maasai descended from two equal and complementary tribes, one consisting strictly of females, and the other of males...Instead of cattle, sheep, and goats, the women herded gazelles...However, while the woman bickered and quarreled the herds escaped...When the women lost their herds, they went to live with the men, and in doing so, gave up their freedom and equal status. From that tiem, they depended on men, had to work for them, and were subject to their authority" ("Maasai - Introduction").
 * Beliefs **

 These women show off their bright clothing, abundant with red. Red is a popular color with the Maasai people. As you can see, the women also sport bib like necklaces. The women stand tall and are often renowned to be quite beautiful (Bloom).

The Maasai's values include worshipping the cow. For example, during important ceremonies the cow is killed, which is a rare occurence. ("Maasai People"). The cow is highly praised, because it provides everything one needs to survive: food, milk, and leather. The Maasai went even as for as gathering the cattle's blood to drink (Allan). The Maasai also believe men have power over women ("Maasai - Introduction").
 * Values **

The Maasai are nomads who does not perceive authority as African government, but leaders within their own tribe. An example of a leader would be a medicine man; the medicine man also performs the circumcisions (Cavendish).

The process of making clothing is important to the Maasai, because they have a distinct style of clothing. The styles vary by age group, but both men and women shave their heads and tightly braid their hair ("Maasai - Introduction"). They also create beautiful beadwork and jewelry that are sold or worn ("Maasai People"). A natural red dye called ochre is used to create clothing and jewelry ("Maasai - Introduction"). Red is the more preferable color, but black and blue are acceptable ("Maasai - Introduction").
 * Behaviors **

 When the Maasai people reach puberty, the father must make sure they are circumcised. Boys must go through a ritual involving hot coals and throughout the progression of his life, get tattoos ("Maasai - Introduction). Boys will also get their lower middle teeth pulled out. According to Chief Salaton Ole Ntutu, as young boys, they learn from their fathers about birds while tending to the cattle and sheep. He said he did not have a choice, and he was committed to basically learning about how to survive on his own(Ole Ntutu). Women must pass tests of bravery, and if they pass, they "say they are afraid of nothing." A female going through circumcision is considered to be preparation for giving birth. In addition, a girl may not be in the presence of her father while he is eating. Females are usually married off to older men when they reach puberty ("Maasai - Introduction"). Adults have little time to play or have recreation, because they must devote time to hunt ("Maasai People") The parents are respected as well in Maasai culture. Chief Salaton Ole Ntutu gave a special message to the child of America: instead of listening to your iPods, listen to your parents. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow (Ole Ntutu).

Because the cow is so respected in Maasai culture, it is considered that raising cattle is the purpose to a person's life. During the rinderpest epidemic that killed masses of cows, owners of the cattle "shaved their heads, discarded their clothes and wandered naked through the bush eating dust" (Allan).

A Maasai person's diet "consists only of meat, the fresh blood of cows, and milk" (Cavendish).

Though the Maasai prefer to hold on to traditional beliefs, they have gone through some level of modernization. For example, the Maasai may now use tin to build their homes to prevent leakage ("Maasai - Introduction").

media type="youtube" key="lrHzmCXihek?fs=1" height="340" width="560"

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Despite the Maasai being considered "indigenous," the traditions have been changed to some extent. The Maasai's neighbors have turned to modernization, and as a result, the Maasai must work harder to keep up. The Maasai territory is under threat, and not only threatens their old ways, but will compromise the structure of their own culture ("Maasai - Introduction").
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Cultural Change **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Maasai are aware of the new technology arising the world, but they continue to practice their own traditions. Chief Salaton Ole Ntutu had learned about the word "awesome" during his stay during America.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Operation Dress-Up had been a special program launched to try to goad the Maasai into adopting more modern dress. Many activists saw this as an attempt to erase Maasai culture and fought back. The Maasai gained the reputation for being a bunch of cattle herders, but the Maasai culture was much more than that (Schneider).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Though the Maasai prefer to stick with its old traditions, the culture is inevitably being modernized.

** Works Cited ** Allan, Tony, Fergus Fleming, and Charles Phillips. //Voices of the ancestors: African myth//. Amsterdam [Netherlands: Time-Life Books, 1999. Print.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Voices of the ancestors: African myth book was an important print source, because it elaborated on the importance of cows. It provided information about how cows were wiped out and men had no purpose in life any longer. //

Bloom, Rishana. "The Maasai Tribe-Rituals." //Culture Quest//. Bronx Theatre High School, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.culturequest.us/maasaitribe/rituals.htm>.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The photo provided by Rishana Bloom was an important primary source, because it created a visual of the Maasai women. Though one already knew that red was the main color, it was better to see the vibrant colors and clothing in a picture. //

Cavendish, Richard, C. A. Burland, and Yvonne Deutch. //Man, myth & magic: the illustrated encyclopedia of mythology, religion, and the unknown//. New ed. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1983. Print.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Richard Cavendish's Man, myth & magic: the illustrated encyclopedia of mythology, religion, and the unknown was important, because it focused on another aspect of the Maasai tribe, a medicine man. Medicine men are respected in the Maasai culture (Cavendish). //

Ole Ntutu, Salaton. Interview by Henry Tannenbaum. Personal interview. 7 Dec. 2007.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">The interview of Chief Salaton Ole Ntutu was an important primary source that provided first hand knowledge of being raised in the Maasai tribe. The Chief himself had also allowed the viewers to see the weapons; certain weapons were for different things. There was a special tool to throw into the bushes to scare animals and another to beat them with (Ole Ntutu). //

"Maasai - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major holidays, Rites of passage, Relationships, Living conditions." //Countries and Their Cultures//. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. <http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Maasai.html>.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The introduction to Maasai people from EveryCulture was important, but it did, afterall, provide an introduction and it also outlined the basis of understanding of the Maasai people. This was an easy to understand site to begin with. //

"Maasai People." //The University of Iowa//. The Universit of Iowa, 3 Nov. 1998. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. <http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Maasai.html>.

//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">The article about the Maasai people from the Univeristy of Iowa was important, because it detailed about religion, art, and history. It also provided basic information such as language, location, and population. //

Schneider, Leander. "The Maasai's new clothes: a developmentalist modernity and its exclusions." // Africa //// Today // 53.1 (2006): 101+. // Student //// Resource Center //// - Gold //. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.

=
//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This a﻿﻿rticle from Gale by Leander Schneider was an important source from a journal, because it provided information about the modernization of the Maasai tribe. Many organizations are fearing that Maasai culture will be erased, because of the world trying to push the Maasai into adopting new technology. //======