The Masai People

The Masai are a tribal group of people living along the border of Kenya and Tanzania. They are nomads, moving their homes from time to time. They do this to follow their cattle - the source of their livelihood.

The Masai are continually trying to preserve their own ways in an increasingly modern world.

The Masai People

The Masai PeopleThe are nomadic herders of livestock. The livestock consist of sheep, goats, donkeys, and especially cattle.

The Masai are especially known to be warriors. When the British tried to overtake and colonize Africa, the Masai fought back.

"Among the tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have warriors more fearsome or intelligentthan the mighty Masai.“

The Masai PeopleThe Masai people are tall and have deep dark skin. They live the same way today as they have for many, many thousands of years. They are still hunter-gatherers.

They camp in one place, and then move on. They know where and when wild plants are ready for harvest.

Using sticks, the women dig melons, bulbs, roots, tubers, nuts, fruits, and leafy vegetables as they are in season.

The Masai PeopleThe Masai men hunt wild animals using spears and bows and arrows dipped in poison. The Masai depend on their cattle for many parts of their life. Their main diet consists heavily of meat and milk. They drink cow's milk and blood as a sacred drink .

They use the cows' dung to cover and seal their homes.

They don't slaughter their cattle for food; but if a cow is killed, then the horns are used for containers, the hides are used to make shoes, clothing, ropes, and bed coverings; and the hooves and bones are made into ornmanets.

The Masai PeopleMasai men are classed by age into three categories: boys, warriors, and elders.

They are not authorized to make decisions for the tribe until they are senior elders.

Masai men between the ages of 14 and 30 are known as morans and live in isolation, learning tribal customs and traits to become a Masai warrior.

The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered poor. "Rich" men have a thousand or more.

The Masai PeopleThe cattle, though owned by the men, are considered to belong to the man's entire family.

The family names the cattle and can recognize each animal's distinct voice!!

The Masai People Masai women raise the children, build the houses, and

tend to crops.

They also make necklaces, dresses, and headdresses out of beads.

Women and children keep their heads shaved. Women can also become elders, once they H ave given birth to four healthy children.

All Masai wear large hoops in their pierced ears.

They speak a language called Maa

The Masai People

And that is the story of the Masai people.