The Massai Tribe

By: Ahsan, Arun, Irfan & Nikthyan

Contents• Maaa… what?• What do they wear?• Where do they live?• What do they live in?• What are the climatic conditions at the place?• How do they move from one place to another?• Video Time• What skills do they possess?• What do they live on?• Any Economic activity happening?• Comparison between photos• Bibliography

Maaa… what?

Maasai. They are a semi- nomadic tribe, found in East Africa. Famous for

their beautiful beadwork, the indigenous tribe migrate every season.

An interesting fact is that they use sheep as their currency!

Maasai Women

Making Headlines

When the twin towers were attacked in 2001, the Maasai made itto the headlines by offering sympathy to the Americans in the onlyway they knew - to offer cows. The initial 14 cows have nowmultiplied to several dozen and are identified with a distinctivesplit ear notch designed by the US Ambassador to resemble thetwin towers of the World Trade Centre. The cows which cannot besold or slaughtered are referred to as American cows.

What do they wear?

Basically, the Maasai people wear brightly coloured robes together with

intricate and beautiful pieces of beadwork like the one shown on the

picture below. The beadwork which varies according to occasion, is worn

by both male and female. Some examples of the colours of the robes are

yellow and red though red is preferred as it is their favourite colour.

Beadwork

Maasai Women celebrating after female circumcision

Where do they live?The Maasai Tribe live here

Click Here

Where do they live?As shown by the map on the previous slide, the Maasai people are

semi-nomadic people who stray from place to place within north Central Tanzania

and southern Kenya (commonly known as Maasai Mara) every season. While

doing so, they routinely ignore international boundaries. Below is a copy of the

Migration Map.

Maasai Migration Map

What do they live in?• To come straight to the point, the Maasai people live in looselyconstructed houses. These houses are usually built by womenusing mud, grass, wood and dried cow-dung. What do the men do tocontribute?

• Good Question! They build fences and sheds for the animals.Now who said men did not contribute?

Maasai Woman posing outside her house with her child

What are the climatic conditions at the place?

• Generally speaking, the climates at the places are influenced by the winds and the height above sea level.

• Temperatures are higher in the months of January, February and March. The lowest temperatures recorded so far are between 12°C and 15°C.

• The rainy season in Masai Mara is separated into two periods; the long rains take place between March and June, while the short rains fall between October and November.

How do they move from one place to another?

• Simple! They walk, ride on donkeys and camels. Nowadays, some of the rich ones ride on Jeeps.

• If you would count jumping as another mode, it too would be a mode of transport. (Just kidding)

Tourist walking with Maasai warriors

Video Time

What skills are useful to them?

• Cattle Rearing

• Lion-hunting (for men only)

• House-building

• Jump-dancing (for men mostly)

• Defending

What do they live on?• Maasai people’s needs for food are met by their cattle. They

eat the meat, drink the milk, and on some occasions, even drink the blood.

• As blood is very rich in protein and is good for the immune system, they drink it to satisfy their protein and calorie needs.

• Their immediate source of water comes from the Lake Eyasi, Lake Magadi and others surrounding it while another unreliable source is the rain.

Any Economic activity happening?

Of course there is! They are divided into former and present.

• Former

Selling of…1. Cattle2. Crops3. Beads4. Clothing5. Grains6. Charcoal

Any Economic activity happening?

• Present

Selling of…1. Cattle

2. Crops

3. Beads

4. Cell phones

5. Charcoal

6. Grains

Comparison between photos

Picture found on Internet

Maasai Flag

Kenya Flag

Q & A

• “African Tribes – Maasai People." Africaguide.com. <http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/maasai.htm>. (last accessed on 15 February)

• “Travel Photo Gallery – Expedition Tanzania, Kenya and Zanzibar.” Photo.lacina.net <http://photo.lacina.net/?m_id=expedition-kenya>. (last accessed on 15 February)

• “Maasai Mara, Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Maasai Mara National Park ...” Victoriasafaris.com. <http://www.victoriasafaris.com/kenyatours/maasaimara.htm >.

(last accessed on 15 February)

• “Kenya Climate, Reviews , Rating Terrain, Rainfall, Weather Report Kenya Kenya Safari Africa Guide.” Best-kenya-safaris.com http://www.best-kenya-safaris.com/travel-guide/kenya-climate-weatherrainfall.html (last accessed on 15 February) • “Maasai People.” Uiowa.edu <http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Maasai.html >. (last accessed on 15 February)

• “The Maasai tribe (Masai) people of Kenya and Tanzania. Their history and culture.” Kenya-information-guide.com <http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html >. (last accessed on 15 February)

• “KENYA A Maasai village which donated cows to the victims of 9-11, 5 years ago receives scholarships from US government”. Int.com <http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/2006/09/12/RTV1480106/?s=Maasai+Village> (last accessed on 15 February)

• “Google Maps” Maps.google.com <www.maps.google.com> (last accessed on 15 February

THE END