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Please Note: We decided not to publish pictures of the Maasia people's faces for their privacy and out of respect.
Our day started with the loss of power across the camp, forcing us to get ready in the dark. This happened several times while we were at the Zebra Valley Camp, but being out on the Mara, blackouts can be expected. Luckily, in the morning, lights and substantial wifi were available in the reception area. After an early breakfast, we made our way back to the Land Cruisers to begin our journey from the Maasai Mara back to Kenyatta University in Nairobi. Although we had to convince a ranger to let us pass through (Linus, our driver, said doing so was normal, but they thought we were going on a game drive again without permission), we were able to use the game trail through the Maasai Mara. We got one last peak of some animals, such as ostrich, elephant, and giraffe, as well as our final animal of the Ugly 5-- the wildebeest.
We stopped at a nearby Maasai Village that is open for guests to learn about Maasai cultural heritage. The Maasai people are an ethnic group present in Kenya and Tanzania, best known for their distinctive Shuka robes, jumping contests, and the Mara, which is named in honor of them. When we arrived, we were greeted with a traditional welcome dance, performed by men and women. The men then began a jumping contest. In their culture, whichever man jumps the highest is awarded a wife. Our teacher, Markson, told us that the Maasai people are polygamous, and men must “earn” wives through acts of bravery. In the past, Maasai men used to compete to see who could kill the most lions, and for every lion, a wife would be assigned to the man. So, if a man killed ten lions, he would be given ten wives. We were shown a headress made from a lion's mane, which would symbolize the warrior's strength and nerve. However, in order to preserve the lions, this practice no longer exists.
Community is incredibly important to the Maasai people, so much so that one of the families has a motto that coming together is the start, but working together is progress. Someone asked Madison if she was married. Madison responded that she was not but had a boyfriend, and was not looking. He still offered to jump for her hand. Kyra was asked if she had a baby at home, and the woman was disappointed to learn that she did not. The strong familial ties are evident in the way the village is set up. The whole community is built in a circle to encourage connectedness. The women build houses for their husbands, assisted by other women. These houses are constructed from sticks, mud, and cow dung. This concoction (a traditional type of cob construction where sticks and fiber give the mud strength) helps to keep the inside of the home cool during the hot seasons and warm during the cool seasons. These can last 15-20 years!
Since the men have multiple wives, they often rotate through houses, selecting a different one to stay in each day. This is done partially for protection, so, should an enemy approach, it would be difficult to find the man. The men are responsible for protection, often taking shifts throughout the night armed with machetes, bows, arrows, and spears. The forest is an important aspect of the culture, where many ceremonies are performed. All medicine is acquired from the forest, as the people do not go to hospitals.
We encountered one Maasai man, Dennis, who had keloids from scarification on his arm to represent the number of days he was in the forest. According to him, men go through three stages in life: childhood, warriorhood, and elderhood. To graduate from childhood, men are circumcised, and in order to prove themselves as a warrior and graduate, they must live in the forest and survive only on meat and blood. For women, the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood is also circumcision. However, one of our new friends, who is nicknamed "Wise Man," has been pushing his family and community to end female circumcision. For one thing it is illegal in Kenya, but it is still practiced in many places around the country. He has encouraged everyone to think of it as voluntary, not compulsory, and has made sure he affirms that girls do not need to be cut to become women.
It was noted that, in the Maasai culture, the drinking of blood is used in ceremonies and is part of their daily diet. They tend to eat goat, cow, and lamb. Many animals could be seen in the village, including cats, dogs, goats, and chickens. And while we didn’t see any cows, the smell let us know that they were near.
The Maasai people rely heavily on fire for light and cooking, both inside and outside the home. Rather than using matches and lighters, which children could easily mishandle and burn houses down, they opt for a machete, a piece of soft wood (what they called a stick of "African sandpaper"), and a flat hardwood disc. Just as we've seen on TV or in the wilderness of the US, the friction between the two types of wood, perched on top of the machete, creates fire. The small ember is then placed on a nest of fibers, such as pieces of tree bark, and blown on to ignite a flame. Many of us chose to purchase these machetes and fire starters. According to the Maasai men who sold them to us, we can carry them in our checked luggage only because they are stamped with a specific maker's mark that lets security know they are genuine from the Maasai (we hope we have no problems at the airport later!).
After we made our way through the village, we were led to a market, very similar to those we had encountered. The money from the sales made at the market was put towards the local school for the Maasai children and maintaining the village. We once again utilized our bargaining skills taught to us by our good friends at Kenyatta University.
With new goodies in hand, we loaded ourselves back into the vehicles to continue on our way. We stopped for a boxed lunch by a curio shop, and, at our special request, stopped at a gas station not far from the university where we had previously gotten coffee and snacks. Kyra and Bagby were very excited to get their hands on some more Java House Cookies, while others looked forward to coffee. Madison bought some chili lime chips, which many enjoyed. Faith revisited the Vietnamese coffee, encouraging other people to follow suit. Off again we went, and after many trucks passed, one tortoise moved from the road, all cookies eaten, one near-miss car accident, and naps on the road, we made it to the KUCC Annex, our new home for the rest of our time in Nairobi before we head to Mombasa on Thursday.
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