The Maasai

Haiiiii...kena bayar RM180 pasal nak ambik gambar dengan dia orang ni. Mahalkan? Kat sini semuanya mahal. As we were curious about how the Maasai can live with the wild animals, we decided to visit one of the village around Ngorongoro Crater, but everything is not for free. We had to pay at least some certain amount that already fixed; no bargain....hihihihi. Another thing for the tourist to see but has to pay. There was a group of Italian group arrived right after us and obviously they didn't want to pay but has taken the photos for free. What happened was, the Maasai got angry and started to stone toward them until they had to leave immediately. Sometime, it is worth it to pay and just follow what the guide says.

About the Maasai.
Travelers in northern Tanzania are almost certain to meet some Maasai, one of the region's most colorful tribes. The Maasai are pastoral nomads who have actively resisted change, and today still follow the same lifestyle that they have for centuries. Their culture centers around their cattle, which provide many of their seeds - milk, blood and meet for their diet, and hide skins for clothing - although sheep and goats also play and important dietary role, especially during the dry season. The land, cattle and all elements related to cattle are considered sacred.

Maasai society is patriarchal and highly decentralized. Elders meet to decide on general issues but ultimately it is the lives of cattle which dominate proceedings. One of the most important features of Maasai society is its system of social stratification based on age. Maasai boys pass through a number of transitions through out life, the first of which is marked by the circumcision rite. Successive stages include junior warriors, senior warriors, junior elders and senior elders; each level is distinguished by its own unique rights, responsibilities and dress. Junior elders for example, are expected to marry and settle down somewhere between the ages of 30 and 40. Senior elder assume the responsibility of making both wise and moderate decisions for the community. The most important group is that of the newly initiated warriors, Moran, who are charged with defending the cattle herds.

Maasai women play a markedly subservient role and have no inheritance rights. Polygamy is widespread and marriages are arranged by the elders, without consulting the bride or her mother. Since most women are significantly younger that men at the time of marriage, they often become widows; remarriage is rare.

Big kiss from NDH/Gros becs de NDH