Maasai

KENYA

MAASAI

Introduction words.

In this presentation I want to talk about Kenya, country located in Africa where I saw a lot of different people and different fates. Being in Kenya affected my life even though I was young and my mind wasn't busy with things such as economy, wealth, difference in races, money, whatever. I was thinking about girrafes and elephants. Africa, Kenya in particular wasn't what I imagined. It surprised me a lot. On the one side I saw a country that is going to have a better future, on the other side I saw a lot of slums with poor people who are ready to kill you for couple of bucks. I will write about Maasai tribe, that I saw by myself, also I will talk about perspectives of Kenya and preservation of wildlife.

Due to the lack of written sources, (In Africa was lack of writing sources, people usually used their speech so they told stories from generation to generation), trying to pinpoint the origins of any one tribe is difficult. Many historians feel that the Masai have existed as a people for as long as 3000 years. The Masai - also spelled as Maasai - currently live in a large corridor of land between Kenya and Tanzania. Masai was not a biggest tribe in kenya though they were the most powerful tribe in the country before, during and after 19th century. During 1885-1886 Germans came to Kenya by ships. There were some Arabs who were selling and buying things there. During the East African Protectorate (1895-1920) Britsh made a law that all good higlands and midlands will go to European people and Native people can't be settled there. The funny thing is that settles were not actually British people but people from South Africa.

1800-1884

It is thought that the Maasai's ancestors originated in North Africa,migrating south along the Nile Valley and arriving in Northern Kenya in the middle of the 15th century. They continued southward, conquering all of the tribes in their path, extending through the Rift Valley and arriving in Tanzania at the end of 19th century. As they migrated, they attacked their neighbors and raided cattle. By the end of their journey, the Maasai had taken over almost all of the land in the Rift Valley as well as the adjacent land from Mount Marsabit to Dodoma, where they settled to graze their cattle.

• People believe that Masai came from the Nile river valley to the South East Africa in 16-17th century. They didn't meet Europeans yet though Portugals were exploaring these lands already. Masai first met Europeans and their problems at the middle of 19 century when European messionaries and explorers made their way to the Great Rift Valley.

1884-1950

Legislation by Parliament in Kenya , began some ninety (90) years ago. Priorily, it had wholly been done in the United Kingdom . Such legislation was conveyed in form of royal instructions, commonly termed Orders-in-Council. Locally, they were implemented in the period 1885 to 1890 by Sir A.H. Hardinge, who served as Acting Agent in addition to his actual appointment as His Majesty's Agent and Consular-General at Zanzibar . Incidentally, it was Sir Hardinge who on July 01, 1895 declared an East Africa Protectorate over what came to be Kenya. After Kenya

became a protectorate live there was changed for Masai but not as much as we can think.

At the end of the 19th century Masais' life got changed due to the railroad that Europeans built a railroad in the middle of Masai lands so that their land was cutted. In 1904 Masai lost more their lands to the British for colonizing.

1950-present day

Nowadays, In modern Kenya Masai still live there as before.

They still live in same shelters as many years ago. They have

same weapons as many years ago. When I saw modern Masai

in real life i was confuse by the mix of their culture and

modern culture. Masai were wearing T-shirts and pants with

nike labels but using spears. Between, you can buy a real Masai

spear or any other tools, even online. I bought some stuff from

that tribe, they even accept US dollars, that suprised me a lot.

Also, there is a wild life preservation going there now. I saw

some of their national parks where a lot of wild animals live.

Masai is not a rich tribe now, they always fight with other tribes

for things like goats, food or herbs.

Kenya is a republic. It has it's own constitution with 34 chapters.

Subsistence economy

Livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai. Livestock serves as a social utility and plays an important role in the Maasai economy. Livestock are traded for other livestock, cash or livestock products such as milk and siege

XIE XIE for watching!

CONSTITUTION COME LANDS GONE

ARRIVING TO KENYA

SOURCES

http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html

http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html