Maasai tribe in Tanzania : The Maasai people are among the many tribes that call Tanzania their home. Tanzania is known for its cultural diversity and it is also among the most visited destinations during tours around the eastern part of Africa.
The Maasai are a Nilotic group of people who also live in Kenya and in the northern part of Tanzania and can be seen during tours to both countries. The language which is spoken by the Maasai people is the Maa language.
Tourists during tours in Tanzania interact with the Maasai people during cultural experiences that involve getting to know more about the way of life of the Maasai and many other things about the Maasai culture.
The Maasai can be encountered during tours in the northern part of Tanzania and in places like the Ngorongoro conservation area, the Maasai can be seen during safaris since they live around the Ngorongoro highlands where tourists can visit their homesteads or bomas.
Around Mto wa mbu, Babati, Hanang, Engaruka, Longido the Maasai can also be encountered during tours in Tanzania. The Maasai are known for their unique way of life and culture and also the nomadic way of life.
The Maasai are known for their nomadic lifestyle and their dependence on the livestock such as cows, goats and sheep. The more livestock that one has, the wealthier they are as seen by the society. Apart from milk and other milk products, the Maasai also feed on blood from the cattle.
Another unique thing about the Maasai in Tanzania is their way of dressing. The Maasai dress in traditional clothing which is called “shukas”. These shukas have different patterns and are of different colors such as red, blue, green among others. These shukas for women are paired with jewelry such as beaded necklaces, earrings, anklets among others which are made by the local women.
For the Maasai men they pair their shukas with spears and also wear sandals which are made using cowhide and some of the roles played by men in the society of the Maasai include protecting and taking care of their families, looking after the livestock especially for the boys. The different roles vary depending on the age group of the Maasai men.
Among the Maasai, the women play a role of taking care of the homestead, preparing food for the family, bearing children, designing the houses. And the Maasai women also make local crafts like beaded jewelry which can also be sold.
The Maasai own land communally and due to their semi nomadic nature, the Maasai also practice agriculture.
During a tour around the Maasai villages when visiting Tanzania, tourists can watch traditional dance performances of the Maasai as they chant local songs and jump around. This dance is also performed by the Maasai when welcoming tourists to their villages.
The Maasai in Tanzania also act as guides during various activities that are carried out around the destinations in Tanzania for example during nature walks and this is an alternative source of income for the Maasai people and the Maasai also earn income through selling their arts and crafts.
The Maasai believe that they are custodians of cattle in the world and are known for keeping many cattle and other livestock. Among the Maasai men in Tanzania, circumcision is a way of initiating them into adulthood.
The Maasai culture also involves body piercings and also stretching earlobes with are adorned with beaded jewelry. The Maasai women wear metal hoops in their ears, and also have piercings up to the top of the ear.
History of the Maasai
The Maasai are believed to have originated from areas of Lake Turkana in the north western part of Kenya. They started their migration south wards to a place that stretches from the central part of Tanzania to the northern part of Kenya around the 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Maasai territory became bigger and the raiding of cattle around the east coast of Tanga also took place during this period. At a later period, the Maasai were forced out of their territories with fertile lands.
Around 1911, the territory of the Maasai was reduced following a treaty which was signed and the British evicted the Maasai from their fertile lands and the Maasai settled around Narok districts and Kajiado district.
In Tanzania, the Maasai were forced out of areas around Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru where they has settled to areas around Ngorongoro around the 1840’s and the Maasai are among the oldest tribes.
Maasai homesteads.
The homesteads of the Maasai are made by the women and the kind of houses they stay in are semi-permanent in nature due to the nomadic way of life of the Maasai. The homes of the Maasai are built and enclosed in fences which are circular and they are referred to as enkang which are built by men to protect the livestock.
There are many other tribes in Tanzania with unique cultures to look forward to getting to know during a tour around the different parts of the country.
