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Published: November 22nd 2006
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From when we were in the Karioko Markets in Dar es Salaam the Masai people have been catching our eye in their distinctive bright red, purple and/or blue robes and ornate jewellery. The security guards at our Hotel on Zanzibar were also Masai, and there were some in Stone Town as well. They are a very striking people, generally tall, brightly dressed and obviously proud of their background. We were now in the area they call home and we had the chance to actually visit a Masai village and get a closer glimpse of what life is like for them.
All over the Ngorongoro Conservation area there are Masai villages and they still live largely the same as they have done for hundreds of years. They are cattle herders and live in permanent villages that are built in a circular arrangement and inhabited by large extended families. Masai are polygomous and can have up to 30 wives, with each wife having her own dwelling. These dwellings are circular and made from branches and sticks woven together, and then the roof covered with clay. The roofs are quite low and inside it is divided into bedrooms and a central cooking area.
The floors of the bedrooms are covered in animal skins to sleep on, while the cooking area is bare dirt.
The men take the cattle out each day to graze and keep watch over them to protect from attacks from wild animals, with only spears and wooden clubs. At night they cattle are brought into secure enclosures. The women mostly stay at the village, taking care of 'domestic duties' like looking after the children and building and maintaining the dwellings. We also saw children who looked about 8 years old minding goats on the side of the road. Guess they graduate to minding the cows when they get a bit older!
The village we visited was called Oldupai, after the gorge nearby, and is not far off the main road. It is used to having tourists visit it which the people are open to and, of course, they have been able to make money off it. There is a fee to visit it and then the beaded necklaces and other jewellery that they make are offered for sale.
Our visit started with the men coming out and performing a 'welcoming' dance and song before we were taken
inside the village itself. The 'chief' of the village was with us the whole time. He had been to primary school when he was younger and was able to speak English. We were able to ask him any questions we had as we went along. The village had a central area where the women now continued to sing, while the men demonstrated the famous Masai jumping. I was invited to have a go myself and think I represented the Mzungus (White man) pretty well! Karen then got to wear some of the jewellery and participate in the womens dancing, which was a lot less athletic than the mens.
The chief then took us into his hut and explained a little about their living conditions, lifestyle and diet. The diet relies totally on the cows they have and consists of meat, milk and blood. They have developed a process to drain up to 6 litres of blood from a vein in a cow’s neck, with it still being alive.
Once we emerged from his tent he showed us to 'the shop' and switched to salesman mode. He showed us around the extensive range of beaded jewellery, wooden clubs, spears and sandals made from car tires, all made by people from the village. Anytime we expressed the slightest interest in an object it was immediately offered to us for sale, even the bracelet and sandals he was wearing himself. It was a little disconcerting, and any questions we then had for them were taken to mean we wanted to buy something from them. To be honest, they have obviously realised the lucrative tourist market can help them earn some cash for themselves, and by being there we were participating in this market. The saddest part of this though is that all tourists are seen as being there to give them something, so the children you pass on the side of the road just automatically hold out there hand for something whenever we passed by. Another Aussie we met pointed out that as soon as the village started accepting cash for things, they are undermining their status as 'traditional' because traditionally Masai commerce is all about the cows. For example, a wife costs 70 cows. Anyway, of course they are going to move with the times to an extent, and this village seemed about as authentic as we were going to get.
Before concluding our sales he also showed us a small wooden building in the village that is a school. The chief had taken it upon himself to start sharing the education that he had received with the next generation. While we were there the children were in an English lesson. Obviously maths, economics and marketing are also part of the curriculum.
Once we had handed over our cash for some beaded jewellery and a wooden club we waved goodbye and continued the rough drive to Ngorongoro Crater.
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