Premium Essay

Maasai Tribe Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 819
Pages 4
One of the most well-preserved African cultures is that of the Maasai tribe, who have held on to their traditional way of life despite the widespread westernization and globalization of Africa. The culture of the Maasai tribe has become a popular tourist attraction, and is a symbol of overall Kenyan culture. It is believed that the Maasai tribe began in Northern Africa, and migrated south over several centuries. Along the way they attacked their neighbors, and would steal their cattle. By the end of their southern migration, they had conquered a large portion of the Rift Valley. Many years later, disease struck, greatly reducing the size of the tribe, as well as the size of the tribe’s cattle. Today, they are located in Kenya and are a very …show more content…
According to a Kenyan information guide about the Maasai tribe, “to be a Maasai is to be born into one of the world’s last great warrior cultures.” This culture is a patriarch, in which males are trained from a young age how to protect their land and animals, how to build kraals, or Maasai homes, and how to provide security to their families. The teaching of young boys revolves around the responsibilities included in being a man and a warrior. These boys are taught by their father and other male elders of the tribe, with the ultimate goal of becoming a warrior and teaching his own children the same practices one day. At the end of this intensive training is an elaborate ceremony called Eunoto and signifies the transformation from a boy to a man and warrior. Following this ceremony, the males are expected to build a home, settle down, and start a family. Once the male is middle-aged, he goes through another ceremony called Olng’eshere in which he is promoted from man to elder, and takes the responsibility of teaching the young boys in the tribe, just as he was once …show more content…
The construction is not ideal, and when the home collapses, the family will pick up and build another home elsewhere. The Maasai tribe also has a very important relationship with their cattle. They believe that god created cattle just for them and that they are the sole custodians of cattle on Earth. This close relationship has led to this semi-nomadic way of life, as they follow the patterns of rainfall and food for their large herds of cattle, building new mud-huts along the way. Wealth in Maasai culture is commonly measured in how many cattle and children a family

Similar Documents

Free Essay

The Rites of Passage

...Rites of Passage Your Name ANT 101 Instructor's Name Date In times we see many different cultures that evolved around the earth and throughout time as well. This paper will examine Native Americans, Greek and the Japanese rites of passage. Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, such as birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. The traditional American wedding ceremony is such a rite of passage. In many so-called primitive societies, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. In some ceremonies, the initiates are removed from their village and may undergo physical mutilation before returning as adults (Rites of passage,(n.d.). Rites of Passage have been a path of life throughout time and space. Anthropologists have found many differences between cultures but also many similatries. Rites of passage from boy to man or girl to woman are different in some and strange in others. The Native Americans and the Greeks were not the same as the Japanese, but yet believed in some of the same old blood ways. Rites are not taught but learned throughout one’s lifetime. Native Americans had a volatile version of passage. In the earlier years, the Native American boys would play as boys. They would follow fathers and...

Words: 2567 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Racial Society

...Religious and Ethnic Groups Sandy Bruhn University of Phoenix Religious and Ethnic Groups Out of the various religious and ethnic groups that are out there, I decided to research about the Deliverance Ministry because one of the ladies I work with is very devoted to this group. So to get a better understanding, I asked her some questions to help me with my paper. During my research I found that the Deliverance Ministry refers to the activity of cleansing a person of demons and evil spirits in order to address problems manifesting in their life as a result of the presence of said entities and the root causes of their authority to oppress the person. Adherents to this theological concept attribute physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional problems that people suffer to the activities of the oppressing spirits following the example of Jesus Christ given in the gospel. The practices and many of the underlying beliefs of these ministries are not accepted by all Christians. This religious group differs from others in a few different ways. They are compromised from different African countries and backgrounds. They preach in all different types of languages, when usually churches stick to one specific language. The Deliverance Ministry has contributed to the American culture by giving us a taste of a different kind of world and a different kind of view on religion. The Deliverance Ministry has given Americans a worldly view. When I asked my co-worker about discrimination...

Words: 764 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Participatory Video

...COMMUNITY TELEVISION/ PARTICIPATORY VIDEO What is participatory video? Participatory Video is a set of techniques to involve a group or community in shaping and creating their own film. The idea behind this is that making a video is easy and accessible, and is a great way of bringing people together to explore issues, voice concerns or simply to be creative and tell stories. This process can be very empowering, enabling a group or community to take action to solve their own problems and also to communicate their needs and ideas to decision-makers and/or other groups and communities. As such, PV can be a highly effective tool to engage and mobilize marginalized people and to help them implement their own forms of sustainable development based on local needs. How does Participatory Video work? * Participants (men, women and youth) rapidly learn how to use video equipment through games and exercises. * Facilitators help groups to identify and analyse important issues in their community by adapting a range of Participatory Rural Apraisal (PRA)-type tools with participatory video techniques (for example, social mapping, action search, prioritising, etc. * Short videos and messages are directed and filmed by the participants. * Footage is shown to the wider community at daily screenings. · * A dynamic process of community-led learning, sharing and exchange is set in motion. * Completed films can be used to promote awareness and exchange between...

Words: 4909 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

Conflict Analysis and Resolution

... Dr. Walter Schicho Table of Contents Dedication ……………………………………………………………………. iii Acknowledgment …………………………………………………………….. iv List of Acronyms …………………………………………………………….. v List of Tables and figures …………………………………………………….. vii Abstract in English …………………………………………………………… viii Abstract in German …………………………………………………………... ix Chapter One: Introduction ………………………………………………… 1 1.1. Introduction …………………………………………………………… 1 1.2. Problem statement …………………………………………………….. 2 1.3. Aim and objectives of the research …………………………………… 4 1.4. Research questions and hypotheses …………………………………... 7 Chapter Two: Literature review and theoretical framework ……………. 8 2.1. Literature review ……………………………………………………… 8 2.2. Transition to democracy and ethnic conflicts in Africa ………………. 12 2.3. Definition of concepts ………………………………………………… 16 2.4. Theoretical framework for analysis of ethnic conflicts ……………….. 18 2.4. Research methodology ………………………………………………... 21 2.5. Significance of the research …………………………………………... 23 Chapter Three: Background to the struggle for democracy and ethnic conflicts in Kenya……………………………………………………………. 24 3.1. A short retrospect in to Kenya’s colonial period ……………………... 24 3.2. Independence movements and the majimbo debate …………………... 25 3.3. The Kenyatta era (1963 -1978)………………………………………... 28 3.4. Moi era and Kenya as a de jure one party state (1978-1991) ………… 34 3.5. Domestic struggle and call for democracy ……………………………. 38 3.6. Global shifts and the inevitable...

Words: 37621 - Pages: 151

Premium Essay

Business

... This is a good gesture as it provides a basis on which to protect local systems of innovation through granting them intellectual property rights, whenever such innovations are discovered. But what is the link between Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and eco-tourism? As discussed in this paper, ecotourism - a fairly new concept emerged in the late 1980s to provide a firm basis for sustainable tourism principles. Indeed the emergence of ecotourism - which is arguably supposed to be sustainable was necessary given that conventional tourism popularly referred to as ‘mass tourism’ was becoming unsustainable and hence leading to high negative impacts/costs than earlier thought. As a result of this the world was begging for sustainable tourism development tourism that can last and benefit future generations the way it has benefited the currents ones. It should be noted here that sustainable tourism just like sustainable development hinges on four major pillars, namely: social, economic, environmental and cultural pillars. Ecotourism being a component of sustainable tourism is therefore analysed along theses pillars in terms of how it relates with Indigenous Knowledge System in Kenya. This paper attempts to discuss the definitions and concepts related to IKS and ecotourism, then...

Words: 8874 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Deforestation

...UNIT I DEFORESTATION CHAPTER 1 What is deforestation? Deforestation is the removal or damage of vegetation in a forest to the extent that it no longer supports its natural flora and fauna. In other words, deforestation can be defined as the transformation of forest land to non-forest uses where forest land includes lands under agro-forestry and shifting cultivation, and not simply closed canopy primary forests (FAO/UNEP, 1982). However, this definition does not include “logging”. More inclusive was Myers’s 1980 definition, where deforestation refers, “generally to the complete destruction of forest cover through clearing for agriculture … [so] … that not a tree remains, and the land is given over to non-forest purposes … [and where] very heavy and unduly negligent logging … [result in a] … decline of biomass and depletion of ecosystem services … . So severe that the residual forest can no longer qualify as forest in any practical sense of the world.” Alan Graigner (1980, AS quoted in Saxena and Nautiyal, 1997) asserts that selective logging does not “lead to forest clearance and does not constitute deforestation”, whereas Norman Myers (1980, 1993) thinks that logging is crucial because, although it may only affect a small proportion of trees per hectare, it damages wide areas and is the precursor of penetration by the forest farmers. For the purpose of this study, the FAO’s latest definitions (1993) will be used. The FAO defines forests as “ecosystems with a minimum...

Words: 17310 - Pages: 70

Premium Essay

Sylubus

...ANTHROPOLOGY 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Queens College / CUNY, Spring 2015 TuTh 12:15-1:30PM, Kiely 150 Professor: Ramona Lee Pérez, PhD Email: ramona.perez@qc.cuny.edu Office hours: Th 2-3 PM, PH 315H COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is an introduction to the range of human diversity through an exploration of the peoples of the world. We will cover the basic concepts, theories, and methods that anthropologists use to study variations in cultural norms and social practices, economic systems and rules of law, social organization and patterns of inequality, identity and worldview, and patterns of social and cultural change. Focusing on the culture concept and the method of ethnography, we begin with the historical foundations of anthropology and then follow its attempts to understand contemporary human cultures. Comparative analysis of multiple ethnographic case studies and major theoretical approaches illuminates the range of human diversity, the forces that shape cultures, and how people adapt to a rapidly changing modern world. The central objectives of this course are to develop your intellectual skills, your cross-cultural fluency, and your sense of civic and moral engagement in global society. I hope that this course inspires many of you to become anthropology majors or minors, and grants each of you an anthropological perspective on your own life. REQUIREMENTS This is an intensive course that requires full participation from every student...

Words: 9454 - Pages: 38

Free Essay

Juriprudence

...Edited by Kristen Walker Painemilla, Anthony B. Rylands, Alisa Woofter and Cassie Hughes Edited by Kristen Walker Painemilla, Anthony B. Rylands, Alisa Woofter and Cassie Hughes Conservation International 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22202 USA Tel: +1 703-341-2400 www.conservation.org Editors : Kristen Walker Painemilla, Anthony B. Rylands, Alisa Woofter and Cassie Hughes Cover design  Paula K. Rylands, Conservation International : Layout: Kim Meek, Washington, DC Maps [except where noted otherwise]  Kellee Koenig, Conservation International : Conservation International is a private, non-profit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501 c (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. ISBN 978-1-934151-39-6 © 2010 by Conservation International All rights reserved. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of Conservation International or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of Conservation International (CI). Suggested citation: Walker Painemilla, K., Rylands, A. B., Woofter, A. and Hughes, C. (eds.). 2010. Indigenous Peoples and Conservation: From  Rights to Resource Management. Conservation...

Words: 170022 - Pages: 681

Premium Essay

Rastafarian

...Rastafari This page intentionally left blank Rastafari From Outcasts to Culture Bearers Ennis Barrington Edmonds 2003 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi São Paulo Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Copyright © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edmonds...

Words: 79520 - Pages: 319

Premium Essay

Philosophy

...Institute of Philosophy and Religious studies. Affiliated to The Catholic University of Malawi PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWLEDGE (Epistemology) Student: OTIENO STEPHEN MBAKA Class Notes INTRODUCTION Fundamental Notions THE "PHILOSOPHY OF KNOWLEDGE" is that branch of philosophy which tries to determine in a general way what the nature and scope of man's capacity to know are. Precisely what this determi-nation will turn out to be cannot be foreseen at the beginning of our investigation since the very reason for undertaking such a project is to find that out in a methodical and systematic way. Nonetheless, even at this point, we do have a vague sense of what we are after, and, presumably, we have had enough experi-ence of our ignorance and capacity for error to motivate us to take up this arduous task. Our common-sense notion of nature tells us that an investigation into the "nature" of anything means at least that we are ask-ing "what sort of thing is it?" To be sure, this question is none too precise, but it will do for a beginning. Again, our common-sense notion of "scope" tells us that an inquiry into the "scope" of any-thing means at least that we are asking "how far does it extend?" Again, this imprecise query will do for the moment. Notice that we are not asking whether we know anything at all. The reason is, as we shall see in detail later that this question cannot be asked at all, because to have asked it is to have answered...

Words: 49506 - Pages: 199

Free Essay

Spa & Wellness Industry

...http://www.nckvietnam.com Understanding the Global Spa Industry http://www.nckvietnam.com This page intentionally left blank http://www.nckvietnam.com Understanding the Global Spa Industry: Spa Management Marc Cohen and Gerard Bodeker AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEWYORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier http://www.nckvietnam.com Butterworth-Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA01803, USA First edition 2008 Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone ( 44) (0) 1865 843830; fax ( 44) (0) 1865 853333; email: permissions@elsevier.com. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http:/ /elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining permission to use Elsevier material Notice No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any...

Words: 153860 - Pages: 616

Free Essay

State of the World

...Barbados Barbados is a North American sovereign island country located in the Caribbean. The capital of this state is Bridgetown. This state raised its head as an independent state in 1966 after being a Colony of the British Empire for almost 350 years. Category | Fact | Category | Fact | 1.Size | 439 Square km | 4.Religion | Christianity | 2.Population | 277,821 | 5.Currency | Barbadian Dollar | 3.Language | Barbadian | 6.GDP Rate | $16,653 | The main resources of Barbados are Petroleum, Fish, Natural gas, Sugarcane etc. The national symbols of Barbados are Neptune's trident, pelican, and Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados). In Barbados Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the State and represented locally by Governor General which is at present Elliott Belgrave. These two heads are advised by the Prime Minister of Barbados who is also the Head of the Government on matters of Barbadian state. The current Prime Minister of Barbados is Freundel Stuart. ...

Words: 64439 - Pages: 258