The Massai Culture
The Maasai Culture
The group in cultural anthropology that I would like to study as a cultural anthropologist is the Maasai. From prior knowledge, I have learned that the Maasai are a cultural group that resides in vast open spaces in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa. The Maasai are found in countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, and their lifestyles are a reflection of the environment in which they live. One of the aspects that I find the most interesting about the Maasai is that they believe that all of the cattle in the world belong to them given to them by Enkai (the god). This belief branches from the legend that in the beginning of time, Enkai had three sons, and Enkai had given each of his sons a gift. The first son of Enkai received an arrow for hunting. The second son received a hoe for cultivation of the land. The third son received a stick to herd cattle. It is said that the last son of Enkai became the father of the Masaai nation. This however, is a fact of the culture that has been a conflict with other neighboring communities and cultures by generating such inter-tribal conflicts. Ultimately, the younger Maasai warrior’s job is to protect the cattle that was given to their culture by their fathers and to capture the cattle of other communities, because in their culture, legend has it that Enkai gave them all of the cattle of the earth. Another interesting aspect of the Maasai culture is the fact that the people do not hunt wildlife (except lions). They live off the meat and milk from their herded cattle. They (women of the Maasai) also cultivate some crops such as tomatoes, beans, tobacco, etc. Also, when there is enough milk for their families, women trade the cattle milk for money to buy necessities for their children. One main similarity that the Maasai share with the American culture is sports. The Maasai take part in volleyball, soccer, and basketball in school and for recreational play. Another similarity is
The group in cultural anthropology that I would like to study as a cultural anthropologist is the Maasai. From prior knowledge, I have learned that the Maasai are a cultural group that resides in vast open spaces in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa. The Maasai are found in countries such as Kenya and Tanzania, and their lifestyles are a reflection of the environment in which they live. One of the aspects that I find the most interesting about the Maasai is that they believe that all of the cattle in the world belong to them given to them by Enkai (the god). This belief branches from the legend that in the beginning of time, Enkai had three sons, and Enkai had given each of his sons a gift. The first son of Enkai received an arrow for hunting. The second son received a hoe for cultivation of the land. The third son received a stick to herd cattle. It is said that the last son of Enkai became the father of the Masaai nation. This however, is a fact of the culture that has been a conflict with other neighboring communities and cultures by generating such inter-tribal conflicts. Ultimately, the younger Maasai warrior’s job is to protect the cattle that was given to their culture by their fathers and to capture the cattle of other communities, because in their culture, legend has it that Enkai gave them all of the cattle of the earth. Another interesting aspect of the Maasai culture is the fact that the people do not hunt wildlife (except lions). They live off the meat and milk from their herded cattle. They (women of the Maasai) also cultivate some crops such as tomatoes, beans, tobacco, etc. Also, when there is enough milk for their families, women trade the cattle milk for money to buy necessities for their children. One main similarity that the Maasai share with the American culture is sports. The Maasai take part in volleyball, soccer, and basketball in school and for recreational play. Another similarity is