The Maasai

The indigenous people of the Masai Mara are, of course, the Maasai (also spelt Masai or Masaai): these semi-nomadic people have lived in East Africa for millennia.

Thanks to their distinctive dress and tribal customs, as well as their presence in and around some of East Africa's most famous game parks, the Maasai are among the best-known of all African tribes. They continue their nomadic, herding lifestyle on the periphery of the Masai Mara National Reserve. They are free to graze their cattle herds around the land, and to hunt within the reserve.

The Maasai graze their cattle in rotation, moving to new grazing when the old site is exhausted. Their way of life is threatened by increasing urbanisation and the declaration of game reserves on areas that used to be their grazing land. Their cattle form the cornerstone of their culture. They believe they were gifted all cattle by the rain god, Enkai, a belief that has led to some fatal disagreements with neighbouring tribes from whom they have tried to reclaim their divinely ordained property. The Maasai also rely heavily upon their herds of cows and goats for sustenance, in the form of milk and, occasionally, meat.

The Maasai of the Masai Mara still maintain their traditional way of life in the face of modernisation. Change, it seems, is inevitable though, and growing numbers of Maasai children are attending school, the tribe's men are seeking conventional employment, and women are generating an income from selling colourful beadwork.

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