How many maasai people are there

The Maasai have for a long time been semi-nomadic and pastoral, living by herding cattle and goats. Having a large number of livestock is a sign of wealth for any Maasai man.

It gives you status, respect, and honor among the community. In fact, the Maasai used to trade with their livestock to acquire whatever they wanted. They also value their children. A young Maasai woman would give birth to as many children as her body allowed they got married early and some still do , as it is also a sign of wealth for the husband.

The modern Maasai does however understand the concept of family planning and its importance, but those in the villages still maintain some of these behaviors. It is also important to note that if you have a large number of cattle but no children, you will still be considered poor and vice versa.

These structures are impermanent in nature. The traditional buildings are built using cow dung mixed with mud for the walls which have been structured using sticks, and then grass and more sticks for the roof. The floors of the huts are the bare grounds we walk on, which are swept at the end of the construction.

For a long time, the Maasai men have been the ones hunting, taking care of their livestock, and protecting their homes and communities from enemies. The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewellery, which plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Ear piercing and the stretching of earlobes are also part of Maasai beauty, and both men and women wear metal hoops on their stretched earlobes.

Traditional Clothing of Maasai; Maasai Shuka's Maasai Hair: The maasai people, both women and men mostly shave their head to celebrate rites of passage such as circumcision and marriage.

This represents the fresh start that will be made as one passes from one to another of life's chapters. It's only the Maasai warriors who are allowed to wear long hair, which they weave in thinly braided strands.

The maasai children are named upon reaching the age of 3 "moons" and their heads are shaved clean apart apart from a tuft of hair, which resembles a cockade, from the nape of the neck to the forehead.

The young boys are also shaved two days before they are circumcised. The young warriors then allow their hair to grow, and spend a great deal of time styling the hair.

All of their music is vocal, except for the large horns used for certain songs. Their music comprises of rhythms rendered by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies, all the while the olaranyani song leader sings the melody. The olaranyani is usually the person who can best sing that song. When olaranyani starts singing a line or title namba of a song, the group responds with one unanimous call in acknowledgment.

The beads that both the men and women wear also create a jingling sound themselves while the Masai jump and dance. Women recite lullabies, hum songs and sing music that praises their sons. This community system enables the use of resources sustainably. Each tribe rules its territory. Under normal conditions, reserve pastures guarded by warriors. However, if the dry season gets particularly harsh, site boundaries are ignored, and people graze animals all over the land until the rainy season.

Under the traditional land agreement, no one should deprive access to natural resources such as water and land. Livestock such as goats, cattle, and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai.

Livestock plays a vital role in the Maasai economy—livestock exchange for other livestock, cash, or livestock products such as milk. Individuals, families, and clans developed close ties through the donation or exchange of livestock.

The Masai tribe leads the so-called partly nomadic way of life. That is, they move from one place to place in a seasonal rotation. This means that they always have green pastures and suitable land for their livestock: cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys. Despite the possession of other animals, it is the cows that are special to the Maasai people. There is a belief in their community that all the cows in the world belong to them.

Maasai men spend most of their adult life collecting cows! Their wealth and status in the tribe are determined by how many cows they have.

Because of their versatility, the Maasai rely heavily on cows. Not only that, but their houses have walls and roofs made of cow dung. The Masai economy is increasingly dependent on a market subsistence.

Livestock products are sold to other people in Kenya to buy beads, clothing, and grain. Cows and goats also sell to generate cash for school uniforms and school fees for children.

Currently, young men and women in major cities in Kenya are selling goats and cows and beads, grain, and other goods. The business spirit is something new in their society. Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk, and cattle blood for protein and calories. People drink blood on special occasions.

It gives to a circumcised man, a woman in labor, and sick people. Some elders use blood to relieve drunkenness and hangovers. Blood believe to be very rich in protein and beneficial to the immune system.

For example, the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya are quite similar in nature to the Maasai and they often engage in what is known as performance tourism. This is where they will put on a show for visitors. Mostly this involves singing and dancing by women and younger males as well as jewellery making and other activities.

While these activities are fun, and they do give back to a local community, it is easy to be blinded by the fact that you think you are seeing a traditional tribe in action. In reality, the majority of the Maasai tribe have moved forward just like the rest of the world. They will chant in greeting, show you a traditional dance and guide you on a tour around the mud huts within the village.

It is up to you as an individual tourist what you spend your money on of course. Dear Dr. Stainton, Thank you for all the important information you are posting. Being a local tour operator in Tanzania, we are always confused by guests asking to have a truly local experience and avoid other tourists.

How do we even respond to that? Unless you move here and emerge yourself in the good and the bad of living in our country, you are a tourist and you will have a tourist experience. Locals, whether Maasai, Chagga, Bushmen or other tribes, are proud to share their history and traditions with tourists.

Of course it is a performance of sorts, and of course they charge for it. Why would anyone think they should take time out of their busy lives to meet random strangers and do so free of charge? The truth is, being a tourist in Tanzania, this is as close as you will get to dancing with the Maasai or meeting any other tribe. The questions is, where else will you have the chance to do so?

Lastly, some Maasai remain living in traditional ways, but those are probably not the ones you are going to meet. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Submit Comment. Through Tourism Teacher I share my knowledge on the principles and practice of travel and tourism management from both an academic and practical perspective.

Package tourism is an important component of tourism. The package holiday market has boomed in the past couple of decades, and although people are not choosing to book their package holidays in quite the same way nowadays, package tourism is here to stay.