The Maasai People of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania - Meet Your Hosts

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People of East Africa

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is inhabited by several indigenous tribes. In Kenya, along the national park’s border in Tanzania, extending south to Mugumu, live the Kuria people. As you move further south, the Ikoma tribe takes the place of the Kuria, residing along the Western Corridor boundary and to the west of Lake Victoria. Southwards along the southwest boundary of Serengeti National Park, the Sukuma people, a large community, make their home. These communities are agro-pastoralists, managing small farms and livestock. Among all these groups, the Maasai stand out as the most famous. The Maasai population, with significant numbers in Kenya and Tanzania, is known for their resilience in maintaining their traditions and lifestyle despite external pressures.

Maasai society is characterized by a patriarchal structure where elder men play a significant role in decision-making for the various masai tribes.

Maasai warriors

North of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya are the Loita Hills, the historic lands of the Kenyan Maasai, who now engage in ranching and mechanized farming. The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments have made efforts to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle in favor of more modern ways of living. Traditional pastoralist, among the Maasai occupy the eastern side of the ecosystem, stretching from the Narok district in Kenya southward through the Loliondo area, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the southern edge of the Serengeti plains where they encounter the Sukuma. Southeastward, Maasai pastoralists extend into the Simanjiro plains across the Rift Valley, reaching up to Dodoma. Many Maasai are transitioning from their traditional pastoralist lifestyle to limited small-scale farming settlements.

Much of the terrain now safeguarded within Serengeti National Park was once inhabited by the Maasai, who grazed their cattle on the eastern plains. However, their presence in the west was more sporadic due to the seasonal abundance of tsetse flies, which carry a parasite that can be fatal to cattle. The then Maasai community began to transition from traditional materials like sheepskin and animal hides to more commercial fabrics in the 1960s, highlighting changes in their clothing practices and preferences over time. The Maasai are relatively recent arrivals in the region, having migrated from the north in the 17th century, displacing their Datoga predecessors. The name Serengeti is derived from the Maa word ‘serenget’, meaning ‘Endless Plain’, and it accurately describes the short-grass plains of the southeast rather than the entire park.

The historical significance and evolution of traditional Maasai people’s lifestyle and land are profound, as their migration patterns and territorial dominance have shaped the current geographical and cultural landscape. The Maasai lands have faced challenges due to colonial treaties and the establishment of national parks, which confined the tribe to certain districts while highlighting their enduring traditional lifestyle in relation to these lands.

Maasai traditions are deeply rooted in their patriarchal society, where men and elders make essential decisions. Their diet consists of raw meat and cattle milk, and they use cattle hides and bones in crafts. Additionally, their distinctive clothing made from colourful shúkà fabrics and vibrant cultural expressions in music and dance are notable. The Maasai warriors hold significant cultural importance, known for their historical prowess in cattle raiding and expert use of traditional weapons.