Africa, African Anthropology - General Resources
By peoples
The peoples of Africa are often described in terms of their ethnic background or their languages. There are several thousand ethnic groups in Africa, ranging in physical stature from the short Pygmies to the tall Maasai, each with its own cultural traditions. Here are only a few of them.
Akan Akuapem Akye Anyi Aowin Asante Babanki Baga Bali Bamana Bamileke Bamum Bangubangu Bangwa Baule Beembe Bembe Berber Bidyogo Bobo Bushoong Bwa Chokwe Dan Diamande Dogon Eket Fang Fante Fon Frafra Fulani Hausa Hemba Holoholo Ibibio Idoma Igbira Igbo Ijo Kabre Karagwe Kassena Katana Kom Kongo Kota Kuba Kusu Kwahu Kwere Laka Lega Lobi Luba Luchazi Luluwa Lunda Luvale Lwalwa Maasai Makonde Mambila Mangbetu Manja Mbole Mende Mitsogo Mossi Mumuye Ngbaka Nkanu Nok Nuna Oron Owo Pende Pokot Punu San Senufo Shambaa Shona Songo Songye Suku Swahili Tabwa Tuareg Urhobo We Wimiama Wodaabe Wolof Woyo Wum Yaka Yombe Yoruba Zaramo Zulu
Please note: Some of the peoples and associations presented here are so closely related that more than one topic heading may apply. For example, The Akan people are given a page of their own, yet the Asante ( Ashanti ) are also an Akan people, as are the Akuapem. So, a full search for the 'Akan' may involve looking at pages dedicated to sub-groups as well. Some sub-group pages may contain only a link or two, but they are still part of a much larger picture.
You will find a similar relationship among some of other peoples listed here. This is a case where a little advanced knowledge of the subject may be an advantage when using these pages.
African Tribes - Maasai People __ Who are they and how do they live? A brief overview. - From africaguide.com - http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/maasai.htm
Dan Heller's Photos/Pictures of The Maasai of Tanzania __ You will find several galleries of click-to-enlarge photos. - illustrated - From danheller.com - http://www.danheller.com/maasai.html
Maasai __ Overview of Maasai culture and history. "There are 350,000 Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania. They live on the Serengeti Plain, which is south and east of Lake Victoria, and further east in an area just south of Nairobi in southern Kenya and Tanzania, including the Olduvai Crater where the Leakeys unearthed Lucy." - From Minnesota state University - http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/africa/maasai.html
Maasai __ You will find a brief history and overview of Maasai culture and history. "The Maasai, famous as herders and warriors, once dominated the plains of East Africa. Now however they are confined to a fraction of their former range." - illustrated - From The Africa Guide - http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/maasai.htm
Maasai __ An encyclopedic article with links to related materials. - illustrated - from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai
Maasai Association, by a Maasai Kakuta __ "A Maasai without culture is as a
zebra without stripes. If we abandon our way of life, our next step could be
extinction." Here is a site packed with information, history, art, culture and
much more. - illustrated - From Maasai Association -
http://www.maasai-infoline.org/
Maasai Environmental Resource Coalition (MERC) __ Here is the website of a
network of Maasai organizations advocating for the protection of traditional
land rights of the Maasai people. "MERC is a grassroots network of Maasai
organizations advocating for the protection of traditional land rights of the
Maasai people, and for conservation, management, and sustainable use of the
great ecosystems of East Africa." - illustrated - From MERC -
http://www.maasaierc.org/
Maasai History __ A good look at Maasai beginning with their emmigration from the Nile Valley through present. - illustrated - From Jens Finke - http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/maasai/history.htm
Maasai Language Page __ An overview and demographic information about Maasai speakers. - From Michigan State University - http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Handbook/Maasai_root.htm
Maasai Language Project __ Learn about this project and its efforts to preserve Maasai language. - From University of Oregon - http://www.uoregon.edu/~dlpayne/maasai/madict.htm
Maasai People __ "Maasai are the southernmost Nilotic speakers and are linguistically most directly related to the Turkana and Kalenjin who live near Lake Turkana in west central Kenya. According to Maasai oral history and the archaeological record, they also originated near Lake Turkana. Maasai are pastoralist and have resisted the urging of the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle." You will find material related to art, culture, history, religion, political structure and more. - From University of Iowa - http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Maasai.html
Maasai People __ "The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one half million people." Information ranging from culture to diet. - illustrated - from maasai-infoline.org - http://www.maasai-infoline.org/TheMaasaipeople.html
The Masai People __ A paragraph of cultural background and a good gallery of click-to-enlarge images. - from harkphoto.com - http://www.harkphoto.com/masai.html
Society-MASAI __ A good overview of Massai culture. "The Outline of World Cultures defines the Masai cultural unit as follows: "Specific data on the Masai (Maasai), plus the related Kwafi (with the Arusha and Humba) and Sambura or Burkeneji (with the Elburgu, Elmolo, Laikipiak, Mogogodo, and Njamus)" (Murdock 1975: 56). There is a basic division between agriculturalists (most of whom seem to live in Tanzania) and pastoralists. The pastoralists are the Masai proper, and most research has been conducted among them. The agriculturalists are variously referred to as Kwafi, 'L-Oikop, and/or Il-Lumba." - By Marlene M. Martin/Ethnographic Atlas - http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7860
Trekking with the Maasai on Safari in Kenya __ A commercial website with a
good deal of information about Maasai culture. - illustrated - From Luca Safari
Ltd. -
http://www.maasai.com/maasai.htm
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