maasai masai

Reviewed Resources for Students and Teachers

Africa, African Anthropology - General Resources

By peoples

By peoples L through Z go to A through K

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.

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.

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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 __ 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 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/~maasai/

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

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

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