top of page
D406EA4C3056291394DD8109E9C4FB8E.jpg

Africa has always fascinated me. It’s rich culture, long history, and diverse landscapes make the continent one of the most unique in the world. Africa is resource-rich and many of their products are used in countries across the globe. In recent decades, Africa has sought to establish connections with other countries as a way to modernize its economy and society. Comprised of more than fifty countries, each region in Africa is dissimilar from the next in terms of language, culture, history, and more. Last summer, I had the opportunity to go on a Safari trip on the plains of Tanzania and Kenya. This experience opened my eyes to Africa’s natural beauty, featuring sightings of wildlife like rhinos and giraffes. Among the most memorable parts of the trip was my visit to the tribe of the Maasai people. This group, native to the Kenya-Tanzania region, have a deep respect and understanding of their history and traditions. They are a humble, hospitable, and welcoming people that worn together to create better lives for themselves and their tribes. They represent the beauty of Africa and the country’s hope for the future.

Footnote: 

(1) Thompson, Katrina Daly. "Keeping It Real: Reality and Representation in Maasai 
     Hip-Hop." Journal of African Cultural Studies 20, no. 1 (2008): 33-44. 
     http://www.jstor.org/stable/25473396. 

(2) Breeds of Livestock - Masai Cattle. http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/masai/ 
     index.html/. 

(3) Breeds of Livestock - Masai Cattle. http://afs.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/masai/ 
     index.html/. 

(4) National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/ 
     cattle-economy-maasai/3rd-grade/ 
     #:~:text=The%20Maasai%20people%20live%20in,Maasai%20women%20milk%20the%20cows.&te 
     xt=They%20keep%20lions%2C%20cheetahs%2C%20and%20leopards%20away%20from%20the%20he 
     rd. 

(5) Quinlan, Robert J., Isaya Rumas, Godfrey Naisikye, Marsha B. Quinlan, and Jonathan Yoder. "Searching for Symbolic Value of Cattle: Tropical Livestock Units, Market Price, and Cultural Value of Maasai Livestock." Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (2016): 76-86. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26423652.

(6) Quinlan, Robert J., Isaya Rumas, Godfrey Naisikye, Marsha B. Quinlan, and Jonathan Yoder. "Searching for Symbolic Value of Cattle: Tropical Livestock Units, Market Price, and Cultural Value of Maasai Livestock." Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (2016): 76-86. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26423652.

(7) Huang, Nellie. "Cultural Fabric: The Maasai's Shuka." G Adventures. 
     https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-cloth/ 
     #:~:text=Often%20red%20with%20black%20stripes,Maasai%20people%20of%20East%20Afric 
     a.&text=It's%20known%20to%20be%20durable,are%20from%20the%20Samburu%20Tribe. 

(8) McDANNALD, DAVID. "Letter from MAASAILAND: Seeds of Change." The American Scholar 83, no. 2 (2014): 6-9. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43871154.

(9) McDANNALD, DAVID. "Letter from MAASAILAND: Seeds of Change." The American Scholar 83, no. 2 (2014): 6-9. Accessed October 23, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43871154.

(10) Colors in Culture – The Colors of the Kenyan Maasai (blog). Entry posted June 
     14, 2018. https://dreamsfauxfilled.com/ 
     colors-in-culture-the-colors-of-the-kenyan-maasai/ 
     #:~:text=RED%20is%20the%20most%20important,especially%20in%20times%20of%20famine. 

(11)IBID

(12)IBID

(13) IBID

(14) IBID

(15) Wijngaarden, Vanessa. "Cosmopolitan Savages: The Challenging Art of Selling 
     African Culture to Tourists." Etnofoor 22, no. 2 (2010): 98-125. 
     http://www.jstor.org/stable/25758189. 

(16) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvOOR6syTCE&ab_channel=SankaraSubramanian

bottom of page