A CULTURE IN PERIL

Article written by: Melanie Furman, May 02, 2023

https://terralingua.org/2023/05/02/a-culture-in-peril-tanzanias-maasai-forced-from-their-ancestral-lands/

Here is an article about injustice which Maasais are facing today and also there is written some information about the tribe. Let's get the deeper look on what is inside.

“A Culture in Peril: Tanzania's Maasai Forced from Their Ancestral Lands.”

The culture of Maasais is in the danger. This is what we can read. And why ? Because Maasais in Tanzania are forced move away from their ancestral lands. 

Maasais are Nilotic tribe. The expression "Nilotic" means - the people who migrated down the Nile river from the area of South Sudan and who are speaking Nilotic language (Maa is one of them). Maasais came to Kenya and Northern Tanzania only 200 years ago. Bantu people (people speaking Bantu languages) came to Tanzania 4000 years ago, they migrated from the areas in West Africa.

Maasais are (to African conditions) rich people, having for years the heritage in the form of herds of cattle. The cattle in Tanzania and especially cows have the stable value, Maasais have money in cows instead of in banks and let's say they can't be such stupid - to loose their money in cows. They know that cows have stable price and except of accident when cow can die - they can't easily lose their money they have in the cattle. And once they need more money for something, they are selling the cows or sheep. The "cow market" is near to each bigger village at least once a week. They don't like to sell the cows because the size of herd means the position in community but in emergency situation they are selling the cows and getting the money from it on the hand. 

There are  millions of people in the world who don't have anything to sell. But Maasais are not that case - that's why they are rich compared to others people living in real poverty. They also know how to use their culture very effectively for their profits. They use the image of poor savages but from "rich" culture to get financial support from tourists or from NGO's and they also use the culture to claim advantages for them from the local government. It's like the Maasais are the only tribe in Tanzania and the only specific culture. To be from a culture is not automatically giving anyone the right to be chosen or different. Maasais have image of indigenous people but are they ? Do they behave like that ? Not at all. They are today the sly people who do not spare any sin to achieve their own advantages and which kind of people were they in the past? First of all we don't have too much details about their life in the past and their "moral values" and second - it's not that much important today. Past is just a history and reality of now-days is the life today.

All Maasais need today to get the money for free is to convince others to believe that they are good people full of love in hearts and they are very poor. And it's needed to tell they are VERY successful in spreading the fake image about themselves, many white women are proofs of it. But nothing from it is truth. The Maasais do not have to pay for many things that other people have to pay for. But then - without buying the things - they can  hardly own something in the real way. Maasais are grazing the cattle in the bush for free. They don't need to pay any rent for the land they occupy and they use for their cows and they also don't pay any fees to Government of Tanzania. Maasais people don't participate in anyway in the running of the country, they are only collecting the money to be used in the Maasais tribe. Maasais are sending money to system but only to Maasai system which is completely out of system of country. But ! on other side, Maasais are using the services or infrastructure like hospitals, schools and roads without any problems. Despide the fact that they don't pay anything to Tanzania, the state doesn't discriminate them. And of course they are using the land for free - in most of the cases without any legal ownership. For building the houses, which are formed into small family communities called Bomas or grazing their cattle.

Today and also in the past - Maasais had and have the chance - as everyone else in Tanzania - to buy the land and after buying they could own it, use it, having the rights arising from ownership. Of course not every piece of land is possible to buy, but Tanzania is a huge country. Who really wants own there a land in legal way, it's for every Tanzanian possible, also for Maasais. They can choose a land which is for sale - buy it - own it - use it. Nobody is holding them back from this.  But this is not any reality of Maasais.  They are using the land for their own needs and benefits without owning it or without renting it. Who from other people of Planet Earth is that lucky? There are some agreements from the past but valid only for few, very specific areas. During the time of British colonialism some of exact areas were promised to Maasais for usage but for sure it was not whole the country. What is possible to find are two agreements - one is from the year 1904 and one is from the year 1911. Both of these agreements were signed by Maasais and also by British colonialists and until today Maasais see these agreements as injustice which had happened to them. They signed it and today they are complaining. They claim that they were signing these documents under the pressure. It's about land in south of Kenya and north Tanzania which is known as Rift Valley. The land affected by those agreements on Tanzanian side is small area on the North of the country. Maasais at Zanzibar are from Tanga region in most of cases but before they were moved there from area of Serengeti, which was wanted from the state for building the National Park. The NP in Tanzania are the important part of the income.  Tanzania is huge country and Maaasis are living in different places. The land issues is very specific problem valid for very small area. Most of the Maasais are still using the lands for grazing cows without any problems. But they know very well they can use this current issue from the North as the story which will catch the hearts of tourists and foreigners. From Melanie's article it's obvious it has happened already. Maasais are great manipulators, it has to be some kind of talent how they can convince people about the unreal fairytales and half-truths.

There is no doubts that what happened in Loliondo in 2022 and especially how it had happened is simply terrible. And it was not first try to move Maasais to other places, the same happened already also in 2009, 2013 and 2017 and also long time ago these tendencies to relocate Maasais to different areas were obvious (1959). And the usage of brutal forces from the sides of police is nothing shocking, police in Tanzania don't use any diplomatic or respectful way to solve the problems, not only with the Maasais - but also with others. Also how the police and government is treating tourists and foreigners is very disrespectful (at Zanzibar is even much more terrible) but who cares? Nobody cares. 

Maasais are constantly lying in everything - then it's a problem to trust them. Who know Maasais better - everyone has a problem to believe that all they are saying or traying to claim is the truth. Also is important to understand that Maasais are working as Organization. It means - they are well informed about everything affected the tribe. Not only during very regular meetings but today also through internet and phones. But especially meetings have very strong influence on their thinking. If someone is witness of something - one meeting is enough and everyone will know the story as it happened. A pity that Maasais are chronical liars, then it's very difficult to trust them however pure truth something would be.

Maasais came from south Sudan in the past and they just settled in the bush of Tanzania and Kenya where they brought also their cows. Mostly the land of Tanzania is not owned in legal way by any Maasai. They put their cottages somewhere where they would like to live and that's all. In the past, cottages represented only a temporary shelter that could be easily demolished if the family decided to relocate. Today, this migration for grass is no longer the order of the day, and the Maasai inhabit settled more permanently. Before they were moving with cattle for better grass so they were not settled like today. But then the Government of Tanzania stopped this nomadic life and Maasais have to stay at one place - place which most of them didn't buy, so of course the land which is not owned by them is fragile because owner of it (in many cases Tanzania as a country) can decide how to use it tomorrow, especially without any existence of the official agreement with the owner of the land. 

It's not easy to find what exactly happened in the past, what British people exactly promised them and why but if something, then only specific areas. Not all Maasais everywhere in the country can think that they have right to own the land for free. And I also can't understand why Europe is judging Tanzania. European countries are not giving the lands for free to their own people. Why Tanzania should do that? Because Maasais have the culture? Before some donations and begging for Maasais people, the tourists should investigate more about the beautiful Maasais culture and about human rights, especially about human rights which are daily suppressed in the Maasais boma's.

Maasais believe already in many nonsenses. They believe that all the cows belongs automatically to Maasais - this was the reason why they didn't hesitate to take the cows from foreign herds in the past - with some kind of moral right for it. And in the same way they trust in "Maasai land", which should be just land everywhere in Tanzania which they like and where they decided to stay. Other nonsenses Maasais trust in is that Maasais don't need to work and Maasais don't need to buy the land. But this is not how things are working in today's world. If you want money - you have to work and if you want to own something - for example land - you need to buy it. Easy logic behind. Why in Tanzania it has to be different ?

 

The next what is very fascinating here is that Maasai culture is in danger because of land. Is the land in EXACT area the only thing which is needed for survival of the culture? For sure not. Here is important to mention that Maasais have to leave only specific areas but most of them can still occupy the land which they don't own for free without any problem and they still can use the land for cattle grazing ! 

The Maasai culture is in the real danger, it's the truth but not because of any land but because of lifestyle they decided to live. To take money from others (mostly from the tourists) in the way of lies, frauds, manipulation and dishonest behavior. They decided to be a culture of the scammers, cheaters and prostitutes who are coming to Zanzibar to find a tourist they can easily manipulate. And for this behavior (to put tourists to traps) once they will need to take an own responsibility. 

Nothing is giving them any right to plan and to make crimes, even not climate changes. Who Maasais are today is the exact reason why the Maasai culture is in the big danger. Soon that culture will be only group of people who are acting a non-authentic and misleading theater performed for tourists and not only in the bush. There is no strength, no pride, no moral values, no real faith and no courage. The only courage the Maasai have today is the courage to rob white people who have no idea who are the Maasai today.

“My grandparents only ate cow's milk, cow's meat, cow's blood, and wild fruit they would find while grazing cattle. They still don't eat maize meal, but now we have it. They never go to a hospital when they get sick. The forest always has all the medicine they need. Now that I am away from my home and the plants that are our medicine, when I get sick, I go to the hospital.”

In the past Maasais didn't eat ugali (the porridge from the maize flour) but it was long time ago. Ugali was the meal which Swahili people were eating and Maasais understood it's the cheap way to fight the hunger. Today Maasais like ugali and it's their main part of the daily meal. Elders and also children, all Maasais today eat ugali. Also those old. Ugali is great and very effective way how to have full stomach. They are eating it with the meat or with different kinds of sauce. And it's very tasty. Maasais love ugali a lot. 

And if the Maasais are today the best doctors in the bush because of local traditional medicine? The strange story. Maybe in the past, but not today. Many Maasais today are coming to hospital often, sometimes also for very small issues only. They trust doctors. Then the question is WHY when they can treat everything with plants and roots. What they really can treat is if someone will eat too much or too fat meal or if someone has the cold. In this case they know how to make stomach more calm by drinking special medicine and how to eliminate the symptoms of cold. They know how to have better erection or more regular menstruation. Also they can treat smaller skin injuries, but with big wounds they are running to hospital. In  case of serious issues like malaria, deeper or wide skin injuries, broken bones, HIV or syphilis, gonorrhea, sterility, flue, typhoid, UTI, cardiac problems, cancer, disfunction of the guts, chronical inflammations - in these cases they are running gladly to hospital. Also those who are not away from home prefer hospital when they are sick. Why if they have so great local medicine. Also the mzungu women who are living with Maasais - they are running to first hospital immediately if they have problem and many of them are flying back to their country to be healed from some more serious healthy issues but why when the Maasais are so great doctors ? :) That miraculous Maasai medicine that cures absolutely everything like a magic - as they say - does not work. So if you are seriously sick - please don't go to Maasai bush for medicine. They will not help you - maybe only with diarrhea caused by an inappropriately chosen diet. The Maasai also believe that they are protected from HIV because they shower after every intercourse. Lack of education and no interest to learn new things is bringing them often to the absurd and dangerous situations. To have a sex with a Maasai man without using any protection is extremely risky behavior. Never do that if you appreciate your health. In Maasai bush you can loose it very quickly and in some cases forever. 

“I ask him about his life in Zanzibar, and he patiently reminds me once again that his life isn't here. He says kindly, “I am on Zanzibar to work.” His life is at home in Olkitikiti, Kiteto District in the Manyara Region of Tanzania — on the mainland. Tourism is Zanzibar's main source of income and is the reason he is here.”

The reason why a Maasai is at Zanzibar is a white woman and her money. Easy like that. His life really isn't at Zanzibar and it's one of the truth they have ever told. Nothing from Zanzibar is their life, even not any mzungu!  Maasais are spending at Zanzibar the bigger part of the year. What are they looking for ? They are looking for the money which could keep them home - out of Zanzibar. Once they will get enough money - they will not go to Zanzibar anymore. Some of them are so hungry for money that also as rich Maasais - they are still returning to the Zanzibar to continue to chase white women. But some of them will stay home with money from Zanzibar. With Europe it's the same case. They are trying to collect the money there - to be able to come back home to Tanzania as rich men. Bush of Tanzania and Maasai culture is everything to them. Those who still didn't catch any rich mzungu will try each day. Again and again, until they will not catch her. If she will be 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 - it doesn't matter because she is, she was and she will be only a wallet full of money which will help these weak men to live better and more comfortable life.  Until mzungu's wallet is working well for them - the age of that wallet is not important. (Mzungu - it means in Swahili language the white person). So it's truth that all the Maasais are at Zanzibar for work (but work is not selling bracelets even not to be a security in hotels). Work is to catch mzungu as soon as possible and as many as possible. Maasais don't like Zanzibar because of many reasons (mostly because of disrespect from locals and because it's expensive for them and they can't sit whole days under the trees), but the illusion is if someone can believe that their work is to sell the bracelets or working like security in the hotels. They can't be alive from it (it's just a cover - second job) but the main job there is to catch the mzungu. They are sent to Zanzibar by their parents to find money for life at home - to feed and to pay all for the family which has many members, sometimes in big families it can be 30 people. The real reason why he is there is a woman (not necessary white - in some cases not necessary woman) they can lie to her and take money from her or manipulate her to bring him to Europe. These are the only reasons why Maasais are at Zanzibar today. Main source and often the only source of his income is mzungu. More mzungus he has, more sources of money he has. Each single month. This is the main job of Maasais today and it's the main source of money in Maasai bush. If you will go there and you will see new houses, motorcycles, solar panels, a lot of new cows - all that is from white women who still didn't understand how much used and abused they are and it will never stop because of fresh tourists who don't know anything about that culture are coming daily. And beautiful Maasai culture has no problem with cheating on white people. They welcome it. More cheated mzungus - more money at home in Boma. Asante ! 

“Without land and water to sustain the herds, young Maasai men cannot have as many cattle as their parents had. These changes are a constant threat to their livelihood and their lives, their traditions, and their culture, one that is ancient.”

Young Maasai men cannot have as many cattle as their parents had because young Maasai men are owning motorcycles (mostly bought by naive mzungus) which they need to feed by fuel, young Maasai men need the phones (at least two) and credit for calling and also for internet (not only to be able to reach their financial supporters and ask money but also to be able to watch Tik-Tok and Youtube whole the time). Today young Maasai men have to show others how rich they are so they are buying solar panels, the newest and very expensive shukas (traditional clothes for Maasai men), normal clothes like jeans and T-shirts, watch for the wrest, the golden thick chains for necks, the shoes for playing football and many other things) which surprisingly cost money and also Maasais need to pay for it. They are also eating and drinking not only at home, but daily these weak men are sitting in the village, eating in the restaurants and drinking, at least soda or beer. If not cognac. Alcohol dependency among the Maasais is today a big problem. They can lie to mzungus how strong men they are but they can't lie to themselves. That's why they are drinking. For nothing from these all their parents didn't need to pay. The whole the Maasais culture today is ruining because of money or because of terrible behavior of young Maasai men who are manipulating and cheating the tourists at Zanzibar - all only for getting money for their personal life, profits and their personal needs. If you think that rich Maasais - rich beachboys are doing something for the community like building the wells, you are wrong. They don't do anything. They are using their money only for personal needs. Those who are building the wells for whole communities in "Maasai land" are naive mzungus. It's a disaster how people from Western world have completely no critical thinking and also no ability to perceive the reality out there. This is the main reason why the Maasai are so successful scammers. Because white people like Melanie allow it.

“The climate catastrophe, maize farms, and forcible eviction from their land are having the largest impact on their pastoralist way of life.”

The climate catastrophe is something we all have to face and not only Maasais. But others who are the most affected by climate changes had to adapt to new situation, why Maasais again cannot ? It's time to start to earn money in other legal way as everyone else. For example Maasais can learn the crafts. They can be carpenters or masons or farmers. Not all of course, but some of them, why not. When the way of pastoralism life is not working anymore they need to adapt. In the planet Earth - who is not able to adapt - will die. It's the rule of the nature and we can see this across many extinct species. But it's more easier to complain and looking at tourists with sad eyes how poor and unlucky they are. They have two hands, two legs and two eyes as everyone else and they have in Tanzania all the possibilities like others. That culture itself is making from Maasais today weak and dependent people. How they can have the newest I-phone and TIK-TOK accounts and still acting like they are living in the 18th century. They are living in 2024 as everyone else today. And they need the money as everyone else and they need to find the way how to earn the money in legal, possible and honest way (as everyone else). 

Melanie had written: What happened to Maasais is "forcible eviction from their land". Where these poor Maasais who were expelled from their lands are today? I didn't see any homeless Maasais living somewhere on the streets of Dar es Salaam. Where these evicted Maasais are today ? :) In their cute cottages in the middle of bush. Nowhere else.

“Ole invited me to Kimana, on the mainland, to visit his boma (cluster of small huts made of mud and cow dung) where he and his fourteen siblings, two mothers, father, nieces, and nephews live. It was remote. To get there, we take a nine-hour bus trip and rode another four hours along a bumpy dusty road. Then we hiked for forty-five minutes. Without electricity, toilets, or running water, Kimana was not your average tourist destination. In fact, I was the first White person to visit Kimana and Ole's boma.”

"Ole" doesn't mean any name. It's not a name. "Ole" is a word in Maa language and it means "the man" - the older more respected man, who is married already. Older in this case means - not warrior anymore. If someone is warrior or not it's not question of age but it depends on the age when the boy started his "warrior age". Some of them can start in age 8 and some of them in age 20. This time lasts around the decade. How sad that the Maasai "Ole" even did not reveal his name to his new white friend.

The author of article didn't mention the wife of her Maasai friend and his children as the inhalants of boma and as his family members. Weird, isn't it ? The reason why he didn't tell her is that once she is a woman - there is always a chance to catch her with love-bombing tactics and therefore get more money from her. So information about his wife and children is nothing what white woman needs to know. But that guy is married and he has own children, the only question is how many wives he has and how many children. It's obligatory to convince white woman to believe that he is not married. He is and he needs to be. 

The last great thing in this part of article is how Melanie is writing that she was the first white person visiting "Ole's" boma. We all were the first white people visiting boma's of Maasais we met at Zanzibar. It's truth but it's valid only for that specific day. Maybe at that day she was there the first white person.  They will never tell you whole the truth. I am really surprised that they still are using this sentence and it's still working well with tourists. In 2024 she  was definitely not the first white person in his Boma full of warriors. 

“During my visit, I watched as crops withered and died. I saw cattle being moved to grazing lands farther and farther away. I could even see the rain-fed Kimana Lake close to Ole's boma evaporating by the day. Kimana Lake was the source of their drinking water, and it was becoming increasingly opaque and gray. As a result, the Maasai are being forced to buy water for their cattle.”

This is what Africa is. Africa is Africa, it's never full of water, every month of the year. Sometimes the natural sources are full of water and sometimes no water and Maasais have to find different sources. They always know where is the water in which time of year. Welcome to Africa. Again - Maasais are being forced to buy water for their cattle. I am also forced to buy some water if I want to drink or if I want to give a water to my animals. It looks like the Maasais people are from different planet and the normal conditions here valid for everyone else are not for them.

“More and more land is being used to grow maize, and maize farms are encroaching on the land used for the Maasai's sustenance. Ole shared with me how this has affected his family, in which he's of the first generation that has had to leave home to find work. He worries how the traditions and way of life will continue if all the men leave. As I understood Ole in the bush, he knew what every tree was used for: treatment for stomach problems, medicine for the flu, twigs for cleaning teeth. His people have relied on these plants for their survival for generations. What will happen if these areas are converted to maize farms?”

Weird that "Ole" didn't mention that Maasai people today rely especially on maize. Better said on flour which is the major part of Maasais food today. Maasai population is growing like crazy each single year. From where that cheap maize is coming ? Probably from those maize farms which are pressing all other plants in Tanzania to die. Tanzania is HUGE country, when you are traveling by bus to Maasai bush, you don't see ONE person or ONE house for miles. Still there is a lot of land around the villages and around Maasais Bomas, also forests and bush where no maize could be alive. People relay on these plants for generations (in the past). Today his people can visit the hospital and be treated from diseases as everyone else and today his people relay on ugali. Which they can have because of the existence of maize farms. Btw. nobody in whole the Tanzania is stopping Maasais to buy the land and to make there the maize farm and earn the money from selling maize as Swahili people are doing. Also they can buy the land or rent it and they can put there their cows without any problem. Maasais complain a lot about unreal things because with complaining the white people will feel sorry for them and they could theoretically give them more money. So easy and visible game and white people still can't see it. We should stop to give money to Maasais for free, we are destroying whole the culture, we spoiled them by showering them with money. 

“In June 2022, the most recent eviction occurred. According to unconfirmed reports (accurate news about this has been difficult to source in Tanzania), Maasai pastoralists in the northern part of the country were forced from their ancestral lands in the name of conservation. In June, Tanzania's president declared 1500 km2 of land in the Loliondo division in Ngorongoro district a game reserve — land that had been promised to the Maasai. The game reserve is reportedly meant for small foreign hunters. The protests and resistance by residents of the area resulted in brutal beats and death threats by security forces.”

Land that had been promised to the Maasais... Promised by whom? Exactly when? And why? Which area was promised to them? to know what we are talking here about here is the map of Loliondo region: it's that little small red square on the North of Tanzania. This area was affected. Most of the land from agreements is in Kenya. In whole Zanzibar there is no Maasai from that region. Not between beachboys. But Maasais are using this story to affect tourists like Melanie emotionally. Because tourists have no idea they will feel automatically sorry for poor Maasais and whole that injustice. 

The government of Tanzania offered to Maasai different plots at different place in Tanzania, for free. But Maasais have refused. What a lucky people they can decide where exactly they would like to live for free.  

A also think that "Ole" doesn't complain about other attractions for tourists in Tanzania, especially in case he can get money from it.

“As land and water become increasingly scarce, the Maasai are being forced out of their semi-nomadic way of life.”

The semi-nomadic way of life in Europe is also not that much easy anymore and those who was living like that needed to change and adapt. If not all then at least the majority. The Maasais are not any exception. Today - when whole the planet is owned by someone - we others who are poor and who don't own any land just cannot do what we want and we need to find other way of life than semi-nomadic life style. Maasais can have the farms, Maasais can learn the crafts and Maasais can go to school to study. Nobody is trying to stop them. They have the same opportunities like other people of Tanzania. Then the good question is if they can't adapt or they don't want. And why they don't want? Because their life until today was perfect. Everything for free. Who would not like it but not everyone is that lucky. I also want to live the nomadic life in Europe, but it's not possible. The country is divided into small pieces that always belong to someone and that someone will not allow me to go through his land or to stay there as long as I will feel. 

“To adapt to the changing conditions, young men are supporting their families by uprooting themselves to make a scrap of money off the tourism boom. They send money home to pay for family members’ school fees, supplies, clothing and school uniforms, food, and hay and water for the cattle. Adam, who has been coming to Zanzibar since 2018, says he makes USD 100 a month as an overnight security guard for a bar. He stays awake from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am every night. The money he sends home means that his niece can take a local bus to school instead of walking or running ninety minutes each way, five days a week. This is the only way she can get an education. He knows this and feels proud to sacrifice his life and time at home so that she and his family can survive in this new world.”

Scrap of money ? The money the Maasais at Zanzibar can get every month is not any scrap. Those more successful have thousands euros from different mzungus each month. Exactly by telling them these kind of fairytales. Then also when we are talking about 100 USD. It's a big difference $100 in Tanzania and $100 in NewYork. The ugali for one person /month is around 5 USD. Houses they have for free. Milk from cows. Primary schools are for free in Tanzania. The uniform they are buying just once a time because the clothes are going always to younger siblings again and again. And btw. most of Maasai children are not going to any school because Maasais need them at boma - to take care about cattle. 

Mr. Adam is paying school for his niece ? What a thing. She's more likely his daughter if he is paying for school. Maasais at Zanzibar are enjoying their freedom a lot. Having a lot of sex with many white women, drinking for free, eating the good food for free, getting money for nothing, only very few of them are working as security but mostly not longer than few months. If they work as security it's only at beginning until they will find self-confidence with white women. They are very lazy to work. They believe that work is for others only, not for Maasais, that's why they are paying for almost everything to Swahili people, who are doing the job instead of them. And of course, the most of the Maassais have problem with authorities out of Maasai tribe. They respect elders and parents at home, but that's all. The white boss (or Swahilil boss) is someone they can't deal with. The life of many of them at Zanzibar is great and to use the word "sacrifice", it sounds like a tragedy, not like one never-ending party full of sex, alcohol, money and good food. Maasais at Zanzibar are hunting women on disco whole nights, then they are sleeping until lunch time, then they eat and at 4 pm there are again starting to hunt women on the beaches and with those they hunt during the day - they are going to disco at night and this is how beautiful Maasai warriors are living today. They are having sex at Zanzibar with many women, promised them love and future and in this way using them as the wallets. Nothing complicated to understand this life style or to see it. But many white women are staying to be completely blind, the question is why.

“I comment on his pride and loyalty. Adam says that in the Maasai culture, at age fifteen, boys start their rights of passage into adulthood, and one of the main pillars of the teachings is to protect and care for their people. That explains why I am notifying it in all the Maasai men I meet. Life is changing rapidly, and this generation is taking the burden. Sent to Zanzibar by their families, they leave home between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-eight, and they go willingly due to their deep and unwavering loyalty. But what will become of their connection to the land, their traditional knowledge, and their ancient customs if the next generation is catering to tourists in a tropical paradise?”

This stage doesn't need any comment. Catering ? :) If the hidden but real prostitution , scams, lies, robberies, manipulation, and cheating is the catering then yes. Next generation will catering tourists by all these. Generation which is at Zanzibar today is already doing it. Daily and gladly. To use the word "loyalty" in connection to Maasais cannot be anything else than joke.

“The tourists who come for it are also attracted to the Maasai because of their mystique and exoticism. Most tourists I have talked with say that the Maasai are a large part of what they love about the island.”

The tourists who come are attracted to the Maasais because of their fake faces, acting, manipulations and lies. And only the most of the SEX TOURISTS said that the Maasais are a large part of what they love about the island. Because only young Maasais are chasing women on the beaches and they are able to do ALL for money - for sex female tourists Zanzibar island is a paradise. What the Thailand is for the European men - the Zanzibar is then for European women. Zanzibar is a island full of male prostitutes who are faking the real feelings and the majority of them is from tribe of Maasais. That tribe has to be very proud of its people. Old generation of Maasais have to turn on in their graves seeing the regress of Maasai people we can witness today at Zanzibar.

“The locals, on the other hand, have something different to say. The manager of a hotel where my son and I stayed warned me: “A lot of the Maasai here aren't real. If they were, they would be home with their cattle and not have a cell phone and sunglasses.” He added that there are fake Maasai who dress up to sell me things. An Airbnb owner also warned me to stay away from the “beach boy Maasai, as they will lie to me and steal my money and cell phone once we felt comfortable with them.” Their distress of the Maasai is echoed by others and means that locals won't rent to them.”

There are no fake Maasais at Zanzibar. Maasais can be from different areas but all of them are real Maasais - people who are speaking Maa language (from there the label Maasais), wearing the shuka and chasing women on the beach. All the beachboys in Maasai clothes at Zanzibar are REAL Maasais. They are for sure not Swahili people who are only wearing Maasais clothes to attract more tourists. This is simply not possible to happen. Maasais know each-other and if they don't know exactly - they recognize each-other easily. Everyone knows who is a Maasai, only tourists have problem to recognize Maasais from Swahili. Locals and expats know very well who Maasais are. That's why they don't want to have anything common with them. Many people living at island have many bad experiences with Maasais  people. Those who are still happily next to Maasais are fresh tourists who don't have any idea about that tribe and then the white women living at Zanzibar for longer who are using Maasais as cheap servants or sex slaves (in most of cases it's combination of both). But for sure - there are no fake Maasais at Zanzibar. They are only some groups of Maasais there: Maasais from Tanga region (the biggest beachboys, prostitutes and scammers), then Maasais from Arusha and Killimanjaro region and rarely Maasais from Kenya (very rarely - almost not possible to meet them). And they can behave in different way. Those Maasais who are not doing the crimes on white women are mostly the guys you can meet seeling the shoes. They don't speak any English, they are shy, they understand "no, thank you", they are never pressing you for anything and they have always short hair and very tiny bodies. These guys are mostly harmless and it's easy to recognize them. Rest of Maasais are criminals, chasing and using white women on the beach what is their main job and only source of getting real money. All those with dreads you can see walking the beaches whole days. They are real Maasais and real criminals. For some reason - nobody cares and they are very successful in lying to still blind and naive tourists. 

“People want to know about us because we have a story.”

The story is the only thing which Maasais have today - hiSTORY. They are still living from it.

“...the manager of this French-owned boutique hotel, told us we weren't allowed to enter even if we bout drinks because Ole is Maasai and was wearing his traditional cloth. In other words, if he would assimilate, he would be welcome.”

Mr. "Ole" would be not welcomed even in jeans and with blonde color on his hair once he is a Maasai. The locals and employees of hotels have very rich experiences with Maasais and that is the reason why they are not welcomed anywhere, their shuka or skin color is not the reason but their actions and crimes they are doing always with an  opportunity. Maasais are fully responsible for the image they have at Zanzibar because nobody from whole that culture is trying to stop the scams, they are daily doing on tourists. Locals can recognize Maasai by face. He doesn't need to wear Maasai clothes. If I would be the manager of the hotel and each Maasai would make a trouble in the area I am responsible for - I would also think twice If I will let Maasai come inside once again. it's not worth the inconvenience and complications. And it has nothing to do with some kind of clothes, but with the way how the Maasai behave at Zanzibar. Nobody presses Maasais to do any crimes, they are criminals only because they decided to be. It's for them the most easiest way how to get big money for them and for their families in the bush. 

“We have tourist friends that tell us that locals tell them to not get close to Maasai. I told them I didn't know why, but I think it's because they are jealous,” says Adam.”

They are not jealous. The reason why locals will tell this to tourists is simply because Maasais are doing a lot of crimes at Zanzibar. A LOT. So that's why the locals can warn those who don't have any idea. Let's say that locals know more about the local conditions, for sure more than fresh tourists being at island for first time. It's easy to trust Maasais because of their innocent childish faces, fake smiles and because of pretending of attention and friendship. Actually fresh tourists don't have any chance to see the reality with the Maasais. No chance at all. But with time the bad experience with these people is necessary and only after that the tourists will start to see more. But not before. The innocent faces of Maasais are their biggest gun and they are aware of it.

“I have heard the same story over and over: “I am here selling crafts because this is one of two jobs I can do here as an uneducated Maasai. The other is a security guard for hotels and bars.” The work and professions that the Maasai can do in Zanzibar are limited.”

Yes, maybe uneducated Maasai who spent his life in bush looking after cows and who cannot read and write should become the manager director of 5 star hotel. Why not. Or maybe engineer of IT or maybe they can be chefs in the hotels - despite the fact they have been never cooking anything else than ugali. Or maybe Maasai who was never working with hands (Maasais are always paying Swahili people for all the services) and who never was learning any craft should work as workers on construction or as carpenters. The work and professions which Maasais can do at Zanzibar are limited and it's only fault of Maasais. Once Maasai would show the real skills, education or abilities for doing exact job - he could get that job without any problem. But who can give a job to unqualified and incompetent person ? Only very bad HR manager. Is this in Europe different ? Can be anyone without any education and without any skills or practice the pilot ? Or a surgeon? Or manager in the big hotel? For sure not !  I didn't study the medicine, I never was doing that and now in my adult age I would like to be a doctor but nobody wants to give me that job. And then I would complain about it. What's a strange and unfair discrimination !  

“Discouraging experiences with getting an education were a common reason the Maasai came to Zanzibar. Ole toll me, “I left school in grade four because it was too far to run. I would be late so my teacher would beat me. I told my parents that I would rather be herding cows than being beaten.”

This is exactly showing the approach of Maasais to everything. Hard work and drill is nothing for them. The best way to everything is that easiest one, otherwise they will complain and they will look for a person who is guilty for their failure. In this case it's a distance and the teacher who was beating him for late arrival. Also children in Europe can't come to school late and also children in Europe sometimes need to travel to schools. I was traveling to school 2 hours daily and nobody was interested why I came too late. Maasais can go to sleep with the sun. Very early. They can wake up very early then and they can be school at time without any problem and then nobody would even beat them (if something like that is happening at school what I doubt). But Maasais ? Well... They always have a million excuses why something is not possible or very complicated therefore they are such poor people that everyone only hurt them and discriminates them. 

“Lessingo shared details about the traditions of Maasai culture. He said that between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five, the men are the warriors and protectors of their people, land, and cattle. At fifteen, they undergo rigid rituals and sacrifices that last one year. They learned from the elder men how to fight off lions and survive in the wild with only their cattle, knives, and staffs.”

This fairytale is only hiSTORY which they are telling around and around. They are still living from it and catching mzungus in that way. The image about strong warriors who doesn't have any fear - it can attract naive women from the West world. But truth is that the most of the warriors today never ever met the lion in the bush and those in age between 15 - 35 don't protect any land and any cattle, because they are whole the time at Zanzibar at that age - fucking women from abroad and scamming, making crimes and frauds on tourists. Author of this article is a direct proof of how much effective and successful liars they are. Lions ;)))) Young maasais men today are deadly afraid of dogs. They would die immediately - to face a lion in the bush. (good enough the lions are today mostly in parks). It's truth that Maasais warriors are still hunting. But while in the past they were hunting the lions for prestige in the tribe - today they are hunting white people on the beach for money that will guarantees them prestige in the tribe. The reality of today is easy like this.

“Only twelve years ago, becoming a herder was a viable option. But now, a formal education is needed to survive..”

Formal education (which is really only very formal - they will learn only how to read and write at primary and secondary schools) can help them to survive more easier but it will not change anything on their mindset once the strong culture is brainwashing them whole the time. Education will not change anything. They will still feel the moral right to use others and to get everything for free. They also don't hesitate to use people from the own tribe if necessary but because of existence of Maasai courts in the bush it can have the consequences for them. To use and abuse Mzungu has not any consequences for these people, that's why nothing and nobody will stop them from this behavior. They will still to feel as those "chosen" and those "extraordinary", more than others. They will never feel any sorry for other person once they will destroy her/his life because they are Maasais and they have moral right to improve their life in each possible way and for each possible costs. Also by the way of crimes. Once their life can be better - nothing (no their actions or behavior) can't be any sin. If the author of that article would have an idea how beautiful people Maasais really are and what all they are able to do for money - she would be at least shocked and very surprised. 

“Donate and learn more.....”

Donate the crimes of Maasais, and make them brave enough to continue in all what they are doing today. More successful and rich criminals from tribe of Maasais will be - more people will join that group and gladly copy that  behavior which is bringing them a lot of dirty money. WHY NOT? Why they should stop? It's very profitable for them and no punishment for it is possible. And remember - for Maasais the dirty money is still the money. They don't care from where and how they got it. They already know today what was working well in the past - they will repeat it in each opportunity they will get in the future. Thanks to people like Melanie who fell in their traps.