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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nOn Tuesday (March 8, 2022), the Wabash class on Religion in Africa did something even most Kenyans have never done: we ventured far, far into the rural areas to meet with and learn from the Masai, the famous tribe of cattle herders spread throughout parts of Kenya and northern Tanzania. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was an unforgettable experience. Vast expanses of a million shades of green, speckled with cattle and herdsmen, opened for miles in every direction. The acacias grow just an inch or two per year, so the lovely shrubbery you see represents decades of fought-for height. The Masai are people like that too, wrestling a humble prosperity out of the land and prioritizing beauty. Their traditional costumes and particularly the jewelry were breathtaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were greeted by the \u201cSmart Hills\u201d school in a village in Kajiado county. Many of the adults and most of the school children had never seen white-skinned people before. They taught us their greetings and social structure (old men must be addressed first, then the widows, then the chief, then everyone else). We learned of their incredible efforts at peace through the Damietta Peace Initiative (DPI). Damietta is the name of the town in Egypt where, 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi met the Muslim Ottoman Sultan to try to negotiate an end to a crusade. The DPI seeks to mediate local disputes before violence breaks out. If a grievance is made known, the Masai mediators negotiate a settlement before 7:00 the next day (because we\u2019re so near the equator, that\u2019s nearly always sunset). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last custom we learned about was the tastiest. The chief killed a goat for us in the morning and cooked it all day to share with his visitors, as their traditions require. They think that visitors are a blessing, not to be taken for granted. A bone broth flavored with herbs and \u201cugali,\u201d the staple of Kenya which is a kind of cornmeal mush, were also served. It was a joy to take this in with our hosts. I grew up on a cattle farm, and loved to talk with chief Moses\u2019 brother about their cattle. They name each one, and say the name aloud when they eat it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n