History Project

                                               This is my history project topic- Masai

                                                               Writer: Bowei Li

Introduction:

    Masai is a kind old ethnic. They are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi- nomadic. They located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. This ethnic called Masai are one of the ethnics people know of African ethnic groups.

    They have some really interesting staffs. They have different distinctive culture, customs and dress with the other ethnic in Africa. They speak a special language called Maa. That is a member of the Nilo-Saharan languages of Kenya and Tanzania.

    The Masai population has been estimated as 377,089 from the 1989 census and there are 453,000 in Tanzania in 1993.  I am not really sure the exact number for Masai population. The Masai population has been investigate as the total is 883,000.

Overview:

    The Masai is a Nilotic ethnic group. They came to eastern Africa by way of southern Sudan. They are all famous hunter and warrior. Their main careers are hunt or nomadism. Masai likes eating meat and milk; there are they main foods. And the very interesting thing is Masai likes drink the blood of cow. They always depasture some of cows for drink the blood.
  
History:
    According to their own oral history, Masai began migrating south around the 15^th central because of the lower Nile valley north of Lake Turkana. Then in the 19^th central the domain of Masai is became the biggest. The domain is almost covered all of the Great Rift Valley. At the same time, Masai and the larger Nilotic group going to raided cattle. Almost raiders used spears and shields. And there is a report bout 800 Masai warriors on the move in Kenya.
    Because of this migration, the Masai of the southernmost area is Nilotic. At 1883-1902, there are some bad things happened. There are marked by epidemics of contagious bovine rinderpest and smallpox. Because of this rinderpest almost 90% animal are dead around there.

Life of Masai:
    Masai is a nation; they live for nomadic and depasture animals. There is a very usually thing happens in Masai. Between two mans of the same age, they can change the wife each other. Masai still have different class. For those different system, same age of people have to circumcision at the same time. Then in Masai the different sex have different class, male’s class are over female al lot. Mans have to go to force by themselves, although that is very lonely. They call that stage “morans”.
    Masai also like sing and dance. They have different music with others; they have music attribute to themselves.

This is an video about dance of Masai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR_yCxIxDDc

Thank you for read it ^_^...