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Culture Change And The Massai

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Culture Change and the Massai By Brianna Hickerson 05/13/15

The Maasai are one of the Nilotic nomadic group that migrated originally from Northern Africa to Kenya and Tanzania. They are one of the last authentic warrior tribes in the world. Although the world has changed throughout the centuries due to factors such as industrialization, globalization, colonization and war, the Maasai are able to sustain their culture. Despite the fact that the Maasai has been successful at preserving their culture, the effects of modern legislature, westernization, and education has taken a toll on their roving society. For centuries the Maasai have been pastoralists who share a deep and spiritual connection with their …show more content…

In many cases the governments do not give them a fair hearing in court and often the Maasai are not even represented in court properly if at all. British governments have been involved in taking the land from the Maasai in order to create ranches for new settlers. According to the Article in CSQ issue Lost Land from the Maasai is due to “privatization is touted by the World Bank and major funders from United States, Japan, and the European Community as more efficient in generating cash crops and beef than communal grazing or cultivation.” Companies are using the land to support the international beef trade. More recently February 12, 2015 the Maasai that reside in Loliondo, Tanzania had their homes burned because they refused to leave their land that a hunting and trapping company was interested in. “As of February 14, 2015 over 114 bomas have been burnt to the ground and 3,000 people have been left without shelter, food and protection.”(Madeline McGill, Cultural Survival). Many pastoralists along with the Maasai are being evicted from their land due to the African’s government desire to bring in revenue from foreign tourism and other forms of revenue. Legal recognition of land rights is very important for the Maasai and other pastoralist groups because without recognition interest groups, governments, and corporations will continue to force them out of land that is fundamentally theirs. The Maasai realize that getting land recognition is important but actually

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