Mission:

The iCross-Cultural Citizen Project is a cultural anthropology course-based project meant to raise critical consciousness about the rich cultural diversity in our indigenous world. Being totally aware of the limitations of being outsiders, we are a group of multidisciplinary undergraduate students who believe in cross-cultural sensitivity and participatory agency aimed at disseminating information about indigenous realities as accurately as possible.

Vision:

The iCross-Cultural Citizen Project’s vision is to create an online cross-cultural space for students, professionals, and youth to learn and exchange cross-culturally sensitive information about contemporary indigenous experiences. From that outsider student’s perspective, we will try to theoretically explore possible collaborative solutions to problems that affect the indigenous populations of our planet. Finally, we hope for the future creation of a space where indigenous youth can share their experiences and their realities with us for real mutual collaboration to take place.

Values:

We value the maximization of benefits to indigenous peoples and other vulnerable populations in the world.

We value the respect for persons all over the world.

We value the equal treatment of people, and we are against the exploitation of vulnerable groups around the world.

We value collaborative cross-cultural learning and critical thinking.

Background Information

Background Information:
The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people who live under a communal land management system. The Maasai live in Kraals arranged in a circular fashion and the fence around the kraal is made of acacia thorns to prevent lions from attacking the cattle. The Inkajijik are loaf-shaped houses made of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and cow's urine and woman are responsible for making the houses as well as supplying food and water for the family. The men are usually warriors and the boys are responsible for herding livestock. Elders are directors and advisers of the village and are a symbol of leadership in the community. The Maasai have a subsistence economy and are aware of private ownership.

Maasai Association
2015 The Maasai People. Electronic Document, http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html, accessed February 9, 2015

Geographic Location

Geographic Location:

East Africa in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands.

Maasai Association
2015 The Maasai People. Electronic Document, http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html, accessed February 9, 2015

Monday, February 23, 2015

Wedding Ceremony

This video depicts some of the customs of the Maasai people and shows how they perform wedding celebrations.Traditional garb, dancing, singing, and wedding customs are displayed. Folk songs are sung too by men to boast their hunting prowess. Women sing songs describing how good it is to get married and how being a good house maker is important. These songs are sung while both groups perform the famous Maasai jumping dance.

Maasai Wedding Ceremony 2010 Supukuu Enkiama
     2011 video by Kanal von hollersepp. Maasai Wedding Ceremony. YouTube, January 2
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Sunday, February 22, 2015

The Maasai Way of Life

The video describes the Maasai people as a semi-nomadic people and accurately depicts the diet and inkajijik's or houses of the Maasai. The houses are mainly made out of cow dung and built by the woman of the community. Their diet consists of no meat and they get most of their nutrition from drinking the blood of cows and mixing it with milk. The dance in the film is the Maasai's traditional jumping dance where the men jump high and the woman move their necklaces to the rhythm of the song. The Maasai do not use instruments in their songs and only use their voices to produce music. The diet of the Maasai is unique and the traditional dance is very gender specific.

Maasai People
     2014 Documentary of The Maasai People. Maasai People. Planet Doc, August 7.
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