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

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Family Life Following Marriage: The Maasi

In the Maasai culture, the process leading up to a marriage and the outcome of the family life resulting in marriage is very interesting. It starts off with the marriage being arranged by the brides elders without her consent. Most men practice the ideals of polygamy, and the men usual die before the woman because they are much older than them in the marriage. It is not accepted for woman to remarry if their husband does die. A man is the only person who can be responsible for a family. After his death, the power goes to the oldest son. If the husband does die and the woman has no sons, she is considered to be in danger and unprotected. When the marriage takes place, a woman is gifted a herd of cattle that will be raised by the eventual sons. The fathers have cattle as well, so when the parents die, the oldest son gets the father's cattle and the youngest son gets the mother's cattle, while the daughters do not inherit anything. At young ages, boys are taken away from their older brothers and expected to learn how to survive in the warrior village. Girls are treated in a stern way, and it is normal for them to fear their elders. The females must have a lot of respect towards everyone. 

Advameg Incorporated
     2015 Countries and their cultures: Maasai - Marriage and Family. Electronic document,                      http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Maasai-Marriage-and-Family.html,                      accessed March 25, 2015.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Religion and After Life

The Maasai people do not perform the typical funeral for their people. Instead of burying them or cremating them, the common people are left to be eaten by predators because they believe dead bodies are harmful to the Earth. This process is called Predator Burial. The exception for this practice is for chiefs which are buried out of respect.

The Massai believe that the Heavens and Earth were one. God (Enkai/Ngai/Engai) then created three groups in that world that were each given something in order to survive:
  • Torrobo (or Dorobo) - hunters/gathers that were given honey and wild animals 
  • Kikuyu - farmers that were given seed and grain
  • Maasai - were given cattle that came down from the Heavens through a rope

It's believed that the Torrobo were left to endure bee stings, the Kikuyu endured famine and flood while the Maasai prospered with the cattle. A Torrobo got jealous of the Maasai's gift and cut the rope that connected the Heavens and Earth which split the two leaving the cattle on Earth for the Maasai. For this reason the Maasai claim cattle as their own. 

Advameg Incorporated
     2015 Countries and their cultures: Maasai - Religion and Expressive Culture.                                        Electronic Document, http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-                                              East/Maasai-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html, accessed March 25, 2015.
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Ceremonies and Rituals



The link above explains the commonly practiced rituals of the Maasai, including Emurrata (circumcision), Enkiama (marriage) and even Orngesherr (junior elder ceremony).  These ceremonies are explained chronologically by one of the Maasai men.  Unfortunately due to cultural boundaries he is not able to explain the ceremonies that Maasai women experience, but he does tell of ceremonies practiced everyday in our own culture, along with the ceremonies unique to his.  Gender is very important in the Maasai culture, as it is in our own, it describes who we identify as and how we want the world to view us.  The Maasai man explains that a woman in his culture is identified not by her own age, but by the age of her husband, that is, after marriage.  He goes into detail about how every ceremony is a new life, somewhat like the catholic or christian religions practices of baptism or communion, and that each ceremony grants a right of passage to the men as they grow within their own society.

Maasai Association
     2015 Maasai Ceremonies and Rituals. Electronic document, 
          http://www.maasai-association.org/ceremonies.html, accessed March 24, 2015.
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