Maa

The Maasai are a nomadic pastoralist people primarily found in Kenya and Tanzania, along the Great Rift Valley. They speak the Maa language, which belongs to the Eastern Sudanic language family.1

The Maasai traditionally subsist on the meat, blood, and milk from their herds. Their social structure is organized around age-sets, where groups of men initiated together form lifelong bonds and progress through stages such as warriors and elders. Young men, known as morans, traditionally spend time in isolation to develop strength and courage. Maasai society is egalitarian, and they have never kept slaves.1

Modern governments are encouraging the Maasai to adopt permanent settlements and formal education, leading to greater assimilation.1