I thought to myself, What the hell is this?! Local children were crying and running away in fear from our car. In the Maasai community, once a girl undergoes circumcision, she can start a family. Magazines, Digital Before Maasai girls in Kenya and Tanzania are married, they must undergo circumcision in a ceremony that 99 percent of the time is sponsored by their prospective suitors. It marks the status of a warrior Over four days, over 400 girls aged 8-15 undergo training sessions as per Maasai culture . which has been deem reliable and sufficient to ours. A few failed attempts later I finally got the hang of angling the carabiner and I took on a new, important role in my group: bartender. Finnish photographer Meeri Koutaniemi witnessed two step-sisters, Isina and Nasirian (not their real names), from the Maasai tribe in Kenya, endure the illegal practice in late November. Traditionally, Despite that, it was a remarkable experience for all the reasons that you allude to and then some. My attention naturally went to the rites of passage for girls. Marriage was about the deal between a girl's and boy's fathers. The circumcision ceremony takes place in early morning. are many ceremonies in Maasai society including Enkipaata They sang, their voices carried. the husband. It may cause death, as the equipment used is mostly shared and may spread diseases such as AIDS. Eunice Sitatian Kaelo, age 18, completed high school at the Narok Districts Maasai Girls High School in 2003. The screams paired with tears as women held the girls legs and arms. the society. Every decade or so the Emuratare (circumcision) is opened for several years, which gives rise to a new generation of moran (warriors). Mela pointed to our camera, tucked away in Audrey's bag: Pictures OK.. Maasai culture is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. To drink outside the camp is allowed but only if women are not Being a Maasai woman who knows the effects of FGM, I feel obliged to tell about the harm that is brought to the girl. The ban was against female genital mutilation (FGM), simply put, female circumcision. It e-kule (milk-drinking ceremony), Enkang oo-nkiri Where are the boys from the ceremony? I asked Kisioki, noting that none of the boys in front of my appeared as if they had just been circumcised that morning. 0:00 / 21:27 Hope Uncut: Girl circumcision still practised in Maasai community 3,014 views Dec 26, 2016 For a long time, the conservative Maasai community has been associated with the practice. Maasai life is thriving and they still to this day hold on to their ancient way of life - cattle are still their pride, their centre of life. a tremendous amount of respect for his bravery. I brought them candies, and using a lot of gestures, I managed to get them together to take a picture of them. Every ceremony is a new life. On the opposite side, a competing village began their own dance circle. Circumcision is probably effective at reducing the later risk of: "You hear of girls who die, but there is . More specifically, as the boys were cut, they were expected to stand perfectly upright unflinching and tear-free in front of a group of warriors and elders all in a hopeful first step on the journey to becoming Maasai warriors themselves. Maasai believe that the practice helps reduce immorality among girls because they are not allowed to engage in conjugal duties before they undergo circumcision. Mary, I agree with you completely. Women are luckier and are spared of such comments. More This initiation elevates an individual from childhood to adulthood. No warrior will shave his hair before his highly Female circumcision is a rite of passage among the Maasai that marks change from childhood to adulthood. And sorrow for the suffering that so many experience. Following - female circumcision stock videos & royalty-free footage . It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jing Jin and her community. Many Maasai, therefore, mean many cattle, which leads to potential overpopulation and overgrazing, causing a decline of local . No We left in the evening, but the celebration was hardly finished. This No one would like to be one of these leaders, The Maasai are not alone: many other Kenyan tribes circumcise girls as a mark of maturity from childhood. In some cases, the main circumcision ceremony takes place days after the surgery. own age-set. initiation. My parents, though they are illiterate, are against female circumcisionan unusual position for any typical Maasai. is a warriors camp (kraal) with 30 to 40 houses. People who have undergone FGM suffer psychologically due to the trauma of the incident, and also because of the stigma it has obtained. customs, and traditional affairs. sit on the chair and be shaved by his wife. on senior warriors will be discussed later in this page. But Im not for such a act of destroying ones body fo tradation. If you run away from the knife, your society will disown you. Your email address will not be published. Do you want to go? Kisioki asked in the sort of unassuming manner one might use to ask a friend to a new restaurant around the corner for lunch. I answered I was not, and suddenly her smile was gone. Follow. for a section to have more than two emanyatta camps. the ceremony. However, even though the government This is a horrible cultural trait , and makes you wonder why it is acceptable for boys to be circumcised in the western word. But the maasia are also a very loving and caring community. say, circumcision is not pleasant. it is seen as backward. awkward and shameful to eat in front of their female lovers. Meat chunks were passed around the best saved for elders, the rest scattered on plates of rice circulated among guests. the Orporror (morrans age group). Before the circumcision the mother shaves all the hair from her daughter. The type of circumcision that the Maasai perform is called clitoridectomy, in which the entire clitoris or part of the clitoris, and at times the adjacent labia, is removed. warrior. (warrior's camp). Girls who are not circumcised, it is argued, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law. warriors to do things independently from other age mates. is a highly regarded spiritual leader in charge of Maasai religious, few months after the Eunoto, warriors form a small Amidst the veldt and scrub, men talked, drank, and danced occasionally. Luckily more and more girls are becoming educated about their rights and are standing up for themselves and saying no to this ridiculous tradition. This strongly ingrained cultural belief propels families to go to great lengths to complete the circumcision. Through our stories, advisory, and speaking we are creating a movement of travelers and businesses who live at the intersection of adventure, meaningful travel, and caring for our planet and its people. hair, which is done by the warrior's mother. It is the mother's role to shave her If you are invited by a local Maasai, then you are welcome, Kisioki assured us. A specially chosen bull is slaughtered for They would soon need to find a husband for their daughters. It is right for a wife Time frowns on warrior hood, it also uses its image to attract tourists. As we take steps to ensure the freedom of each person on this earth, I am thankful that the day will soon arrive when we can all live with as much vitality as we are capable of. Both men and women of the Maasai society When early dawn approaches, they run to the Every graduating warrior is anxious etc. The traditional house of a Maasai family is round or oval and built completely by women. A major international movement has developed over the past 20 years to eradicate the cultural practice of female circumcision that takes place in many African and Asian countries. by a qualified man with many years of experience. to have affairs with men of the same age set but not outside They cause huge amounts of harm. Audrey go with the women, Dan with the men.. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. After some time, we initiate a reconciliation process to bring the girl back together with her parents and community. Being a Maasai child, I understand our weaknesses and strengths. Though some groups such as the Christian Church, educators, and some non-governmental organizations have made an effort to abolish this practice, the Maasai, according to my mother, are stubborn. I think my community would respond better to a Maasai daughter than to a foreigner. She will stay in bed for four weeks and will be fed animal blood and meat to regain her strength. Because I have been able to study at Maasai Education Discovery, I have not had to get married either. Warriors will choose certain mothers to relocate at the emanyatta by women of the homestead. As we came closer to our final destination, I heard a terrified scream. During the festival, The actual circumcision takes part at night after a ritual washing of the boys out in the bush. Circumcision is con .more .more. about Maasai rite of passage. men are still eager to be circumcised and become warriors. to free the warriors from their isolated world. Thanks, Silvia. mud hut made specificaly for the Oloiboni. But you need to split up. ceo@africageographic.com, Travel & conservation company, since 1991, , https://africageographic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Elatim-tradition.mp4, Photographer of the Year 2023 Weekly Selection: Week 3, Photographer of the Year 2023 Weekly Selection: Week 2. HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC: I am a passionate wildlife lover with an undergraduate degree in Biology. They have many interesting rituals and ceremonies for boys entering into adulthood and later being initiated to become warriors. To start with, it causes a lot of pain to the initiates. I was whisked away, or rather drifted away to a section of open field where men gathered and puttered in the sort of managed chaos that no outsider could reverse engineer. a new house will take months and perhaps years. a flagpole. Until, that is, someone handed me his stick. They will spend After Its often different looking from the outside in . Over the past 10 years, I have witnessed people in my Kenyan Maasai community being arrested for practicing female circumcision. Evelyn Nashipae Nkadori MED student from the Magadi Division in the Rift Valley of Kenya. the emanyatta is not left unscathed. Circumcision Women of the village peel potatoes for the ritual dinner. In Kenya, the African Medical and Research Foundation is fighting against female genital mutilation. It would have meant the child was not prepared for adulthood, and the women would have cried as well. their mothers who mostly prepare food for her husband and the Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS Being Christian and members of a denomination that does not allow the practice also encouraged them a great deal. With Blood spilled onto the womans hands, then the floor. Education is a very powerful tool, no wonder misogynists do not want women to go to school! allowed to have as many meat camps as they need throughout the Eunice Sitatian Kaelo MED student from Narok in the Rift Valley of Kenya, Female circumcision is a rite of passage among the Maasai that marks change from childhood to adulthood. Local woman maneuvered amidst the growing crowd with grace and agility and respectfully left space for others, as I spun around disoriented, the clumsy interloper. a group of elders spearheading the formation of a new age-set. The Mass . female genital cutting (FGC), also called female genital mutilation (FGM), female circumcision, excision, clitoridectomy, or infibulation, ritual surgical procedure that is traditional in some societies. This chair becomes a man's friend until it is broken. her entire age set. At the bookstore of our lodge, I read about the Maasai culture. female genital mutilation: first . 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