Quyen Vong

LBST 2102-338 Global Connections Fall 2016 M/W

Instructor Tina Katsanos
October 2016
Mini-Paper: Indigenous Groups
I handed myself the title of being a woman once I grew breasts, started my monthly
cycle, and discovered boys in the 4th grade. On another continent in East Africa is where the
Maasai people reside in southern Kenya along the Great Rift Valley, they also populate northern
Tanzania. The title of coming into womanhood or manhood isnt as simplistic as it is in the
western world, they have an initiation rite that begins when boys and/or girls are at 13-16 years
of age (but typically start in their early teens). The boys are initiated together with age-sets which
all have a time span and new status along each step/set. The girls are initiated individually, the
Maasai people are a very patriarchal group. My main focus will be on the male rite of passage
because it is more elaborate and prolonging compared to the female passage. (The reason I chose
this indigenous group is because their initiation ritual contains a vital but controversial step Im
still trying to understand. This ideological ritual is done for the sake of the community; the
individual is the reflection of their community and his/her role in society can only be
acknowledged after their initiation.
Traditionally there is a pre-rite minor ceremony before the actual initiation begins and
that is eudoto/enkigerunoto oo-inkiyiaa and ilkipirat. Eudoto is when they pierce and/or stretch
their earlobes done with tools of wood or whatever they can use like a film canister; the jewelry
swings to the rhythms of the music during dances. Ilkipirat is labeled as leg fire marks (Maasai
Association, Section Maasai Ceremonies and Rituals) and there arent any sources I can use to
detail this step due to secretiveness that comes with a lot of indigenous groups. This deals with
the transitional/liminal stage in regards to rite of passages because of ritually dislocating of self

Quyen Vong
LBST 2102-338 Global Connections Fall 2016 M/W
Instructor Tina Katsanos
October 2016
through mutilation. This is all a part of the process of adopting a new identity and becoming one
with the community.
A girls initiation into womanhood focuses more on circumcision and marriage, their
recognition comes from the husband they will be arranged to marry. Among the Maasai and the
Kisii female genital cutting prevalence is relatively 89 and 97 percent (de Vries, page 28).
Female circumcision has since been made illegal for girls under 17 after the 2001 Childrens Act
was put in action. The first step to a boys initiation begins with enkipaata which is the precircumcision ceremony. Within four months these young boys travel across sections announcing
the formation of their new age-set which is determined by the father of that new age-set. The day
before the boys arent deprived of sleep but they do have to sleep in the forest, they then return to
homestead at dawn and dance in loose clothing all day (example of separation; they lose
individuality via clothing). For 7 days they herd cattle and before their circumcision the boys
stand outside in the cold and take a cold shower in order to cleanse themselves. From there they
then move onto the next and most important age-set of emuratare which is the circumcision that
allows them to be warriors (morrans) that provide security for their people. This fits the
transition stage because it is an ordeal that tests the boys both physical and mental nature. After
the process the boys are awarded with livestock, praise, and respect which moves them into the
incorporation phase of new identity and sense of community. After their circumcision, the boys
form their warriors camp (emanyatta) where they live with their own age-sets like a military
force. There is a special flagpole placed in the middle of the camp where it will remain as long as
the warriors are still there.

Quyen Vong
LBST 2102-338 Global Connections Fall 2016 M/W
Instructor Tina Katsanos
October 2016
Ten years after circumcision and living in camp, the boys can now transition into senior
warrior status through marriage (eunoto). During eunoto, an animal horn is set on fire with one
person from the warrior age-set must step up and retrieve it before it burns. This one person will
be faced with misfortune his entire life but to prevent a curse from falling on the whole group he
has to take action. The milk ceremony (enkang e-kule) takes place during the same time span as
their arranged marriages to the circumcised girls ready to be married off. The ceremony involves
eating and drinking without the company of others like their moms, warriors must also raise
eight bulls before the milk ceremony to gift to the elders. This teaches them to be self-reliant and
to be able to survive harsh environments in case of famine. They also have their mothers shave
their red-dyed heads because that is a mothers role (returns to the separation stage example of
changing hair) as sort of a graduation event.
It is nearing the end of the initiations; the next step is the meat ceremony (enkang oonkir). Wives provide selected houses to host the meat ceremony, the woman of the homestead
prepare the meat of a chosen bull. Before the meal the wives are too prove that theyve been
filial to their husbands, that is proven by the husbands participation in the bull skin ritual. The
warriors wrestle amongst themselves to get to the bull skin. A little side note is that the wives are
allowed to have affairs amongst men of the same age-set but not outside of it. After the bull skin
rituals, both men and women fight with each other over the roasted meat. The final initiation is
the junior elder initiation (Orngesherr) and it is like their shining glory moment. The junior
warriors are honored with an elders chair they are to sit on while their wife shaves their heads;
that elders chair is their friend until death when it will be passed onto the son. They now may

Quyen Vong
LBST 2102-338 Global Connections Fall 2016 M/W
Instructor Tina Katsanos
October 2016
create their own homestead but must still rely on fatherly advice until the age of 35 when he may
take full reigns over his homestead.
The rite of passage for the maasai have been altered over time due to influence of the
western world and modernism. The stages to the Maasais rite of passage tend to intertwine like
transitions occurring when the boys have already returned back into their community, separation
from their family is very short with the mothers playing an active role in the passage. Their heads
were shaved twice throughout the whole ordeal; once by the mother and once again by the wife.
This ideological ritualistic rite of passage is done for the good of the community, the
Maasai people pride their warriors. They teach young boys and girls at a young age to value
community, respect elders, and behave accordingly to never spoil the community because their
actions reflect their homestead and community. The community protects its people and the rite of
passage unifies the people; these young warriors are their protectors. Im sure I dont have it in
me to go through such an extensive process with circumcision being the most intense. I respect
the Maasai people for their strengths, endurance, and unity. Their sense of community is very
admirable; these young boys protect their own when I cant even bother talking to my neighbors.
Im very glad to have been able to further educate myself on such an incredible ritualistic act of
the Maasai; whom Ive never heard until my research.

Quyen Vong
LBST 2102-338 Global Connections Fall 2016 M/W
Instructor Tina Katsanos
October 2016
Citation Page
. Bloom, Rishana. "The Maasai Tribe-Rituals - Culture Quest." The Maasai Tribe-Rituals.
Culture Quest, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
. LaFave, Charles. "The Beautiful Earlobes of the Maasai: Bodyartforms Blog." Bodyartforms.
Bodyartforms LLC, 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.
. "Maasai Culture | Ceremonies and Rituals." Maasai Association. Maasai Association, n.d. Web.
19 Oct. 2016.
. Vries, Lianne De. "The End of Emuratare: Integrating Local Vision in Programmes to Prevent
Female Genital Cutting." Thesis. Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, 2008. Stichtingoloonkolin.nl.
African Medical and Research Foundation, Aug. 2008. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.