Apr 04 2008
Conversation with a chief
While in the Mara I enjoyed how quiet it was, the absence of noisy irritating tourists, there were virtually no other cars around, the wildlife was having a great time. But the people and the Mara are suffering. This post was recorded while I was visting Kimojino a few weeks ago. I posted stories, podcasts and photos earlier about the tourism collapse here and the killing of a lion by a warthog here. This post is about a conversation I had with Kipas, the village chief.
This is Kipas, the chief of Enkereri Masai village. I think that what he has to say about the effect of the tourism collapse on his community is one of the most touching conversations I’ve had in a long time. Another person has written about his wisdom, charm and wit here.
The photos help to illustrate the scenes
The village is perched on the escarpment. The community and their goats have a view to kill for!
I don’t think these are all his wives, but he is chief of all these women, 18 families in all.
The women are among the most beautiful creatures on earth!
In the village, work is segregated, men carve weapons and talking sticks using only a machete
Women adorn the talking sticks - listen to the podcast to learn more about the Masai talking stick
All the women are involved in the beautiful art of beading, including Kipas’s mother here.
And apart from beauty, and crafts, the women are sensational singers.
The men are responsible for bringing the cows home at the end of the day.
I’d really appreciate feedback. Did you like this podcast? Shall I keep them coming?
12 responses so far
Paula — I love these posts and the podcasts…they really help me to feel connected in a way the blog alone cannot do. I was surprised that the Chief speaks such wonderful English! Is this common among the Massai??
p.s., the singing in the background is amazing….made listening to the podcast a truly unique experience.
Keep em coming!!!
Thanks guys. We were also surprised to find that Kipas spoke such good English, most of the older people only speak Maa, and among the youth it’s mainly boys who speak English, nowadays all children go to school - and the men are increasingly forced to do the childrens chores of herding the goats!
Wonderful! I loved the podcast. I really felt like I was there. Thank you for sharing it. Lisa
Brilliant! I love it. Paula, did you have someone with you to interpret or do you speak Maa?
s.
Hi Sheryl,I don’t speak Maa - only words I know are soba- hello, and Olesere which means thank you! The Masai also speak Kiswahili which makes it a bit easier for me.
Asante sana Paula :>) for posting this. The photos of the lovely women showing their clothes and jewelry are wonderful - such beautiful colors. Hearing the podcast of Chief Kipas speaking and hearing the ladies singing makes me yearn for my next trip to the Mara. Please keep the podcasts coming.
Paula, what is it about their singing, that awakens such passion in me, a real connection with what is truly important, respect for nature and all creatures. Thank you…of course we want more!
Paula, I know you are in the states right now ( hope you are enjoying your stay ) but I was thinking, if we could find someone who could have a blog, dedicated to helping all the other bloggers @ WLD help get the word out on their most urgents needs. As you know, Gwili @ the Colobus trust really needs volunteers to come and help out. This is a perfect example, of how this “clearing house” blog could help out. Some of the bloggers need help with invasive plants, the list goes on and on. We have commenters from all different backgrounds, who might be able to share their expertise, if only they knew who needed their help!
Dear Paula,
I have just listened to your latest Mara podcast and enjoyed the pictures. Great work! and it was good hearing you. It brought me righ back. It is an excellent addition to the site.
Thanks Theresa - in our upgraded site we hope to have a matchmaker kind of facility exactly for that. … but you are right, a simple blog would suffice for now…. I’ll get onto it as soon as I can.
awesome blog!soo good to see my people!
it’s easy for some of the maasai living in areas frequented by tourist to pick up english especially if they have had a little bit of formal education. My grandpa spoke broken english even though he never saw the inside of a classroom.
I love the picture of Kipas’ mother with her glasses and all…:-)
Listening to the podcast and the pictures makes me reflect on the impact of globalization.
Thanks for that little taste of home sweet home!