Among the Wives of A Maasai Chief
It helped me adjust a single-sided perception
We’ve all seen images of the Maasai, one of East Africa’s most distinct tribes. Of the tall, leaping warriors dressed in regal red robes who seem to touch the skies. Or of the Maasai women, tender and earnest, adorned with the most striking neck and ear ornaments. Images like these have shaped my idea of the Maasai.
But during a recent visit to a traditional Maasai village in Tanzania, I gained a more profound understanding, particularly of the Maasai women, which challenged this one-dimensional perception.
When men are away, the chief’s wives take control
As we rode up on our motorcycles, a few Maasai men resting under a tree outside the village rose to greet us. After a brief chat, my request to talk to the tribe’s women was granted. The Maasai men stayed back while the eldest women— the chief’s wives, as it turned out a little later—rushed to welcome us. With great curiosity.
Two of them took me by the hand and proudly escorted me through their scanty little village. A few dozen simple rectangular huts, chicken stables, and a large grail for the tribe’s cattle herds. The latter sacred territory was solely reserved for men and cattle.
