Today, Maasai inhabit the Southern parts of Kenya and the Northern Central parts of Tanzania. They are pastoralists and they exhibit a nomadic way of life. Their heritage is in people and cattle. They migrated South from the Nile Region of North Africa in the fifteenth century before establishing themselves in the Eastern region of Africa in the mid seventeenth century in what is modern day Kenya and Tanzania. On their migratory route South, Maasai, who are dreaded for their warlike tendency and reputation, forcibly displaced tribes that they encountered on their migration South. Once thought to be the lost tribe of Israel, a Maasai warrior resembles a Roman foot soldier. Like the Romans, the Maasai have been regarded for their militaristic strength. They conquered such groups as the Chaga, Sirikwa, Galla, Iltatua, Ndorobo and Kikuyu as they headed South. Furthermore, Arab slave traders invading inland from the coast wouldn’t touch the Maasai while the early European settlers and explorers feared any encounter with the ‘warrior tribe.’
European Invasion
The expansion of the Maasai toward the South soon halted with the mass arrival of Europeans in the Eastern Africa in the late nineteenth century. Europeans mainly from Western Europe had began to arrive in Africa in what is commonly known as the “Scramble for Africa.” The Europeans were motivated by economic and political reasons as they sought to extend their individual sphere of influence. Since most of the Maasai land was concentrated in the rich highlands of Kenya, the British colonists became interested in the land. A civil war erupted between the Maasai and the British as the British colonists began to take an interest in Maasai territory siding with the religious leader. Along with disease and famine, the people were weakened. The British displaced the Maasai to reservations where terrain was less than adequate for sustenance. Today, although their number slowly grows each year, the Maasai don’t command the authority and presence they once did in Africa.
Maasai and Religion
The Maasai believe that at the beginning sky and earth were one, and the Maasai did not have any cattle. The Maasai who are one of the few monotheistic tribes in Africa, refer to God as Enkai and they believe that He let cattle descend from the sky along a bark rope (or leather strap or firestick), and the Maasai received all cattle that currently exists in the world. The Dorobo (Ildorobo people), a group of hunters and gatherers, did not receive any cattle, and therefore proceeded to cut the rope, producing a separation between heaven and earth, and stopping the flow of cattle from God. From that belief, it follows that there is a direct link between God and cattle, and that all cattle in the world belong to the Maasai.
The Story of Senteu and Olonana
The Maasai’s religious leader is called a Laibon and has authority over matters of religion, ritual and medicine. He is believed to have the power to vex, heal, and prophesies. His respect and reputation depend on his own abilities. Despite having no political power it is by his authority that wars may be waged.
A popular Maasai saying that "Advice given to the son of the eldest wife may be heard and acted upon by the son of the youngest wife” depicts two brothers who competed for their father’s mantle to succeed him as the Maasai Laibon. In a story similar to the biblical story of Isaac and his two sons, Esau and Jacob, Mbatiany, the elderly Maasai Laibon had two sons, Senteu and Olonana. Being the oldest son, Senteu was poised to succeed the elderly Mbatiany as the next Laibon. One day, while in the privacy of his inner room, Mbatiany called out to his Senteu saying "My son, I am about to die and would like to leave my powers with you. So make haste to rise up very early in the morning before anyone wakes up and approach my bedside to receive my blessings as the leader of my people. You will become a powerful leader of all my people and no one will be able to contend with you.” Unbeknownst to Mbatiany and Senteu, Olonana was concealed in a calf-pen inside his father’s house and heard everything that was spoken by his father, including the items that Senteu was to bring to his father to receive blessings the following morning.
No sooner did Olonana hear his father’s words to Senteu than he went to his mother and told her all that had happened. Together, Olonana and his mother connived to have Olonana impersonate Senteu the following morning and deceive Mbatiany into giving him the blessings and in making him the next Laibon. Thus, early the next morning, Olonana rose up and approached his father’s bedside. When Mbatiany asked who was present, Olonana immediately said, "Father, I am your eldest son, Senteu." Mbatiany then proceeded to bless Olonana and to bestow upon him tools of spiritual leadership. To seal the bestowing of the blessings as the next Laibon, Mbatiany said to Olonona, "My son, come close so that I may embrace you and put you close to my chest.” After embracing him, Mbatiany then said, "Now, kiss this tongue," which then sealed the ceremony and Olonana left immediately so that no one would see him. He had received all the powers from his father. On his way out, Olonana met Senteu at the door entering his father’s house to receive the blessings. Both did not exchange greetings for Senteu knew what had happened. Mbatiany heard Senteu coming and asked who was there. Senteu responded and his father recognized his voice and asked who it was that had been there before him. Senteu explained to his father that he met Olonana in the doorway leaving as he himself was entering the house. Unfortunately for Senteu, what had been done was over and could not be undone since both Senteu and Olonana were sons of Mbatiany. Mbatiany, however gave to Senteu a magical box with which he could curse and cast spells on people. Senteu, however became junior to his brother Olonona, even though Senteu was the oldest. From then on, Senteu would serve his youngest brother, Olonona, the next Maasai Laibon.
A dispute between the two brothers, Olonana, a religious leader and Senteu, a secular chief, in the mid nineteenth century, caused a rift among the people. This was the greatest dispute within the Maasai because the rift compromised the Maasai’s unity and the ability to fend off external aggression. To counter Senteu’s strength and support from the people, Olonana decided to use the white colonists as his allies against his brother in order to consolidate power over the people and diminish Senteu’s rising popularity. However, the colonists who were more interested in the rich Maasailand than engaging in an internal feud among the two brothers simply used Olonana as a pawn to weaken the Maasai further and acquire more land. The colonists together with Olonana signed treaties of 1904 and 1911 requiring Maasai to move further south away from the rich highlands. The Maasai were soon pushed away from their rich grazing lands in the highlands and relegated to the more south Savannah plains. Their lands were declared crown lands and taken by the white settlers. The Maasai were never compensated save for the promise to protect Olonona from Senteu.
