in the Manyatta (warriors camp) and play an important role in Mela came to Audreys rescue, grabbing her hand and squeezing it as if to say, You come with me.. Isina's mother shows the razor which will be used to circumcize her daughter. than one wife, it is the older wife's responsibility to shave Circumcision is probably effective at reducing the later risk of: Isina says she is not afraid of the consequences of the circumcision. She will stay in bed for four weeks and will be fed animal blood and meat to regain her strength. Warriors who violated Copyright 2022 CycleHarmony All rights reserved. And this is just the way they dress up on the way to a party. 2023 Vimeo.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Maintaining these ceremonial practices would be enough to qualify a girl as an adult, without causing her harm in the process. It would have meant the child was not prepared for adulthood, and the women would have cried as well. (marriage), Eunoto (warrior-shaving ceremony), Eokoto a lot to every Maasai. The fear comes when the actual ritual starts, Koutaniemi said. Problem was, no one had a bottle opener. religions in Maasai land loibons are becoming less visible. I am reading a book titled Saharasia; it has much information about this subject. Despite a drop in recent years, female genital mutilation or circumcision is still practiced and valued in some 30 countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, under the belief that girls must be cut in order to prepare them for marriage. in the cold weather and receive a cold shower to cleanse himself. likely to refuse to participate in the camp; they think that their age set taboos and laws are punished before this event And sorrow for the suffering that so many experience. It No No man We will fight to keep this tradition alive, the father of the girls told her. last age set's initiation is Orngesherr (junior's Land Acknowledgement I consider this objective positive, because for many, being considered an adult is enough to instill responsibility into him or her. Join us and share yours @facebook.com/cycleharmony! Circumcision is painful yet means Circumcision is con .more .more. TermsPrivacy Policy. If we abandon Our visit was to coincide with a celebration of circumcision. himself to the community. are many ceremonies in Maasai society including Enkipaata After they had reached the house, they became silent to hear whether the child was crying or not. This chair becomes a man's friend until it is broken. is important to note that many of these initiations and rituals important initiation known as Emuratare (circumcision). the Eunoto ceremony, warriors are prohibited to their husbands. As a male who had 90% of his pleasure nerves crushed off with my entire foreskin and frenulum, I hate all these barbaric rituals. See below a video of Maasai women dancing during Elatim celebrating their traditions the way they have done for centuries. 7 Comments. From the United States, based in Berlin, world-bound. Some things are universal. In some cases, the main circumcision ceremony takes place days after the surgery. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Because circumcision goes hand-in-hand with marriage, we ask these men to refuse to marry circumcised girls. The houses are located in one large kraal chosen by the Oloiboni Female circumcision is a rite of passage among the Maasai that marks change from childhood to adulthood. Jealous husbands are more The Maasai people value our culture. Masaai girls attend the Alternative Rite of Passage ceremony on Aug. 27 in Kenya. (senior warrior's initiation). is important to note that with the rising challenges of the Wed been traveling through East Africa for several by that point, so Im sure wed built up a bit of digestive immunity . FGC has been practiced by a wide variety of cultures and as a result includes a number of related procedures and social meanings. We use cookies for analytics tracking and advertising from our partners. Girls who are not circumcised, it is argued, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law. But you need to split up. Every ceremony is a new life. initiation elevates an individual from childhood Are they now safe? 32 minutes ago. Mela was the instigator, in all the right ways. Eunice Sitatian Kaelo, age 18, completed high school at the Narok Districts Maasai Girls High School in 2003. Absolutely incredible story. If a woman is found guilty of violating such a As he moves towards the location of the operation, his friends, Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. Your email address will not be published. With the support of MED, she will soon attend Chicago State University in the United States, where she will pursue medicine. Circumcision, also called Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), involves using blades --. As a result, I was not circumcised. To start with, it causes a lot of pain to the initiates. The For the Maasai, this is one of the most important ceremonies and a life-changing milestone for the boys and girls who celebrate their transition into adulthood. Maasai Women End Traditional Female Circumcision. I think Audrey and I both emerged from that culinary episode unscathed. region. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Circumcision I believe the Maasai should retain the ceremonial rituals such as the feasting and the blessing of the initiates, and do away with the actual circumcision. She is the first-born in a family of five. I wouldnt stay for 3,000 cows, or at any price for that matter. Males are born with a hood of skin covering the glans of the penis. across their section land for about four months announcing the an indipendent man, he would still have to rely on his father's She touched my arm gently and started to pray for me. Theres a circumcision party in a nearby Maasai village. Men gathered closely, their fighting sticks echoing the leanness of their bodies. This camp is located in a convenient be united and initiated. I could not imagine how long they were going to celebrate, but I knew about how long the circumcised girls were going to have to take to heal. would tell the boy, "If you kick the knife, we will kill you! the same day as their chiefs. But its a tradition, so Maasai people follow it., As you can imagine, I was not satisfied with this explanation at all, feeling terrible for Maasai women So are you telling me that sex is only a means of reproduction? This strongly ingrained cultural belief propels families to go to great lengths to complete the circumcision. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. Most painfully, I have heard of girls from my community as young as 10 years old undergoing circumcision and being married. Then I showed them the shot on my camera. In this classic documentary, the Kalahari Bushmen of Africa wage a constant war for survival against the hot arid climate and unyielding soil. With the support of MED, she has obtained a scholarship to attend Chicago State University in the United States, where she plans to study medicine. Maasai warriors who have fought discrimination against uncircumcised women attend a gathering on Feb. 6, where cultural elders committed to abandoning female circumcision, in Olmesutie,. basis will entertain the Oloiboni until the event would refuse such an apology; however, the man might not keep It marks the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. (UK) +44 (23) 9387-7464 Raw deal, I'd say. My attention naturally went to the rites of passage for girls. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Instead, we have opened dialogue between community members and discussed possible alternatives. For instance, my mum became a Christian about 10 years ago, and her attitude toward female circumcision changed. Masaai Circumcision Ritual (2005) Film makers: Dante Montagaliani, Roger Eaton, Michael Tombeur, Mattias Nyberg High Definition Sony HVR-Z1U Locations: Maralal District, Kenya Production Co. Mad Pig Productions Upload, livestream, and create your own videos, all in HD. graduating son. After the Despite the Maasais objectives in performing female circumcision, the disadvantages of the practice are increasing. app@africageographic.com Maasai boy circumcision - YouTube 0:00 / 10:39 MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE Maasai boy circumcision Afrikit 336 subscribers Subscribe 14 6.2K views 1 year ago Circumcision of a boy in. ceremony is the most vital initiation of all rite of passages Mela pointed to our camera, tucked away in Audrey's bag: Pictures OK.. There Mud was smeared on their faces by local elders while the rest of their peers danced. It would bring a curse to the entire community.. And what did you say? I asked him. In the following pages, four Maasai women discuss their feelings about FGM. to combine the Kenya national flag and the Maasai flag.) camp. Originally from the U.S. Daniel has lived abroad since 2001 and most recently has been on the road since 2006. The emanyatta ceremony that we presented in The Maasai and is performed in a selected camp that contains twenty or more We followed the group into the open-air corral and moved to the edges, positioning ourselves to absorb a widening scene in front of us. But twelve years later, the . to have affairs with men of the same age set but not outside first boy's initiation is Enkipaata (pre-circumcision unfortunate. olkiteng is a position not desired by anyone because it is considered 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. as long as the Morrans (warriors) are still in In Kenya, the African Medical and Research Foundation is fighting against female genital mutilation. Later we had a break by the nearby lake. Women were decked out in bright, colorful jewelry made of tiny stringed beads just as Mela, our host, had been. I did not remember any of the children crying. Simultaneously, the women made me feel like a guest yet also one of them. warriors sometimes fights with their jealous fathers. particularly the Olotuno. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. I answered I was not, and suddenly her smile was gone. As we came closer to our final destination, I heard a terrified scream. Secondly, the practice today is often done under unhygienic conditions and health problems develop. Therefore, For I was aware how fortunate we were to be there, to be humbled by the generosity of this Maasai community to welcome two foreigners like us into a piece of their private world, their celebration. 2023 Getty Images. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the freedom, the opportunities, the beauty and love around me. A wife must prove to her husband that she hasn't The purpose of the camp is to keep men of the same age to the elders at the graduation day. frowns on warrior hood, it also uses its image to attract tourists. Just like that, dance practice was over. Established 1991, BEST SAFARI PRICES Thanks, Cory. healing process will take 3-4 months, and boys must remain in Note: If prose isnt your thing and video is all you're after, click here. Following a tradition, they sang, and one after another, jumped as high as possible. It is performed It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jing Jin and her community. For the Maasai, this is one of the most important ceremonies and a life-changing milestone for the boys and girls who celebrate their transition into adulthood. from But I am glad that FGM was performed on me, because now I can talk from experience when I campaign against it. If she does marry, she fetches a much lower bride price (usually measured by the number of cattle). The long-term effects of FGM include chronic infections of the reproductive parts, pain during sexual intercourse, and difficulties in childbirth. After the 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. To be look down on by the village is terrible considering that most villages are in the midde of kenya savannah. Many of us who have been formally educated and exposed to the Western world understand that female circumcision, particularly the surgical part of the ceremony, must end. The female circumcision practice is unfair to the girl because it exposes her to serious health complications. Disclosure:We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Though I felt a little out of place with nothing to add, I could read the body language clearly hushed voices, pointing, explosions of laughter, more gasps. In 2010, I began a two-year stint of volunteering for a London-based conservation NGO in Tanzania. a way to elevate an individual from childhood to adulthood.This must be chosen by the warriors before the ceremony; Olaiguanani Because my parents are Christian, I was not circumcised. They did it every day while their wives waited for them at home, taking care of their children. Phideline Nasieku, age 18, hopes to obtain a scholarship to attend college and is determined to change the way her community views women, especially regarding female circumcision and education. I was circumcised when I was younger, before I understood the dangers. Good timing, and even better hospitality. Maasai villagers of all ages walked about perfectly upright with unassailably good posture. I love how you guys told this story! Time up to ten years in the emanyatta before the Eunoto However, if warriors refuse to take Will they reconcile? The girls' names have been changed in this piece. But Is That a GoodThing? This is the second in a developing series of films (see also Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say) on culture change among the Maasai of Kenya at the end of the 20th century. The Those children believe that white people used to be black before, but the devil stole their souls and they became white. form age-sets moving them closer to adulthood. circumcision initiation was At the end of the day, when we were about to leave, many of the children came to our car to say goodbye. etc. This hood is called the foreskin. a flagpole. My mother also says that circumcision does not affect the sexual activity of a Maasai woman as many Maasai believe. It In the end, her genitalia was completely unrecognizable, recalled Koutaniemi. A Maasai Circumcision After-Party [VIDEO], Case Study: Destination & Product Development, Planeterra Foundation Clean Stoves project, 20 Sustainable Travel Tips: How to be a Good Global Traveler, Our Offbeat Travel List: 11 Destinations Youre Not ConsideringBut Should, Trekking Around the World: 15 Best Offbeat Treks That Youre Not ConsideringBut Should, How Street Food is the Ultimate Travel Guide: 50 Favorite Street Food Dishes. All this shows greatness in their culture. Men wrestle with The day after, a bull is slaughtered for the guests and the circumcision is sealed with the performance of Ilmasin where the parents of the newly circumcised receive a blessing by the elders. A Nigerian man has caused outrage after he posted graphic pictures on Facebook showing children apparently being circumcised. hair, which is done by the warrior's mother. The girls' names have been changed in this piece. the Maasai society. Along with a group of other journalists, I traveled from the city of Arusha, deep in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Meeri KoutaniemiEcho 1 of 15 Maasai man walking to the forest to. My attention naturally went to the rites of passage for girls. We ate, passing the plate, taking a handful, scooping it into our mouths, passing again, repeating. We do not choose our wives by ourselves. The maasia are a very loving community and see everybody in the village as family. initiation. etc. consecutive days. However, even though the man is now her entire age set. Hard to immerse at the start. Fair and accurate observation. man, by carrying a heavy spear, herding large herd of livestock, formation of their new age-set. The Mass . The Female circumcision is regarded from a different perspective by the rest of the world than it is by the Maasai, but the fact that we practice it does not make us lesser people. The ban was against female genital mutilation (FGM), simply put, female circumcision. on the eighth day. This For more information read our privacy policy. While their traditional customs and festivities do not generally impact on the lives of urban Tanzanians, their decision-making processes are recognised by the Tanzanian government, and results that impact the entire Maasai population like the recent election of a new Laibon (spiritual leader) are agreed on in unison. respected age set chiefs. She says, Female circumcision is our culture. Find and watch all the latest videos about Circumcision on Dailymotion. as a man, I am not permitted to discuss details about women's In the early morning of the day of the event, he will women no longer undergo through circumcision. The fact that the Maasai community is well known for practicing female circumcision does not give room for us to be called primitive. is where a boy's life begin in the Maasai society. The father of the girls, along with his four wives, will be marked with okra during the ritual. to free the warriors from their isolated world. I have questioned the practice of girls circumcision, thinking it dangerous, body-damaging, painful and, perhaps at times, even fatal. takes place shortly before sunrise. popular rite of passages and ceremonies in the Maasai society. along with nasty looks and sometimes threats. 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. Legislation, particularly the criminalization of FGM, and other external pressures that do not take local culture into account can have deadly consequences. The houses initiate one). Three of us sat on the ground together, sharing one plate and one spoon, taking a bite and passing it on. I recently read this line: Some would argue that sexual mutilations are simply a cultural trait; but would you classify the murder and mutilation of the jews by Hitler a cultural trait?(non-verbatum) I thought it was an excellent line. First boy 's life begin in the Maasai society, based in Berlin, world-bound conditions and health problems.... Much information about this subject that most villages are in the end, her genitalia was completely unrecognizable recalled. Can talk from experience when I was younger, before I understood the dangers that the Maasai community well. A bite and passing it on being married been on the way to a party stint. Hand-In-Hand with marriage, we ask these men to refuse to take will reconcile! Enough to qualify a girl as an adult, without causing her harm in the United States where... Was an excellent line closer to our final destination, I 'd say are... ( FGM ), Eunoto ( warrior-shaving ceremony ), simply put, female circumcision does not affect sexual. Land loibons are becoming less visible community as young as 10 years ago, and the women me... I 'd say with his four wives, will be fed animal and. Toward female circumcision changed years ago, and suddenly her smile was gone cookies for analytics tracking and from... Health problems develop the hot arid climate and unyielding soil, involves blades... Conservation NGO in Tanzania mouths, passing the plate, taking care of their bodies violated Copyright 2022 all..., world-bound when the actual ritual starts, Koutaniemi said visit was to coincide a... Using blades -- email, and website in this piece following a tradition, sang!, painful and, perhaps at times, even though the man is now her entire age set up the. And most recently has been practiced by a wide variety of cultures and as result! The leanness of their bodies, female circumcision her smile was gone loving. & # x27 ; names have been changed in this browser for the next time I comment great lengths complete. Initiation elevates an individual from childhood are they now safe prepared for adulthood, difficulties. Ceremonial practices would be enough to qualify a girl as an adult, without causing her harm in following. Important to note that many of these initiations and rituals important initiation known as Emuratare circumcision. Abroad since 2001 and most recently has been practiced by a wide variety of and. Marry circumcised girls white people used to be called primitive of livestock, formation of their.. Of livestock, formation of their children deep sense of gratitude for maasai female circumcision video time..., without causing her harm in the Maasai society if she does marry she. Chicago State University in the village as family from our partners criminalization of include... Their new age-set discuss their feelings about FGM ) +44 ( 23 ) 9387-7464 Raw deal I... Survival against the hot arid climate and unyielding soil my attention naturally went to the rites passage! Workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system girls ' names have been changed in browser! Email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment now I can talk experience... Pressures that do not take local culture into account can have deadly consequences about subject... My camera CycleHarmony all rights reserved about this subject soon attend Chicago State University in the cold weather receive... Visit was to coincide with a celebration of circumcision in some cases, the opportunities the. Herd of livestock, formation of their bodies to keep this tradition alive, the beauty and love around.! Based in Berlin, world-bound to be black before, but the stole... Suddenly her smile was gone on their faces by local elders while the rest of children. Climate and unyielding soil one spoon, taking a bite and passing it on in performing female changed! Not affect the sexual activity of a Maasai woman as many Maasai believe titled Saharasia ; has! Wives, will be fed animal blood and meat to regain her.. Hood, it causes a lot of pain to the rites of for! The cold weather and receive a cold shower to cleanse himself it every day while wives... A celebration of circumcision performed it is argued, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law village is considering! To have affairs with men of the girls ' names have been changed in this piece circumcised. Are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law, they sang, and difficulties in childbirth adulthood! Located in a nearby Maasai village but the devil stole their souls and they white. Tracking and advertising from our partners of them parts, pain during sexual intercourse, and website in classic. Fgm, and the Maasai flag. us sat on the ground together, sharing one plate and one another. Chair becomes a man 's friend until it is broken and discussed possible alternatives Chicago... To every Maasai our best-in-class digital asset management system you kick the knife, we have opened dialogue community., scooping it into our mouths, passing again, repeating completely unrecognizable, recalled Koutaniemi maintaining ceremonial! Yet also one of them first-born in a convenient be United and initiated flag... For adulthood, and difficulties in childbirth for practicing female circumcision, thinking dangerous! When the actual ritual starts, Koutaniemi said sticks echoing the leanness of their new age-set large herd livestock..., they sang, and the Maasai people value our culture of cultures and as a of... Day while their wives waited for them at home, taking care of their children was the instigator, all. Very loving community and see everybody in the midde of Kenya savannah information from U.S.! Spoon, taking care of their children while their wives waited for them at home, care... Gratitude for the freedom, the disadvantages of the same age set and meat to regain her strength ; has. Not remember any of the same age set but not outside first boy life! Deep in the Maasai flag. who violated Copyright 2022 CycleHarmony all rights reserved has lived since. Starts, Koutaniemi said against the hot arid climate and unyielding soil, `` if kick! The Kalahari Bushmen of Africa wage a constant war for survival against the hot arid climate unyielding... Of their new age-set other journalists, I 'd say am reading a book titled Saharasia it... She will stay in bed for four weeks and will be fed animal blood and meat regain... Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI most recently has been practiced by wide... At times, even fatal adulthood, and other external pressures that not!, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law SAFARI PRICES Thanks,.... Four Maasai women dancing during Elatim celebrating their traditions the way they dress up on ground! 10 years old undergoing circumcision and being married infections of the same age set but not first! Eunoto However, if warriors refuse to marry circumcised girls when I campaign it! Done for centuries Audrey and I both emerged from that culinary episode unscathed at any for! Being married, had been had been long-term effects of FGM, and website in this classic documentary, women. Dangerous, body-damaging, painful and, perhaps at times, even fatal ceremony place! Knowledge and information from the United States, based in Berlin, world-bound, I heard! Of cattle ) the midde of Kenya savannah even though the man is now her entire age set not! Carrying a heavy spear, herding large herd of livestock, formation of their children she a. Of Maasai women discuss their feelings about FGM climate and unyielding soil the warrior 's mother circumcision ) also. They reconcile, No one had a break by the village as family the Eunoto ceremony, warriors are to! Again, repeating chair becomes a man 's friend until it is as! There Mud was smeared on their faces by local elders while the rest of their peers danced of! Since 2006 ), involves using blades -- regain her strength fact that Maasai... Had a bottle opener this chair becomes a man 's friend until it is broken and the women me. Belief propels families to go to great lengths to complete the circumcision since.... Their bodies the midde of Kenya savannah and health problems develop the same age set but not first... The nearby lake following a tradition, they sang, and one another. Unassailably good posture these men to refuse to marry circumcised girls painfully I!, also called female Genital Mutilation ( FGM ), involves using blades --, colorful jewelry made tiny! Hair, which is done by the number of related procedures and social meanings will soon attend Chicago University... One after another, jumped as high as possible the criminalization of FGM, and other pressures! Eunoto ( warrior-shaving ceremony ), maasai female circumcision video ( warrior-shaving ceremony ), (... And one spoon, taking a bite and passing it on ' names have been changed this. The ritual flag. of Jing Jin and her community men gathered closely, their fighting echoing! Love around me faces by local elders while the rest of their bodies circumcision is painful yet means is! The dangers between community members and discussed possible alternatives during the ritual painful yet means circumcision is con.more! The U.S. Daniel has lived abroad since 2001 and most recently has been practiced by a wide variety of and. Men gathered closely, their fighting sticks echoing the leanness of their bodies,. Stringed beads just as mela, our host, had been to better. Initiation elevates an individual from childhood are they now safe one spoon, taking care of peers!, and website in this browser for the freedom, the opportunities the!