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RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA EcotourisminMaasai,Kenya AshleyDrollinger UniversityofIdaho

RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA EcotourisminMaasai,Kenya Ecotourismisacommonwayformanydifferentculturestoprovidetourism

opportunitiestopeoplewhoareinterestedinexploringotherculturesinawaythatis muchmoreinvolvedthanjustreadingaboutthem.Ecotourismisabigdealinmany differentculturesduetothefactthatitsamajorwayforthespecificculturetobringin revenuetohelpstabilizetheireconomyforvariousreasons,andithelpspromote environmentalprotection.ForthispaperIhavechosentowriteabouttheuniquecultureof theMaasaicultureinKenya.EcotourisminKenyaisjustoneofthemanywaysthisspecific cultureconnectswithothers,andattempttoprotecttheirregionandbiodiversitylocated inthispartoftheworld.Bytheearly1990s,nootherAfricancountrywasearningasmuch asKenyafromwildlifetourism,1andKenyawasbeinghailedastheworldsforemost ecotouristattraction(Honey,2009). TheMaasaicultureislocatedintheSouthernpartsofKenya,Africa.Thepeoplethat

belongtothisparticularculturemigratedtothisregionofAfricaintheseventeenthcentury towheretheypracticebeingpastoralists.ReligionisamajorpartoftheMaasaicultureand willremainsoforever.TheMaasaiculturebelievesthatthereisanintenserelationship betweencattleandGod,andtheallofthecattleintheworldarepossessionsoftheMaasai tribe(Olekina,2007).Thegenderrolesofthisspecificculturearehavemanydifferences andsimilaritiestomanyotherculturesrelated.Themenofthisculturetendtothecattle, sheep,andgoats,whileputtingupkraalstopreventfromlionsandotheranimalsfrom attackingthecattle.Thewomenofthiscultureconstructthehousesthataremadefrom cowdung,mud,sticks,andgrassthattakeseveralmonthstomake.Thewomenalsotake

RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA careofthehouseholdduties,makebeautifuljewelry,supplywater,collectfirewood,and milkthecattle.TheMaasaiculturedependonthecattle,sheep,andgoatsforincomeand theirdaytodaysurvival.Theirincomecomesfromtradinglivestockforotherlivestock, andortradingforlivestockproducts.TheMaasaipeoplehaveaveryparticulardietthat theyfollowclosely.Theyeatmeatasoneoftheirmainfoodproducts,andtheydrinkmilk

andbloodfromthecattle.Thedrinkingofcattlebloodinthiscultureisveryfavored,andis usedtodrinkonspecialoccasionssuchaswhenaboyiscircumcised,whenwomengive birth,andwhenpeoplearesick.TheMaasaipeoplealsodependonmanydifferentkindsof vegetablesthattheygetfromfarming,butaftertheyuselandforfarmingtheycannotuse thatregionoflandforgrazing(Maimai). EcotourisminMaasaibecameawaytoincreasetheawarenessofenvironmental

protection,conservation,andsustainabilityinAfrica.By2007,Kenyahadreemergedasa leaderinecotourism,withthecontinentsrstcerticationprogram,theoldestandmost successfulnationalecotourismsociety,andagrowingarrayofinnovativecommunityrun ecotourismdevelopments(Honey,2009).ThereisacampinKenya,AfricacalledCampi yaKanzi,thatparticipatesinecotourismactivitiessothatpeoplewhowanttotraveltothis partoftheworldhaveacomfortableplacetostay,andguidesthatinsurethatthevisitors getthefullpackageofadventure.Theexperiencethatthecampprovidescoversthethree nationalparksofKenyabeing,Chyulu,Tsavo,andAmboseli.Thesenationalparksmakeup 280,000acresoflandthatprovideshabitattomanydifferentkindsofwildlifeandbird populations(LucaSafariLtd,2009).Thecampsbasicmotivesforstartingthiscommunity basedecotourismenterprisearetoprotectandpreservetheirwildlife,land,andculture, forfuturegenerationsandotherculturestoexperience.TheMaasaicultureisfacingmany

RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA differentchallengesthataredetrimentaltothepeoplethatarelivinginthisarea,wildlife, andland.Thisecotourismcamphelpsthemspreadthewordsothatthereisntasmuch biodiversitylossduetooverpopulationinKenyaandsurroundingareas.

TheinteractionbetweentheMaasaicultureandanyotherculturethatcomestovisit

theirecotourismcampdefinitelyimpactsbothculturesinapositiveway.Bothcultures wouldbenefitgreatlywhentheyinteractduetothefactthatpeoplebelongingtothese cultureswouldlearnalotofthingsabouteachotherthattheywouldhaveneverdiscovered before.Interactionbetweenthetwowouldchangehowbothculturesviewedeachothers genderroles,subsistenceactivities,andeconomicbase.Forinstance,whenmenand womenfromotherculturesseehowtheMaasaiculturesurvivestheymightpickupon differentwaystolive,andorsharesomenewideastothem.Gendersroleswouldalsobe impactedbecausegenderrolesofeverydaylifearedifferentinallcultures.Thegender rolesoftheMaasaitribemightmakeothershaveadeeperunderstandingaboutwhattheir rolesshouldbeineverydaylife,andtheymightappreciatethingsmore.TheMaasaitribe mightalsolearndifferentwaystoestablishaneconomicbaseormayalsoinfluenceothers tochangetheireconomicbaseforthebetter.Forinstance,theAmericancultureis economicallybasedoffofcapitalism,andcouldusesomedifferentideasandtechniquesto betterthemselves. Inconclusion,ecotourisminthecultureofMaasaibenefitsallwhoareinvolvedwith it.Ecotourismisawaytopromoteenvironmentalprotectioninmanydifferentcultures, whileprovidingalearningexperienceabouttheirculture,andtodevelopbetter relationshipsandunderstandingswithothercultures.Genderroles,subsistenceactivities,

RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA andeconomicbasesarenotalwaysthesameineveryculture,butecotourismisawayto understandandappreciatehowyoulive,andhowotherslive.

RUNNINGHEAD:ECOTOURISMINMAASAI,KENYA References

Honey,M.(2009).CommunityConservationandEarlyEcotourism:ExperimentsinKenya. Environment,51(1),46.RetrievedfromEBSCOhost. LucaSafariLtd.(2009).CampiyaKanzi.Retrievedfromhttp://www.maasai.com/Eco tourism+and+the+Maasai.asp Maimai,Ole.MaasaiAssociation.Retrievedfromhttp://www.maasai association.org/maasai.html Olekina,L.(2007).MaasaiEducationDiscovery.Retrievedfrom http://www.maasaieducation.org/maasaiculture/maasaihistory.htm.

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