Rotary Club of Port Jefferson (Sep 11, 2019)

talked about his tribe, the Maasai, the oldest indigenous tribe to remain faithful to its culture, residing mostly on the savannas, their own territorial grounds of East Africa and Northern Tanzania. Among the things we learned from Joseph and John: the Maasai speak their own language, which is passed on orally from generation to generation; each Maasai community is directed and guided by a Council of Elders; and the Maasai believe in a supreme being (who resides in the sky), have a deep respect for nature (hills, forests, wild animals, etc.), and often go into the forests to worship their supreme being. The Maasai live by clearly defined, well-respected rules, which are different for men & boys and women & girls. They celebrate as a community a number of rights of passage, ie., birth, child naming, etc. Traditional Maasai marry through arranged marriages initiated by the parents. Children, women, and livestock are respected as sacred- gifts from God. Joseph was selected by his community's Council of Elders at age 15 to be Chief of his tribe for life, and as such, represents 5,000 tribal members. He brought with him a variety of symbols of his leadership including a "talking stick", a fly wisk (made from a giraffe's tail), a black & white monkey fur cape, and a cow or buffalo hide shield. His clothing included all of the Maasai colors (ie., blue for the sky, where people come from; red for blood; orange reminiscent of the rising and setting sun; black for the color of one's skin). Joseph also brought handmade examples of Maasai jewelry, decorative shirts, and scarves- some of which Pat & Sharon got to model. Joseph next spoke of the specific roles of men and women in his culture- men being the breadwinners and decision makers, and pointed out that the typical marriage ages are between 9-15 years, and that fathers will happily marry off daughters in exchange for a dowry of cows. Joseph, as Tribal Chief, is currently trying to change some of his culture by rescuing young girls from female genital mutilation and early marriage, placing them in boarding schools, and educating and preparing them for more dominant roles in society. His current projects include building a dormitory/safe house for 60 young girls, completing a functioning water well, and obtaining a solar energy system. These projects are being financed by generous donors from places he visits. Noting that Rotarians have given polio vaccines to Kenyan children and assisted in creating water wells, schools, and libraries throughout his country, he is hoping that Rotary and other service clubs will continue to help his people improve their lives. After answering questions, Joseph ended his presentation with the wish, "Let's sow peace and love."