Tribes & Culture

MAASAI @ Maasai Land

Although their population is less than 5% of all Tanzanians, the Maasai people out of more than 130 tribes have become the classic symbol of Tanzania and all East Africa.

The Maasai are Nilotic origin and migrated to the region from Sudan. They are pastoral nomads who have vigorously resisted change and today most of them still live the same way of life that they have for centuries.

The Maasai culture centres around the cattle and everything related to it is concerned sacred as well as the land. They live in little round villages called boma owned by a Maasai chief. Maasai society is patriarchal and polygamy is wide-spread; the wealth of a chief is measured by the number of his cattle and wives.

The most important part of each Maasai is becoming an adult, when both boys and girls are circumcised; in Maasai world this is the only distinction between a child and an adult. Maasai girls are ready for marriage and Maasai boys become moran or warriors becoming in charge for the cattle; they are easily recognized wearing long red rasta hair and lots of beaded ornaments.

If interested, a stop OR a day visit to a traditional Maasai boma OR even an overnight Maasai cultural experience can be organised.

HAADZABE BUSHMEN @ Lake Eyasi

Lake Eyasi is the largest soda lake in Tanzania, located at the southern part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area between the Eyasi escarpment in the north which is a part of the Great Rift Valley system and the Kidero Mountains in the south.

The area is hot and dry and on the dry edges of the lake in the woodland and bush lives the Haadzabe tribe, also known as »the real Bushmen« who are related to the South African Bushmen; they also have a similar »click« language.

It is believed that they have lived in the area for more than 10 thousand years. Their way of living is still the same as in the past; they live a very primitive nomadic life.

Haadzabe are hunter-gatherers and depend on seasonal wildlife migrations. And although they are poor in terms of money, their culture is extremely rich.

They welcome visitors to see their unique way of living and unusual customs and traditions. They will demonstrate how to make fire without matches and invite you to join them on their everyday hunt in true wilderness so make sure your wear proper footwear.

Do not miss out on this unique experience; it could be a highlight of your travel.

HAYA @ Lake Victoria

Properly called Buhaya, the Haya have settled in the Kagera Region of north west of Tanzania (south of Uganda and east of Rwanda) during the time of the Bantu expansion.

The Haya are one of Tanzania’s largest tribes and a prominent player in the country’s history, with Bukoba town on lake Victoria as their heartland.

The Haya are believed to be some of the earliest inhabitants in the area to practice metal work which allowed them to create various new forms of pottery.

They had one of the most highly developed early societies in Africa continent and by the 18th or 19th century were organised into different kingdoms. Each was headed by a powerful and often despotic king (mukama) who ruled in part by divine right. It was the mukama who controlled all trade and who, owned all property, while land usage was shared among smaller communes. Arrival of the colonials eroded this political organisation.

Compared to other nearby tribes, the Haya adopted the European style of formal education much sooner; as well as christianity yielding the first African Roman Catholic Cardinal.

Musical performances – singing, dancing, and playing of musical instruments – are to this day an integral part of the Haya tribe everyday life.