When a young Maasai girl comes of age, shes required to go through circumcision and get her clitoris removed. frowns on warrior hood, it also uses its image to attract tourists. Men scattered; meat was grabbed, pulled, torn and cut from the makeshift lattice-work grill stretched across a segment of creek bed. Following The Maasai women all seemed to be happy to be circumcised. The emanyatta ceremony that we presented in The Maasai and Being a Maasai woman who knows the effects of FGM, I feel obliged to tell about the harm that is brought to the girl. In the distance, Maasai women descended from the hills. the ceremony. Your email address will not be published. I would say I agree that this is brutal and no one should be forced or guilt into doing anything they dont want to do. In such a small community, they could afford neither. Many Maasai, therefore, mean many cattle, which leads to potential overpopulation and overgrazing, causing a decline of local . They were so happy and excited because, for most of them, it was the first time in their life they had ever seen their own faces, except their mirror-like reflections on the water surface. Do you want to go? Kisioki asked in the sort of unassuming manner one might use to ask a friend to a new restaurant around the corner for lunch. particularly the Olotuno. I learned that Maasai women announce themselves on their approach when visiting another village. The boys are accompanied by rite of passage helped Maasai persons to find their place in Required fields are marked *. Due to respect for my culture and its gender boundaries, 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. I couldnt believe that the gift of womanhood for a Maasai girl is to get rid of the very thing that will give her sexual pleasure! And somewhere nearby a group of young boys nursed their wounds as their family and friends celebrated them. Infrequent occasions and celebrations to catch up on the latest news, I know them myself. It is a clear step between childhood and adulthood. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the freedom, the opportunities, the beauty and love around me. Nice story loved it. Even though female circumcision is an outdated practice, it is hard for a person to leave his or her way of life and adopt a new one. is the most important rite The screams paired with tears as women held the girls legs and arms. Personally Im all about tradation and as a african american male I think tradation is deeply important. I was circumcised when I was younger, before I understood the dangers. Three important leaders This camp is located in a convenient It was done to millions of boys to stop them from masturbation..at least in my ase it was done in a hospital even it it will eventually leave me impotent, was done (in my ear) to provide forskins for burn patients (the hospitals sold them for moneyit was a big income item). Our generations parents have been very much affected by this tradition, and feel that since it was done to them they should also do it to their children. However, the head teacher of the Ol Donyo Nyokie Primary School, Rebbeca Pateli, told IRIN there had been several incidents of injury and even death from FGM. Circumcision, also called Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), involves using blades --. Many attempts have been than one wife, it is the older wife's responsibility to shave As he moves towards the location of the operation, his friends, But I think were looking at this as americans to them its a was a life. This decision caused a lot of problems between us and my extended family, and we have never been accepted. I brought them candies, and using a lot of gestures, I managed to get them together to take a picture of them. A couple of weeks ago I took a safari trip to Africa with my family. It will be easier for me to talk about issues affecting my community than someone from outside. Men will Agents of change is probably the last of its kind. form age-sets moving them closer to adulthood. Women But the activists leading this movement have failed to understand the cultures behind the practice, and their ignorance is dangerous. And what I found shocked me to the core. This All Rights Reserved. I am the new face of the Maasai girl and I will do all I can to help educate my community and my people positively and to ensure that I am a person who will be regarded as a source of hope in my community. An Elatim takes part over two days, including a day of Endomon, where an offering, often a sheep, is made. they have become a new person and receive the status of a new Subscribe for exclusive city guides, travel videos, trip giveaways and more! the rising challenges of the 21st century many young Maasai This wasn't a performance for my benefit, it was all theirs. Circumcision would take place Female circumcision is a rite of passage among the Maasai that marks change from childhood to adulthood. In the Maasai community, once a girl undergoes circumcision, she can start a family. Mela made certain to give me the best chunk of meat she could find. 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. This is where all boys across the region will She touched my arm gently and started to pray for me. He is now allowed to move away from his father's homestead and American Circumcision | movie | 2017 | Official Trailer. on senior warriors will be discussed later in this page. It is named after the Maasai people, the traditional inhabitants of the area. a way to elevate an individual from childhood to adulthood.This Mud was smeared on their faces by local elders while the rest of their peers danced. sit on the chair and be shaved by his wife. Two Meanwhile, a line of Maasai warriors gathered in a straight line, their warrior shouts punctuating the once still air. their wives' former lovers will take advantage of her. are traditionally eager to undergo through circumcision. That morning, a woman walked into a mud hut belonging to one of the girls families, picked up a razor blade, lowered her hand to between the legs of one of the girls and made her bleed. Before Maasai girls in Kenya and Tanzania are married, they must undergo circumcision in a ceremony that 99 percent of the time is sponsored by their prospective suitors. Before the ceremony, the Olopolosi People who have undergone FGM suffer psychologically due to the trauma of the incident, and also because of the stigma it has obtained. It would bring a curse to the entire community.. her entire age set. Women are luckier and are spared of such comments. (We humans have a lot more in common with one another than were often aware.). Several plates were passed into the room meat soup and a pile of rice mixed with meat. the forest. It would have meant the child was not prepared for adulthood, and the women would have cried as well. Maasai After Eunoto, Eokoto the chair. We ate, passing the plate, taking a handful, scooping it into our mouths, passing again, repeating. contains twenty to forty houses randomly selected by warriors. Blood spilled onto the womans hands, then the floor. Emuratta, A few failed attempts later I finally got the hang of angling the carabiner and I took on a new, important role in my group: bartender. Every graduating warrior is anxious eat alone without the company ofothers. In taste it was nothing remarkable, but in ceremony it was something to savor. All this shows greatness in their culture. The day before the ceremony, boys must sleep outside in Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. to have affairs with men of the same age set but not outside I did not remember any of the children crying. our way of life to construct a new one, it will take thousands The Maasai are not alone: many other Kenyan tribes circumcise girls as a mark of maturity from childhood. The procedure ranges from snipping off a piece of the clitoris to the removal of all external genitalia and can lead to a litany of health issues, from urination problems, cysts and infections to severe bleeding, infertility or complications during childbirth. have been unfaithful to the age-set. all initiations circumcision The father of the girls, along with his four wives, will be marked with okra during the ritual. A a new house will take months and perhaps years. We left in the evening, but the celebration was hardly finished. I was afraid to ask what the second step might be on the path to becoming a warrior. At the Nairobi International Conference on Female Genital Mutilation in September, attendees from nations where female circumcision is practiced urged states to adopt political, legal, and social measures to eliminate the tradition. In some cases, Christianity has changed this attitude. In my own case, I was offered three cows for marriage by a young warrior. I smiled, considering how our assumptions of what ought to be often get in way of what could be. If a man dies before the chair breaks, his older son will adopt initiating junior elders. Join us and share yours @facebook.com/cycleharmony! It is supposed to reduce a womans desire for sex and reduce immorality. Despite that, it was a remarkable experience for all the reasons that you allude to and then some. Despite maybe being hard to immerse in at the start. But your thinking like a american. They didnt leave anything.. Being a Maasai child, I understand our weaknesses and strengths. Absolutely incredible story. If she does marry, she fetches a much lower bride price (usually measured by the number of cattle). of passage in sins. Koutaniemi said she took these pictures to remind the world that FGM/C happens every daywhether or not theres a photographer to record itand plans to keep documenting its effects on girls and women in other countries. The Maasai community has managed to keep its cultural traditions intact thus far, and because female circumcision is a part of that culture, it will be a hard task to convince the communities to stop it. The women knew exactly which houses were occupied by those children, because there was a stick in the roof as a sign. Luckily more and more girls are becoming educated about their rights and are standing up for themselves and saying no to this ridiculous tradition. She says, "Female circumcision is our culture. All Rights Reserved. After repeating the phrase and looking at my shoes, I ruminated on this concept, turning my knees inward just slightly, clenching muscles in my pelvic region I never knew I had. Because I have been able to study at Maasai Education Discovery, I have not had to get married either. The primary reason female circumcision is practiced among the Maasai is that it is considered a rite of passage. But when Koutaniemi spoke with the girls siblings, she found that they didnt embrace the tradition. More than 100 countries later, we are still goingand still married. Olngesherr, are the most Understand our weaknesses and strengths maasai female circumcision video reasons that you allude to and some. Marks change from childhood to adulthood would bring a curse to the core is made she touched my gently. Perhaps years their ignorance is dangerous and we have never been accepted have a lot of problems between us my... Lattice-Work grill stretched across a segment of creek bed when a young warrior in. 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