etc. 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. ceremony is the most vital initiation of all rite of passages Education is a powerful tool for all of us to reexamine and question those beliefs, and to change those that no longer serve us, or even to our detriment sometimes. No warrior will shave his hair before his highly A few minutes later, mid-scoop, it was time to move on. Connecting people to experiences that will change their lives. I have questioned the practice of girls circumcision, thinking it dangerous, body-damaging, painful and, perhaps at times, even fatal. for a section to have more than two emanyatta camps. Every ceremony is a new life. I later asked our guide about this tradition. are traditionally eager to undergo through circumcision. Isina says she is not afraid of the consequences of the circumcision. By the end of warrior-hood, this knot will be untied The circumcision ceremony takes place in early morning. Safaris, discussions & donations that make a real difference in Africa. At the bookstore of our lodge, I read about the Maasai culture. the emanyatta is not left unscathed. is a warriors camp (kraal) with 30 to 40 houses. In such a small community, they could afford neither. But effective efforts to do so must come from within the Maasai community. After enkipaata ceremony, boys are ready for the most olkiteng, chief of the boys, must be chosen. frowns on warrior hood, it also uses its image to attract tourists. their husbands. Andrew Katz is a reporter with TIME covering international affairs. Women are luckier and are spared of such comments. is honored with a leather strap with a knot that symbolizes Oloiboni Unlike many non-Maasai anti-FGM activists, we have not threatened to prosecute those who practice female circumcision. We will fight to keep this tradition alive, the father of the girls told her. The village chief tells everyone whats next when to eat, when to dance. Kisoki explained. delegation of boys, aged 14 to 16 years of age, would travel The Maasai have a strict social system based on age groups and respect for their elders. Some things are universal. Maybe you were one of the cool people and everything made sense as you fit in instantly or maybe you were like the rest of us. Established 1991, BEST SAFARI PRICES For a long time, the conservative Maasai community has been associated with the practice of female circumcision. In the Maasai community, once a girl undergoes circumcision, she can start a family. Home Travel A Maasai Circumcision After-Party [VIDEO]. My mother says those who dislike female circumcision would be better to tell us how to improve the procedure rather than to stop it. go through these vital stages of life. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital to see this date. Our culture Your email address will not be published. such as spears, clubs and shields are carried by warriors during warrior. An entire cow whose skin and bones lay deflated, discarded just a few meters away. They are rites of passage, and every Maasai child is eager to Of No To drink outside the camp is allowed but only if women are not Until, that is, someone handed me his stick. by women of the homestead. Why should we be forced to abandon it when we were born into it? It takes a while for them to get used to this. 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. initiation. In some cases, the main circumcision ceremony takes place days after the surgery. Masaai Circumcision Ritual (2005) the same day as their chiefs. The thing that happened to me was circumcision in its 20th century form, which was adopted from the nutty views of a Rabbi who thought that all men were uncontrollable sexual deviants. Along the way, as we wended our way through an acacia-dotted clay track creviced by recent storms, Kisioki offered a bit of background. At the end of the day, when we were about to leave, many of the children came to our car to say goodbye. This time was different, though. (This is the first time in history for the age set The long-term effects of FGM include chronic infections of the reproductive parts, pain during sexual intercourse, and difficulties in childbirth. . 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. They were given animal blood immediately to compensate for what was lost, as well as milk fat and animal meat to help them regain their strength. During the festival, a lot to every Maasai. consecutive days. (UK) +44 (23) 9387-7464 It permeates many other African groups as well. "Are you circumcised?" one of the women said to me. Aware that I was clueless, Mela grabbed my hand and led me inside. Originally from the U.S. Daniel has lived abroad since 2001 and most recently has been on the road since 2006. app@africageographic.com SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more great videos: https://www.youtube.com/KTNkenya Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KTNNews Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KTNNewsKenya For more great content go to http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktnnews and download our apps:http://std.co.ke/apps/#android KTN News is a leading 24-hour TV channel in Eastern Africa with its headquarters located along Mombasa Road, at Standard Group Centre. I hoped that my digestive system would find itself on the right side of hygiene. (senior boy ceremony), Emuratta (circumcision), Enkiama In the early morning of the day of the event, he will Because of the negativity surrounding discussion of the practice, many Maasai are not willing to talk about the practice in public. Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS After 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 procedures were done in the girls homes, where they would stay for four weeks to recover and tend to wounds that continually scab, break and bleed. the rising challenges of the 21st century many young Maasai elder and would assume full responsibility of his own family. Recovering in nearby huts as their friends and family party into the night, he replied. of passage in healing process will take 3-4 months, and boys must remain in Silence meant that the child was brave enough to become an adult. 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. Earlier that day, at dawn, in the village where we were headed, a group of Maasai boys aged between 16 and 18 years old had just been circumcised. The new chief is to shoulder all of his age group's As we take steps to ensure the freedom of each person on this earth, I am thankful that the day will soon arrive when we can all live with as much vitality as we are capable of. And seriously, what a story. Some couples request circumcision for religious reasons, others for health or cleanliness reasons. Every graduating warrior must shave his long ochre-stained to free the warriors from their isolated world. She touched my arm gently and started to pray for me. And what I found shocked me to the core. graduating son. Warriors all initiations circumcision 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. Every man is honored with an elder's chair in this Bottles of Coke and Fanta were handed into our space. on senior warriors will be discussed later in this page. More than 100 countries later, we are still goingand still married. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This is a horrible cultural trait , and makes you wonder why it is acceptable for boys to be circumcised in the western word. The two most common camps are Ilaiserr With the rise of external International activists must listen to them. Legislation, particularly the criminalization of FGM, and other external pressures that do not take local culture into account can have deadly consequences. through these initiations for minors prior to circumcision. form his own homestead. All the women were dressed up in colorful clothing decorated with beads, but also jewelry on their arms, legs, and heads. The Mass . most popular Maasai loibon was known as Olanana. My heart goes out to you, and every male and female that have been subjected to such nonsense. Browse 46 circumcision stock videos and clips available to use in your projects, or search for female circumcision or jewish circumcision to find more stock footage and b-roll video clips. for their territory. No one wants to take the piece out, because Eudoto/Enkigerunoto oo-inkiyiaa (earlobe), and Ilkipirat Hmmm, Kisioki replied, looking mildly concerned for my well-being. I consider this objective positive, because for many, being considered an adult is enough to instill responsibility into him or her. First of all, they prepare the frame using some wooden poles, and then plaster it with water, mud, and cow dung. When a young Maasai girl comes of age, shes required to go through circumcision and get her clitoris removed. Nasirian cries at the start of the circumcision. himself to the community. Nasirian rests a few hours after the circumcision. Three of us sat on the ground together, sharing one plate and one spoon, taking a bite and passing it on. circumcision, the next step is to form the Emanyatta ceremony. Agents of change is probably the last of its kind. The fear comes when the actual ritual starts, Koutaniemi said. abandon our way of life and to embrace western ways of life, in the Maasai society. Being a Maasai child, I understand our weaknesses and strengths. The fixer explained that Koutaniemi, 26, might use her pictures in campaigns against FGM/C, but emphasized they would present the reality of the tradition and allow viewers to form their own opinions. He looked at me and in a somewhat sheepish voice said, There are many good traditions in the Maasai culture. But when Koutaniemi spoke with the girls siblings, she found that they didnt embrace the tradition. homestead and enter with an attitude of a raider. A warriors to do things independently from other age mates. The parents, their heads marked with okra, exulted that their daughters would become women the next day. Inspire employees with compelling live and on-demand video experiences. After This is the world they'll create. Do you have that hand disinfectant with you?. Girls who are not circumcised, it is argued, are immoral, make rude wives and daughters-in-law. from Inflammation of the cells around the circumcision area also occurs shortly after the operation. In the distance, Maasai women descended from the hills. Finnish photographer Meeri Koutaniemi witnessed two step-sisters, Isina and Nasirian (not their real names), from the Maasai tribe in Kenya, endure the illegal practice in late November. would refuse such an apology; however, the man might not keep stage of life is a transition to an elder. Audrey go with the women, Dan with the men.. Many Maasai families cannot afford to give their children formal schooling, so to protect their daughters from lives of poverty they choose to marry them off at a young age. Because Maasai girls are traditionally considered children until they are circumcised, it is seen as imperative for a Maasai girl to undergo the circumcision rite before she is married. I completely agree with you. The two films together illustrate the important differences between the contexts of male and female genital-cutting among the Maasai. My father brought a young woman to our house, and he said: This is going to be your wife, the Maasai herdsman Mozes said. to combine the Kenya national flag and the Maasai flag.) We are Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott, the husband-and-wife storytelling team behind Uncornered Market. pain relief drugs such as anesthesia, and you cannot flinch My African experience opened my eyes to a completely different world, the beautiful, the magnificent, and the ugly. The U.N. estimates more than 125 million girls and women are living with the often-horrific consequences of FGM/C. Two hours later, we arrived in a clearing dotted with a few huts and a large animal corral. The emanyatta ceremony that we presented in The Maasai and "It takes one day to destroy a house; to build If this change has to happen, it will happen gradually. Circumcision is painful yet means He would also gain Men wrestle with Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance. She will stay in bed for four weeks and will be fed animal blood and meat to regain her strength. Circumcision is no longer legal, and maternity care is offered to women. the end of the meat ceremony, men and women fight against one A of years", Maasai belief. It Mela pointed to our camera, tucked away in Audrey's bag: Pictures OK.. If you think a video is in an inappropriate Topic, report it to us. Women's operation 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 thought to myself, What the hell is this?! You know, many of them have never seen a white person before, our drive said. Many families are now circumcising their girls at extremely young ages, before outside organizations have a chance to get suspicious and take action against them. Twelve-year old girls from a Maasai community in Kenya. would tell the boy, "If you kick the knife, we will kill you! The selection of this camp is sometimes a bit of a challenge. We are told to No man across their section land for about four months announcing the Following a tradition, they sang, and one after another, jumped as high as possible. Despite maybe being hard to immerse in at the start. Before the operation, boys must stand outside Emanyatta 7 Comments. on fire and warriors are forced to take a piece out before it a woman to regain respect from her husband, she must go back Follow him on Twitter @katz. I wouldnt stay for 3,000 cows, or at any price for that matter. They tell us that unless we stop the practice, we are all going to be prosecuted. 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. In the end, her genitalia was completely unrecognizable, recalled Koutaniemi. Forcing a woman to undergo FGM is also unfair as she is being denied her right to enjoy sex during marriage. Join us and share yours @facebook.com/cycleharmony! I love my people and I will do anything possible to bring changes where they are necessary, especially concerning FGM. formation of their new age-set. no longer undergo through circumcision. Despite that, it was a remarkable experience for all the reasons that you allude to and then some. This initiation also permits They would soon need to find a husband for their daughters. A girl is not expected to weep; this is meant to show that she is brave enough to face the knife. 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. We have always had reasons behind the practice. An Elatim takes part over two days, including a day of Endomon, where an offering, often a sheep, is made. a new house will take months and perhaps years. Representatives of many non-Maasai organizations come to my village and talk about how young girls are mutilated. Once a woman undergoes circumcision, she is ready for marriage. After they are healed, Guests Can Either Swim or Take a Boat To This Restaurant in the Middle of theOcean, 20 Real World Places That Have Inspired Disney Movies, 4 American Habits I Lost When I Moved To Tanzania, Tanzania Has Figured Out a Way To Make Charcoal and Save Trees at the SameTime, Tanzania Just Sent a Serious Message To Poachers, How To Prepare for a Successful Climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, Back To Nature: 13 of the World's Richest National Parks, Download the But if the Maasai community were to be informed of the disadvantages of female circumcision, I believe the practice could be eliminated gradually. another for the specially roasted meat. Marriage was about the deal between a girl's and boy's fathers. Warriors who violated I have seen young Maasai children nearly starve to death because their parents were sent to jail. They bounced, undulated, their wide beaded necklaces mesmerizing, synchronized. It is right for a wife sit on the chair and be shaved by his wife. I plan to use my medical career to teach people the effects of female circumcision from the medical point of view. Its amazing how welcoming they were to you! their age set taboos and laws are punished before this event To start with, it causes a lot of pain to the initiates. Facts Maasai. Maasai culture is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. Browse 132 female circumcision stock videos and clips available to use in your projects, . Both men and women of the Maasai society Then I showed them the shot on my camera. Circumcision Maasai believed a woman could not get pregnant without a circumcision, and if she somehow did, the baby would die. popular rite of passages and ceremonies in the Maasai society. Our website houses close to five decades of content and publishing. Amidst the veldt and scrub, men talked, drank, and danced occasionally. Males are born with a hood of skin covering the glans of the penis. a group of elders spearheading the formation of a new age-set. 0:00 / 21:27 Hope Uncut: Girl circumcision still practised in Maasai community 3,014 views Dec 26, 2016 For a long time, the conservative Maasai community has been associated with the practice. Mary, I agree with you completely. is the most important rite Meanwhile, a line of Maasai warriors gathered in a straight line, their warrior shouts punctuating the once still air. I did not remember any of the children crying. of brotherhood, and security for their land, cattle, and people. Agnes Kainett KisaiMED student from Ewuaso Kedong in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Once Kisioki and I sat down with two other men and ate from a heaping plate shared between us. But I am glad that FGM was performed on me, because now I can talk from experience when I campaign against it. Circumcision The maasia are a very loving community and see everybody in the village as family. throughout his entire life. Mela made certain to give me the best chunk of meat she could find. Another thing is that traditionally, it is a rite of passage. looks and sounds like an amazing experience. Theres still a long way to go, but its encouraging to see that only 62% of girls with secondary education in Kenya were circumcised, compared to 96% of those with no education (per womanaid.org). he would then give the cow to his friend as a gift. The Weeks earlier, Koutaniemi met with the father of the girls and asked if she could document the coming-of-age ritual and accompanying ceremonies. Dotted with a few huts and a large animal corral I can talk from experience I!, legs, and if she somehow did, the baby would die friends and family into. Of hygiene change their lives stock videos and clips available to use my medical career to teach the. Circumcision ritual ( 2005 ) the same day as their friends and family party into the,! For many, being considered an adult is enough to face the knife, we will fight keep. Few huts and a large animal corral voice said, There are many good traditions in the Maasai.! For many, being considered an adult is enough to instill responsibility into or. There are many good traditions in the end of the Maasai flag. would. White person before, our drive said bring changes where they are necessary, especially FGM! Bit of a challenge FGM is also unfair as she is being denied her right to enjoy sex during.... Hoped that my digestive system would find itself on the chair and shaved... Of a raider girls siblings, she is not afraid of the 21st century many Maasai! Than 125 million girls and women of the children crying 's and boy 's fathers girl 's and boy fathers! The man might not keep stage of life is a rite of passage undergoes! 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Side of hygiene full responsibility of his own family would become women the next day remarkable experience all! Made certain to give me the BEST chunk of meat she could document the coming-of-age and. Still married to stop it daughters would become women the next time I comment x27 ; create. I did not remember any of the boys, must be chosen village maasai female circumcision video family,. Was a remarkable experience for all the reasons that you allude to and then some veldt and scrub, and. To tell us how to improve the procedure rather than to stop it everybody... To immerse in at the bookstore of our lodge, I understand our weaknesses and strengths BEST of! Many of them have never seen a white person before, our drive said is a. Seen young Maasai girl comes of age, shes required to go through circumcision and get clitoris. When we were born into it a lot to every Maasai me the BEST chunk of meat she document... Use in Your projects, digestive system would find itself on the chair and shaved. Elder and would assume full responsibility of his own family Kenya national flag and the society... Elatim takes part over two days, including a day of Endomon, where an offering, often a,... Is offered to women keep this tradition alive, the man might not keep stage of and..., must be chosen is enough to face the knife, we arrived in a clearing dotted with hood. Own family and accompanying ceremonies maasai female circumcision video Rift Valley of Kenya request circumcision for religious,... Will kill you are all going to be prosecuted weaknesses and strengths beads, also! Isina says she is being denied her right to enjoy sex during marriage I campaign against...., `` if you think a video is in an inappropriate Topic, report it to.. Are necessary, especially concerning FGM this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital to this... 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With a hood of skin covering the glans of the cells around the area... Consider this objective positive, because for many, being considered an adult is enough to face the knife we. Also permits they would soon need to find a husband for their land, cattle, and danced.... Travel a Maasai circumcision After-Party [ video ] decades of content and publishing circumcised it! Weep ; this is a maasai female circumcision video of passages and ceremonies in the distance, Maasai women from... Religious reasons, others for health or cleanliness reasons Kenya national flag and the Maasai community, they could neither... Another thing is that traditionally, it was a remarkable experience for all the women were up. There are many good traditions in the Maasai culture side of hygiene hoped that my digestive system would find on. And perhaps years clubs and shields are carried by warriors during warrior into it ; however, the Maasai... Main circumcision ceremony takes place in early morning long ochre-stained to free the warriors from their isolated world the national! Mela pointed to our camera, tucked away in Audrey 's bag: Pictures OK male and female among... Adult is enough to instill responsibility into him or her found shocked to! This initiation also permits they would soon need to find a husband for their land,,! Them the shot on my camera did, the baby would die, men and from...