Friday, October 16, 2015

The History of Kenya

       Africa is known as the “cradle of humanity” because of the theory that the first human beings lived in Africa at the beginning of time.[1] Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the African country of Kenya has a long, rich history filled with many achievements, failures, conflicts, and resolutions. Kenya has developed a unique sense of identity as a result of its history, characterized by rich and diverse culture, diverse religious affiliations, economic growth and struggles, and controversial political incidents. 


https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kenya_in_africa.png


       Because of the lack of written histories, we rely on oral accounts to study early pre-colonial history of Kenya.[2] These early oral histories often histories often had mythical elements, making them somewhat less reliable than written history accounts.[3] However, these oral histories give us better insight into the cultures of Kenya, as well as some of the religious beliefs.

       The Gikuyu, also called the Kikuyu, have a myth of origin which was passed down orally through the generations.[4] The Gikuyu are the largest ethnic group in Kenya. The Gikuyu origin myth claims that the god Mogai created the first man named Gikuyu. Gikuyu and his wife Mumbi were the father and mother of the human race. According to the myth, the Gikuyu group was named after the first man. This supposed direct relation to the first man, is a source of pride among the Gikuyu people.
Gikuyu Woman in ceremonial dress
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kikuyu_woman_in_traditional_costume.jpg

       Before the colonization of Kenya by Great Britain, the area that is now Kenya was split up into many different ethnic and cultural groups, the Gikuyus remaining as the largest throughout history.[5] The culture of these groups included their worldviews, morals, attitudes, beliefs, and presuppositions.[6] Aspects of culture also include religious beliefs. There were similarities between certain cultures in Kenya. Because these groups had no formal boundaries, cultural traits, beliefs, and traditions easily diffused from one ethnic group to another.[7] This all changed with the institution of European colonialism.


Ethnic Groups in Kenya as of 2007
https://welections.wordpress.com/category/kenya/
       During the 1880s, European countries such as Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy all took part in the “Scramble for Africa."[8] The motives for this European colonization varied from profit gains, to the attainment of land, to religious reasons.[9] At first the people of Kenya did not mind the increased interaction with the Europeans. Trade with the Europeans stimulated the economy.[10] In addition, missionaries provided welfare services, opened schools, and shared religious hope.[11]


Effects of Scramble for Africa
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scramble-for-Africa-1880-1913.png

       However, colonialism had negative effects on the culture Kenya. Great Britain claimed Kenya as a protectorate of the British East Africa Company in 1895.[12] In order to distinguish the colonies under control of Great Britain from those of other European nations, Great Britain created political borders with no regards to the Ethnic groups of the area.[13] As a result, Ethnic Groups were split apart.[14] In addition, the British government split the different ethnic groups into tribes and created tribal boundaries.[15] These boundaries created further discord between groups and was not conducive to the sharing of cultural aspects.

        Relations between the indigenous people of Kenya and the settlers of Great Britain continued to sour as Kenyans continued to be under-represented in government even in the 1940s.[16] Two major points of contention arose: the Kenyan’s need for secure, valuable representation election by the Kenyan people, and the Europeans seizure of lands encroaching on the land of Kenyan farmers.[17] Discords between anti-colonial nationalists and colonial collaborators ensued.[18] The Mau Mau rebellion broke out as an insurrection against British colonial rule in 1956.[19] This rebellion did not end well for the people of Kenya as approximately 13,000 Kenyans were died.[20] The rebellion ceased in the same year.


Fire Patrol during the Mau Mau Rebellion
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patrol_Kenya.jpg

       Following the rebellion, Great Britain began to make moves to allow African majority rule. Finally, on December 12, 1963, Kenya gained its full independence from Great Britain in 1963.[21]
However, independence did not end the political struggle. Insurgencies under the government continued to take place as the power struggle continued between the different parties. Finally, after much tension over political power and land rights, in 2009 a new constitution was drafted.[22] On August 27, 2012, the beginning of Kenya’s “Second Republic” showed the promise of a brighter future of freedom and opportunity in store for Kenya.[23]

       Though Kenya has been through many struggles throughout the years, it has achieved its place as a successful African country. Despite divisions of culture, political instability at times, and intermediate economic hardships, Kenya has been unified as a country with a unique national identity and fascinating history.



[1] Joseph O. Vogel and Jean Vogel, Encyclopedia of Precolonial Africa: Archaeology, History, Languages, Cultures, and Environments (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1997), 52.
[2] John Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2 (New York: Scribner, 1997), 300.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Stephen Paterson Belcher, African Myths of Origin (London: Penguin, 2005), 159-161.
[5] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 432.
[6] Kidane Mengisteab and Redie Bereketeab, eds., Regional Integration, Identity and Citizenship in the Greater Horn of Africa (Woodbridge: James Currey, 2012), 6.
[7] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 433.
[8] John Parker and Richard J. Reid, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Modern History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 152.
[9] Ibid., 152-153.
[10] R. Mugo Gatheru, Kenya from Colonization to Independence, 1888-1970 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co, 2005), 7.
[11] Parker, The Oxford Handbook of Modern History, 157.
[12] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 429.
[13] Ibid., 431.
[14] Ibid., 432.
[15] Ibid., 433.
[16] David Anderson, Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire (New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 2005), 9.
[17] Ibid., 10.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Middleton, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, 430.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Charles Hornsby, Kenya a History since Independence (New York: I.B. Tauris, 2012), 777, accessed October 16, 2015, ProQuest Ebrary.
[23] Ibid., 780.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

7) Borders of Kenya

The European "scramble for Africa" took place near the end of the 19th century. (1) Countries such as Belgium, Great Britain, France, and Germany all wanted to establish themselves in Africa for various motives. (2) In 1895, Great Britain declared Kenya a protectorate of the Imperial British East Africa Company. (3) Because of its status as a British colony, Kenya's borders were defined by Great Britain. (4) These boundaries have no relation to precolonial sectors which were distinguished by different ethnicities and cultures. (5) Like with many other African states divided up and colonized by nations of Europe, many of Kenya's ethnic populations cross national borders into other countries. (5)

Kenya as a part of British East Africa
http://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/kenya.htm

During the time of British colonial rule, British administration established impermeable tribal boundaries within Kenya's national borders. (6) These tribal boundaries were in great contrast to the previously held informal tribal boundaries, across which people and cultural traits passed freely. (6) Originally designed to preserve cultural diversity, these boundaries created a sense greater sense of tribalism which in turn weakened Kenya's national unification as a whole.

Ethnic Groups of Kenya as of 2007
https://welections.wordpress.com/category/kenya/
The institution of Kenya's national borders by Great Britain was a source of great discord between Kenya and Somalia even after Kenya's independence. At the time of colonial Africa, the Somali Penninsula  was split up between France, Italy, Great Britain, and Ethiopia. (7) Part of the British territory became Kenya. However, problems arose as a result of the Somali people being split up among the different colonies. The Somali nationalist claimed that the Somali people, now living in separate states, should be fully autonomous from their respective states, because of their status as part of the Somali nation. (7) As the first Prime Minister of the Somali Republic, Abdirashid Ali Shermaarke stated, "Our neighbors are our Somali kinsman whose citizenship has been falsified by indiscriminate 'arrangement'." (7) The "Greater Somalia" policy was enacted in the 1960s to unite all Somalis in one state. This policy only led to major skirmishes with Kenya. (8) Somali people still have a large influence in Kenya today.

Somali people groups in Kenya, shown in dark red
https://momenthistorysociety.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/jubaland114.jpg

Despite the struggles between Kenya and Somalia in the 1960s, the two countries have come to terms and established very successful trading relationships. The trading between the borderlands of Kenya and Somalia have contributed considerably to the economies of both nations. (9)

Excluding the conflicts of with Somalia and a few other instances, Kenya has had very few clashes with bordering nations. (10) Despite its somewhat disordered past, Kenya has grown to become a relatively peaceful and stable country with a strong National identity.

(1) Gatheru, R. Mugo, Kenya from Colonization to Independence, 1888-1970. Jefferson, N. C.: McFarland & Co, 2005, p. 6.
(2) Ibid., p. 7.
(3) Middleton, John, Encyclopedia of Africa: South of the Sahara Vol. 2, New York: Scribner, 1997, p. 429.
(4) Ibid., p. 431.
(5) Ibid., p. 432.
(6) Ibid., p. 433.
(7) Fevissa, Dereje,  and Markus Virgil Hohne, Borders & Borderlands as Resources in the Horn of Africa, Woodbridge, U.K.: James Currey, 2013. p. 4.
(8) Ibid., p. 5.
(9) Ibid., p. 133.
(10) Ibid., p. 6.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

6) Missions in Kenya

With Christianity and Catholicism as the top two religions in Kenya, it is no wonder that missionaries of these religions carried out the most mission work in Kenya. During the 1600s, while Portugal had a large influence in Kenya, the main goal of the Portuguese was trade. However, some of the Portuguese believed that Catholicism should be spread throughout Kenya. (1) Plans to build churches were made and some Kenyan people were converted, but their immoral lifestyles and actions of the majority of the Portuguese people reflected negatively on their faith and hindered the conversion of more people. (2) Having mainly motives of profit and power, their evangelism had very little impact on Kenya.

Portuguese Chapel in Malindi, Kenya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portuguese_chapel_02.JPG

The first known missionary to Kenya was John Ludwig Krapf of the Church Missionary Society. (3) A German, Protestant Christian missionary, Krapf first came to Mombasa, Kenya in 1844. (3) Krapf translated the New Testament into a local language for the people, and encouraged Methodists to try to evangelize to the people of Kenya. (4)

Route of missionary John Krapf in Kenya
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Routes_of_European_explorers_in_Africa%2C_to_1853.jpg

Other Christian missionary groups to Kenya over the next hundred years included the Presbyterian East African Scottish Mission, the United Methodist Free Churches Mission, the English Society of Friends, the interdenominational Africa Inland Mission, and the Pentecostal Gospel Missionary Society. (5) As for Catholic missionaries, there were two main groups that reached out to Kenya.
The First, the French Congregation of the Holy Ghost, expanded to Kenya in 1899. (6) The Consolata Mission spread to Kenya in 1903 as a result of the Institute Mission Consolata, an institute for training missionaries. (7) Many of these organizations instituted churches in and around Kenya.

A missionary from Church of Scotland teaching a cooking lesson
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cooking_Lesson,_Kenya,_ca.1905-ca.1940_(imp-cswc-GB-237-CSWC47-LS7-033).jpg
When Kenya gained its independence in the 1960s, the churches began to become more autonomous. (8) Churches gained their autonomy at different rates and to different degrees following independence, some gradually and some all at once. (9) The Catholic churches of Kenya, though independent, still answer to the Pope of Rome. (10)

As of 2008, 80% of the population of Kenya identify as Protestant Christian or Roman Catholic. (11) As one can see from this large percentage, the Christian and Catholic missionaries had a large impact of the people of Kenya, whether directly or indirectly through the encouragement of the foundation of indigenous churches. Without the work of these missionaries, the religious make-up of the nation would look much different.

(1) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", The Portuguese Period, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html.
(2) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", The Portuguese Period, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 11-12.
(3) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", Modern Missionary Movement: The Protestant Missions, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 3-4.
(4) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", Modern Missionary Movement: The Protestant Missions, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 5-6.
(5) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", Modern Missionary Movement: The Protestant Missionshttp://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 12-18.
(6) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", Modern Missionary Movement: Roman Catholic Missions, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 1-3.
(7) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", Modern Missionary Movement: Roman Catholic Missions, http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 4.
(8) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", From Mission to Church,http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 1-2.
(9) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", From Mission to Church,http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 1-7.
(10) "The Beginning and Development of Christianity in Kenya: A Survey", From Mission to Church,http://www.dacb.org/history/beginning%20and%20development%20of%20christianity%20in%20kenya.html, ¶ 6.
(11) (1) "International Religious Freedom Report", Section I. Religious Demography, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2008/108374.htm, ¶ 1.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

5) Kenya's First Contact with Other Nations

Outside nations and cultures had an influence in Kenya from a very early period. Interaction between the people of Kenya and other cultures is thought to have taken place as early as the 1st century AD. (1) During this time, many people living on the coast of Kenya worked as farmers or river fishers, using fishing in the ocean and trading with foreigners as merely a supplementary income. (2) Because of Kenya's close vicinity to the Arabian Peninsula, Kenya's first contact with non-African people was most likely with Arabs and almost certainly for the purpose of trading. (3) Over the next centuries, trade with Arab nations became a huge part of the coastal Kenyan economy. The Arabs had much more influence in Kenya during the 9th century when they came to form coastal trading cities such as Mombasa. (4) Through this Arabic influence, Islam became a common religion, especially along the coast. (5)

Location of Mombasa
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mombasa_County_location_map.png

Kenyan interaction with European nations did not occur until much later. The Portuguese first came to Kenya in 1498 under the leadership of Vasco de Gama. (6) The Portuguese reached out to Kenya and other African nations in an attempt to spread their Christian faith to nations inhabited by Muslims. (6) De Gama also knew that Mombasa was a key city of trade. (6) Through manipulation of the government, the Portuguese gained control of Mombasa and turned it into Portugal's main trading center, much to the Arabs chagrin. (7) The Portuguese eventually lost control of Mombasa to the Omani Arabs in the late 17th century. (8)

Vasco de Gama
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vasco_da_Gama_por_Jo%C3%A3o_Cardini.jpg

Fort Jesus built as a trading hub by the Portuguese in Mombasa, Kenya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Fort_Jesus_Mombasa,_Kenya.JPG
During the 1800s, more European nations were trying to influence Kenya and other African countries. Germany and Great Britain fought for control and expansion of African territories in the late 1800s and Kenya eventually came under British control in 1888 as part of British East Africa. (9)

Map of Kenya as British East Africa
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Africa_1909_16a.png

Throughout the years of foreign influence, Kenya has been impacted both positively and negatively as a result of this interaction. Trade with different people such as the Arabs or the Portuguese has helped to stimulate the economy, especially in coastal cities. (10) However, the frequent conflict between these two people groups over who would control these coastal cities, and ultimately trade, was to the detriment of the Kenyan people as the fighting usually took place on Kenyan land. In addition, slave trading was typical with both the Arabs and the Portuguese and some slaves were subjected to harsh treatment. (11) It is difficult to know how many slaves who were bought and sold from places like Mombasa were actually people of Kenya, but regardless, slave trading did have an impact on Kenya. The British virtually brought an end to slavery in Kenya when they gained control. (12) However, the Kenyan people were not treated fairly or equally under British rule and would eventually rebel, ultimately leading to Kenyan independence. (13)


(1)"History of Mombasa", History Pre-Independencehttp://www.mombasainfo.com/about-mombasa/history-culture/history-of-mombasa/, ¶ 2.
(2) The Swahili Coast", http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e2.htm, ¶ 2.
(3) "A Brief History on Kenya", Pre-Colonial Historyhttp://www.kenyarep-jp.com/kenya/history_e.html, ¶ 1.
(4) "Kenya", History: Swahili Culture and Trade (1st century-19th century)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya#Swahili_culture_and_trade_.281st_century.E2.80.9319th_century.29, ¶ 2.
(5) "Islam in Kenya", Historical Overview: Islamic Arrival on the Swahili Coasthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Kenya#Islamic_arrival_on_the_Swahili_Coast, ¶ 3.
(6) "History of Mombasa", History Pre-Independencehttp://www.mombasainfo.com/about-mombasa/history-culture/history-of-mombasa/, ¶ 3.
(7)  "History of Mombasa", History Pre-Independencehttp://www.mombasainfo.com/about-mombasa/history-culture/history-of-mombasa/, ¶ 3 and 4.
(8)  "History of Mombasa", History Pre-Independencehttp://www.mombasainfo.com/about-mombasa/history-culture/history-of-mombasa/, ¶ 5.
(9) "A Brief History on Kenya", Colonial Historyhttp://www.kenyarep-jp.com/kenya/history_e.html, ¶ 1.
(10) "The Swahili Coast", http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e2.htm.
(11) "History of Mombasa", History Pre-Independencehttp://www.mombasainfo.com/about-mombasa/history-culture/history-of-mombasa/, ¶ 4.
(12) "The Swahili Coast", http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_e2.htm, ¶ 5.
(13) "A Brief History on Kenya", http://www.kenyarep-jp.com/kenya/history_e.html, ¶ 3, 4, & 5.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

4) Kenya's Natural Resources

Use of Natural Resources 

Information from the Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook shows us that Kenya is rich in natural resources such as limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, and hydropower which are utilized to various degrees. (1) When it comes to minerals, the mining of soda ash produces the greates amount of income, accounting for 74% of the minerals exported from Kenya. (2) Though forests of Kenya play a huge role in the local and national levels, wood from Kenya generally stays within the nation and are not often used outside of Kenya. (3) As highlighted in a previous post, agriculture plays a huge role in Kenya's economy. Crops that are produced and consumed in Kenya are maize, wheat, sorghum, millets, cassava, Irish and sweet potatoes, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables. (4) Crops produced in Kenya then exported outside of the country include coffee, tea, pyrethrum, horticultural crops, and cotton. (4) Hydroelectric power is said to account for almost half of the electric power in Kenya. (5) However, this may change in the coming years as a result of the Kenyan government. (5)

Tea Crops in Kenya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tea_crop.jpg

In recent years, there have been moves made in order to protect the natural resources from overuse. The Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources developed a program in 2006 to try to lessen the overuse of trees and also prevent soil degradation. (6) Kenya has not seen much of a change in the way that they do agriculture, and thus, farming is done inefficiently and with a lot of waste. (7)

Deforestation in the Cherangani Hills of Khttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cherangani_hills_-_Deforestation.jpgenya


There have been a number of different countries who have established trade with Kenya over the years. During first through fifth centuries, Arab, Greek, ad Indian traders all did trade with Kenya. (8) In the eighteenth century, the Ottomans took control of some port areas of Kenya and established trade routes there. However, Britain overpowered the Ottomans in the nineteenth century and established the British East Africa Company. (9)



(1) "Natural Resources", Country Comparision to the Worldhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2111.html
(2) "Industrial Minerals Mining in Kenya", http://www.mbendi.com/indy/ming/indm/af/ke/p0005.htm, ¶ 1.
(3) "National Integrated Natural Resources Assessment", State of natural resources and information availability: Forestry Resources, file:///C:/Users/pawn%20plus/Downloads/INRA%20proposal%20final.pdf, ¶ 5.
(4)  "National Integrated Natural Resources Assessment", State of natural resources and information availability:Agricultural Resources and Agricultural Biodiversity,  file:///C:/Users/pawn%20plus/Downloads/INRA%20proposal%20final.pdf, ¶ 3.
(5) "Hydroelectric Power in Kenya", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectric_power_in_Kenya, ¶ 1.
(6) "National Integrated Natural Resources Assessment" file:///C:/Users/pawn%20plus/Downloads/INRA%20proposal%20final%20(2).pdf
(7) "Kenya", Agriculturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya#Agriculture.
(8) "Early Kenya History", http://www.kenyaconstitution.org/history/early-kenya-history/, ¶ 1.
(9) "Early Kenya History", http://www.kenyaconstitution.org/history/early-kenya-history/, ¶ 5.



Friday, September 11, 2015

3) Religions of Kenya

Religious Makeup of Kenya

The vast majority of the Kenyan population who identify with a religion claim to be either Protestant Christians or Roman Catholics. According to the U.S. Department of State's records, 58% identify as Protestant Christians, 42% as Roman Catholics, 10% as Muslims, 9% as various indigenous religions, and 1% as Hindu, Sikh, and Baha'i. (1) These percentages, however, are based upon the number of people who identify with a religion. Approximately 2.4% of the population say that they are nonreligious. (2)

Gikuyu Origin Myth

The Gikuyu tribe is a family group of indigenous people living in Kenya to the east of Lake Victoria. As our text, African Myths of Origin describes, they have their own story of how creation began and how their tribe was created. According to their story, a god named Mogai created the world and a man named Gikuyu to live in it. Mogai also created a wife for Gikuyu named Mumbi and allowed them to give birth to nine daughters. When Gikuyu asked for sons, Mogai told him to complete a sacrifice. After Gikuyu obeyed and completed this sacrifice, nine men were provided as husbands for Mogai and Mumbi's nine daughters. However, according to the myth, the woman at this time were stronger than the men and they ruled over their husbands in the families. When the men began to feel oppressed, they plotted a rebellion at the time that the wives were most vulnerable: during pregnancy. Their plot succeeded and from that point on, the men became the head of the families. (3)

Changes in Religious Makeup

Indigenous religions of different tribes in Kenya often have some key characteristics and commonalities. For example, almost all of these indigenous religions have a belief in one god or in multiple gods with one supreme god. (4) In addition, many of these religions have a strong belief in spirits. Types of spirits include ancestral spirits, nature spirits, and bad spirits. (5) Finally, most of these religions have religious leaders such as priests or shamans who perform religious duties for the good of the tribe. (6)

As one can see by the percentage of those who profess to be Protestant Christians, Christianity has made a huge impact in Kenya. This comes as a result of many Christian missionaries who traveled to Kenya in the 1800s. (7) The fact that many tribes already believed in a sovereign god made the transition to Christianity much easier. However, because Muslims also believe in one God, the indigenous people can also identify with it, making it the third most prominent religion in Kenya. (1)

(1) "International Religious Freedom Report", Section I. Religious Demography, http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2008/108374.htm, ¶ 1.
(2) "Kenya", Religionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya#Religion, ¶ 2.
(3) Reader, John. Africa: A Biography of a Continent. New York: Vintage, 1997. pp. 159-161.
(4) "Studying Africa through the Humanities", The Supernatural in Indigenous African Religionshttp://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m14/activity2.php, ¶ 1.
(5) "Studying Africa through the Humanities", Types of Spiritshttp://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m14/activity2.php, ¶ 3, 8, and 12.
(6) "Studying Africa through the Humanities", Religious Leaders http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m14/activity2.php, ¶ 1.
(7) "Religion", http://republicofkenya.org/culture/religion/¶ 2.

Friday, September 4, 2015

2) Art and Music Tell the History of Kenya

Maasai Tribe Oral History and Music

Though accounts of history are usually provided through written accounts, much can also be learned through non-written records. For examples of the importance of non-written records, one can look to the Maasai tribe. The Maasais are a group of tribal people living in Kenya and Tanzania. (1) The Maasais' ancestors or believed to have originally lived in North Africa, However, they steadily made their way south along the Nile Valley and settled in Northern Kenya in the fifteenth century. (2)

People of the Maasai tribe in Kenya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maasai_tribe.jpg

As an active tribal group in modern-day Kenya, the Maasais cling to their traditional way of life. A lot of their traditions are centered around oral narrations such as folktales, songs, stories, poetry, and chants. Much of their culture and history is told through these means of oral communication, rather than written. This communication recalls vital information such as the Maasais' knowledge of  traditional medicine, grazing customs. landscape ecology, livestock management, and the harvesting of wild plant foods. (3) Their oral communication is imperative to their way of life.

One ritual of the Maasai worth looking at is the aduma, the "jumping dance" performed during the coming of age ceremonies of young warriors. The men jump straight up in the air while attempting to uphold upright posture. This dance also plays a part in how young warriors find a wife. (4) Though the dance does not specifically outline the history of the tribe, it is a means of keeping the culture and history of the Maasai alive. Here is a link to watch the aduma.

Maasai men performing the aduma.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maasai_dance#/media/File:Mara-Young-Men-Jumping-2012.JPG

The Kenyan Flag

The flag of Kenya is another great example of a non-written record of history. Its colors and illustrations bear significant meanings. The black stripe symbolizes the people of Kenya and the green, the scenery and natural wealth of the nation. The red stripe, however, represents something much deeper. This stripe represents the blood of the people shed during their fight for independence. (5)

During the mid-1900s, the Mau Mau rebellion broke out against British rule in Kenya. (6) During the fight for independence, over 4,000 Kenyans were killed. (7) Though they were ultimately crushed during the rebellion, the people of Kenya were finally able to gain their independence through the Kenya Independence Act of 1963. (8) 

Finally, the Maasai shield and two spears centered on the flag represent the protection of all the afore mentioned symbols.

One can see that the flag of Kenya represents a huge part of their history. Written words are not always needed to remind a group of people about parts of their past. This is why non-written forms of historical records are just as important as written ones.

Flag of Kenya
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Kenya_(WFB_2004).gif


(1) "The Maasai Tribe", http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html, ¶ 4.
(2) "The Maasai Tribe", History of the Maasai Tribehttp://www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html, ¶ 1.
(3) "History of the Maasai", http://www.kitumusote.org/history, ¶ 1.
(4) "Maasai People", Music and Dancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people#Music_and_dance ¶ 5.
(5) "Flag of Kenya", Symbolismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kenya ¶ 1.
(6) "Kenya", Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1959)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya#Mau_Mau_Uprising_.281952.E2.80.931959.29, ¶ 1.
(7) Kenya", Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1959)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya#Mau_Mau_Uprising_.281952.E2.80.931959.29¶ 2.
(8) "Kenya", Independent Kenya (1963)¶ 1.