In and Out of the Maasai Steppe

In and Out of the Maasai Steppe is a unique blend of memoir, short story, history, and analysis. It evokes the arid beauty of the landscape of the Maasai Steppe of Tanzania, but unlike most books about the Maasai, its focus is on women rather than men. It takes the reader on an intimate journey into the lives of Maasai women, from birth to marriage and motherhood. Individual women share their stories - how it feels to share a husband with many co-wives, their beliefs, social hierarchy, and social changes. The book examines how women's role has changed in response to history and the external environment, from the arrival of explorers and colonials, to the post-independence history of land seizures, to their current plight where their primary livelihood - pastoralism - is threatened by climate change, and other forces such as girls' education make inroads on their social cohesion. But this is also a story about empowerment, and it documents how for one group of women, climate change is the catalyst for them to step into new roles and business ventures. The book ends with an analysis of what the future holds, and whether their identity as Maasai will be shaken with the loss of their cattle.

Softcover. English. HSRC Press. 2017. ISBN: 9781928246121. 288 pp. Good. Book No: 2506823