For
Kenya's Massai warriors, ritual is key. An adolescent rite of passage
used to be pretty standard: Spend three months in the forest, learn how
to herd cows, kill a predator.
"Some
years back, for you to become a chief, you had to kill a lion. But
conservationists came in and stopped the killing," explains Mtaine David
Swakei, a Maasai leader.
Now, chiefs are determined by the "adumu", or "jumping dance".
"The one who jumps the highest is chosen as chief of the group," says Swakei.
The competition isn't random. Jumping, notes Swakei, is an invaluable skill.
"The
warrior who jumps high is very strong. When they raid cows from other
tribes, they can easily jump the fence and get the cows," he says.
While the type of dance the tribe
practices has remained the same throughout the generations, the younger
wave of Maasai warriors have introduced other changes.
"Every
generation, when they come up, has their own songs," says Swakei. Once
upon a time, boys would get their first tattoo and ear piercings once
they turned ten. Swakei says that no longer is the case.
"The generation today, they don't do that. No removing of teeth, no piercing of ears. Only the dances remain the same."

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