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| Samburu people making fire |
| Regions with significant populations |
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| north central Kenya |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Related ethnic groups |
- Samburu may also refer to Samburu language, Samburu National Reserve or Samburu District
The Samburu are a Nilotic ethnic group in north-central Kenya that are related to but distinct from the Maasai. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels. The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which may have a variety of meanings which Samburu themselves do not agree on. Many assert that it refers to them as "owners of the land" ("lo" refers to ownership, "nkop" is land) though others present a very different interpretation of the term. The Samburu speak Samburu, which is a Nilo-Saharan language. There is also a game park in the area, Samburu National Reserve.
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Location
They live north of the equator in Samburu District, an area roughly 8000 square miles (21,000 km²). Its landscape is one of great diversity and beauty. Before and a few years after independence the area north of the equator was called the Northern Frontier District (NFD). Samburu district was once a large part of the NFD. Only government officials were allowed to enter and it was closed to foreigners of both European and African descent. A special permit issued by the administration was required to enter the NFD. Even today Samburuland is still a remote area.
Culture
Name
The Samburu are part of the Maa speaking people as are the Maasai. About 95% of the words of both languages are the same. The name 'Samburu' is also of Maasai origin and is derived from the word 'Samburr' which is a leather bag used by the Samburu to carry a variety of things. It is unclear when Samburu became a distinct ethnic identity. As is common many places around the world, ethnic identities became fixed and defined at the point of colonial contact. 19th century European travellers often referred to Samburu as "Burkineji" (people of the white goats), and there are many interconnections with other neighboring ethnic groups. Some Samburu are descended from remnants of the Laikipiak Maasai, a Maasai section which was destroyed in the late 19th century. Others are from Rendille, Turkana and Borana ethnicity.
Economy
Traditionally the Samburu economy was purely pastoralist, striving to survive of the products of their herds of cows, goats, and for some camels. However, the combination of a significant growth in population over the past 60 years and a decline in their cattle holdings has forced them to seek other supplemental forms of livelihood. Some have attempted to grow crops, while many young men have migrated for at least short periods to cities to seek wage work. Many work in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, as watchmen, while it is also popular to go to Kenya's coastal resorts where some work; others sell spears and beaded ornaments.
Houses
Samburu practice polygynous marriage, and a man may have multiple wives. A Samburu settlement is known as a nkang (Maa) or manyatta (Kiswahili). It may consist of only one family, composed of a man and his wife/wives. Each woman has her own house, which she builds with the help of other women out of local materials, such as sticks, mud and cow dung. Large ritual settlements, known as lorora may consist of 20 or more families. However, settlements tend towards housing two or three families, with perhaps 5-6 houses built in a rough circle with an open space in the centre. The circle of huts is surrounded by thorn bush fence and the center of the village has the animal pens away from predators.
Clothing
Men wear a cloth which is often red or blue and is wrapped around their waist. They adorn themselves with necklaces, bracelets and anklets, like the Maasai. Their hair, which they wear long, is often colored and slathered carefully over their heads. Their bodies are often painted with ochre. Women wear two pieces of blue or purple cloth, one piece wrapped around the waist, the second wrapped over the chest. Women keep their hair shaved and wear numerous necklaces and bracelets.
Food
The Samburu rely almost solely on their herds. They get meat and hides from goats and zebu while blood and milk from camels, goats and zebu. Men go on trading trips to Maasai villages to trade maize which is made into a porridge with milk in the morning while during lunch and dinner it is made with water and eaten with a stew. Meat from the zebu is consumed only on occasion, but goat is eaten every day. Blood can form a whole meal. Some Samburu villages these days have turned to agriculture, with varying results.
External links
References
- Nigel Pavitt, "Samburu", ISBN 1-85626-429-7
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