Life for the Maasai pastoralists in the rangelands of Kajiado District, Kenya, has always been challenging, given the high levels of variation in rainfall that differentially affects their terrain. Maasai pastoralism centers on cattle and, like many other pastoral systems across the world, has always involved negotiated, seasonal herd movements between dry and wet season pastures within and outside Maasai territory. However, as the British colonized the area at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Maasai faced another challenge: adapting to changing institutions created by the British that ignored Maasai rules related to the highly variable ecology of these rangelands and imposed new rules to govern the commons from above. Outsiders' lack of understanding of the Maasai's indigenous institutions and how they worked at multiple levels not only made life even more difficult for the Maasai but also exacerbated ecological consequences.
展开▼
