Beading is like breathing for the women of the Maasai tribe in Kenya. The Maasai women bead because it speaks to their souls. The freedom to create art with vibrant colors and ornate patterns allows them to live their lives for themselves. Practicing this age-old tradition empowers women, enabling them to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their craft.
Beading is a part of the Maasai people’s daily lives, whether it be men or women wearing necklaces and bracelets to traditional ceremonies or along with everyday wear. According to Joseph Logela Melita, Biocultural Conservation Institute board member and activist for Maasai women in the Naretoi non-profit organization, “Beading belongs to the Maasai. A Maasai without a bead is like a Maasai living without cattle.” Essentially, beads are linked to the Maasai’s identity, embodying their beauty and strength.
According to the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures, the Maasai women were beading long before the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century. Historically, they perfected their craft using natural resources such as wood, clay, bones, and shells. The beads held and still hold a rich meaning, signifying age, social status, and marital status. In the present, beads are still deeply rooted in the Maasai’s culture. Now, the Maasai women purchase eye-catching beads of all shapes and sizes in the market. Along with establishing a fulfilling livelihood and a source of income for the Maasai women, beading unites them. Beading is a social activity where women of all ages gather and do what they love together.
Spreading this vital piece of the Maasai culture to the US through a beading cooperative – an organization where people are voluntarily working towards a common goal – would allow the creative, strong-willed Maasai women to have access to a steady market to share their creations. Melita asserts that 95% of Maasai women serve as housewives because they are uneducated and illiterate. Oftentimes, they do not have the time to attend school because they have to trek long distances in search of water with the weight of heavy jerry cans on their head. Additionally, women are often perceived as subordinate to their husbands, not allowed to have a voice of their own. Combating the hardships that the Masaai women face, beading provides them with an uplifting, artistic outlet. Art is one of the few places where they can express themselves without any restrictions. For the women in Melita’s community, a beading cooperative would support their art, giving them the opportunity to express their artistic feelings to the world.
BCI aims to provide seed funding to produce an initial set of products to sell and ultimately sell the Masaai’s products on our website and in-person events. The profits would go back into the cooperative to support it long term. The Masaai women have spent months carefully stringing beads to each layer of wire. All they need is a group of people willing to help share the sacred beauty of their elaborate, carefully designed pieces of beaded work.
The BCI online store will soon house handmade Maasai beadwork.
