www.maasai-association.com Should people take photos of other people and capitalize on the image? The Massai people are addressing this problem, which they consider a violation of their blood. Some of their traditional bead decorations have specific purposes which are not taken into account by inappropriate usage.
I can't say I know everything about their situation, but I've gained a small insight. In 1990, my daughter and her British Kenyan husband lived in a lovely house just outside the district of Karen, Naorobi, where she'd established a small fashion business called Leo Creations. She wrote to me in England:
I can't say I know everything about their situation, but I've gained a small insight. In 1990, my daughter and her British Kenyan husband lived in a lovely house just outside the district of Karen, Naorobi, where she'd established a small fashion business called Leo Creations. She wrote to me in England:
'I'm learning so much about life living in Kenya, because it's not so easy to avoid people as it is in a big city. There is a very small community here and even if I feel that I don't know anyone, everyone knows me ... Besides all that, everything is difficult, just like I knew it would be in the big wide world. I've discovered how insulated my life has been since I began modeling, and if I left that life for a challenging career, I've certainly come to the right place. I miss you, Mum and wish that somehow our lives were spent nearer one another so that we could share our experiences and pool our resources. There are so many families here, all pulling together and helping one another. I'm sad not to have my family around me. Nevertheless, I chose my own path and of course there's no going back. ...'
Sad. So many families are living separate lives these days. About the same time my daughter left Australia on her modeling career, I embarked on a new life in England. I visited my daughter for two weeks in Nairobi, Kenya in 1993. The flight only took 4 or 5 hours from London. I departed in the summer heat to arrive in slightly cooler air. England had hot summers back then. Not like recent times when the summer temperature hardly raises a sweat.
She drove us to the shops in a little banged-up run-around, stopping to give a lift to some of the many people walking beside the roadway. The locals were so friendly and bright. Traditional Massai people held themselves aloof in their settlements and I only caught sight of them every now and again, walking straight and proud.
Since then, my daughter has returned to Australia, although my two grandsons chose to go back to Kenya close to their father.
But, let me redirect your thoughts to the Massai people and their present situation.
She drove us to the shops in a little banged-up run-around, stopping to give a lift to some of the many people walking beside the roadway. The locals were so friendly and bright. Traditional Massai people held themselves aloof in their settlements and I only caught sight of them every now and again, walking straight and proud.
Since then, my daughter has returned to Australia, although my two grandsons chose to go back to Kenya close to their father.
But, let me redirect your thoughts to the Massai people and their present situation.
The Maasai people have come to represent Africa at its most primal, a fiercely independent tribe of legendary courage. A Maasai warrior, or a Maasai woman adorned with beads is one of the most powerful images of tribal Africa. Dozens of companies use it to sell products. Now the elders are considering seeking protection for their brand.
The Massai wonder why they are not consulted or included. These ancient and sophisticated people know they are being exploited and they want it to stop. They have engaged the services of a company to help them take charge of their lives. Elders, together with a company Light Years IP, have been travelling around the country holding meetings and workshops. It's a huge task. According to some estimates, there could be as many as three million Maasai, in 12 districts, spread across a vast swathe of Kenya and Tanzania.
From what I've seen in the past, I think they have every right to halt the massive exploitation by businesses. I wouldn't like people to use my image in inappropriate ways. What if they used my photo as a typical old has-been and I saw an image that I'm unhappy with plastered over bill-boards and on the side of passing busses?
The Massai wonder why they are not consulted or included. These ancient and sophisticated people know they are being exploited and they want it to stop. They have engaged the services of a company to help them take charge of their lives. Elders, together with a company Light Years IP, have been travelling around the country holding meetings and workshops. It's a huge task. According to some estimates, there could be as many as three million Maasai, in 12 districts, spread across a vast swathe of Kenya and Tanzania.
From what I've seen in the past, I think they have every right to halt the massive exploitation by businesses. I wouldn't like people to use my image in inappropriate ways. What if they used my photo as a typical old has-been and I saw an image that I'm unhappy with plastered over bill-boards and on the side of passing busses?
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