Episode Information

This is the story Thomas Kuya, a Maasai warrior brought up near Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania and now working as a guide and a member of an anti-poaching unit on a private ranch. At 38, he is about to go through the sacred ceremony of Orng’esher, which marks the transition from warrior to elder. Leaving behind the carefree ways of the warrior, he will assume new responsibilities, respect and privileges as a member of the ruling age-set of the tribe. Thomas explains the three stages of manhood, expressing his feelings regarding Maasai culture versus Christian religions, the pastoral life versus modern technology, his international experience, and the ethics of Maasai traditions. We follow Thomas and 1,500 fellow warriors through a ceremony marking the beginning of the most important phase of their lives. The anticipation, preparation, enactment and the return to his home village as an elder to celebrate the unification of the sexes bears witness to the perpetuity of the Maasai culture.