Submitted by Natalie Gross on the 2020 winter session program in Tanzania sponsored by the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology…
In our third week of traveling through Northern Tanzania, we were able to spend some time with the Maasai, one of the most well-known indigenous groups in the region. On our second day in camp near the Maasai bomas, we watched a traditional goat slaughter.
I expected the slaughter to be much more ceremonial, and I thought there would be several Maasai warriors present. Instead, it was just one Maasai elder, and we watched him carry the goat and then suffocate it by sitting on it and covering its nose and mouth. It was difficult to watch at first, because the goat was obviously struggling for its life. After some time, the goat was clearly dead, and the man began to meticulously skin it and make cuts along its organs. He was very careful not to make too much of a mess, and preserved the whole skin by carefully pulling it away from the body. We were all able to try a bit of coagulated goat’s blood, which is very nutritious and a local favorite. After about an hour, the goat had been skinned and butchered, and was ready to be roasted.
Though the ceremony was somewhat graphic, it was interesting to see the Maasai use every single part of the animal. The connection they have to their livestock, as pastoral people, is very strong. If groups like the Maasai are to survive and maintain their ancient way of life, killing animals is necessary, as their diet consists mostly of milk and meat.
