Cape Town - The adamu, also known as the “jumping dance,” is a highly identifiable Maasai ceremony that has been captured in countless photographs and movies.
However, many may be unaware of the true significance of this dance.
The Maasai, one of Kenya’s native tribes, is a special group of people known for their distinctive, bright clothing and jumping dance.
When on safari tribesmen will often perform an out-of-context version of it for visitors. For the Maasai, the adamu is simply one of several rites that make up the Eunoto, the event in which the morani, or younger warriors, advance to manhood, according to African Safaris.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kELqAOwnsLE
The adamu is part of the Eunoto ceremony, where boys transition to men. The jumping also acts as a way for men to attract brides.
The higher he jumps, the more of an eligible bachelor he is, writes Maasai Tribe Facts.
In the past, warriors showed their prowess by killing a lion. Now it’s about how high they can jump, according to Reuters.
Last month, the world’s spotlight turned to Northern Tanzania’s Maasai elders who are facing eviction from ancestral lands, as the new government looks to make way for elite tourism and trophy hunting.
In an urgent plea, the elders have set up a petition to rally the broader global community to get behind them and put a stop to this proposed plan by the Tanzanian government.
In the wake of the possible removal of the Maasai elders from ancestral land, the elders have created a petition on Avaaz, a US-based non-profit organisation that promotes global activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, animal rights, corruption, poverty and conflict.
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