The Maasai Oral Histories Project: A Month on Location in the Masai Mara
By Morton Beebe

I spent most of this January accompanying Bob Pearlman and his team on a mission of cultural exploration and preservation in the Kenyan Masai Mara. The mission of the Maasai Oral Histories Project , sponsored by the Explorer's Club (EC), is to build an archive of recordings of Maasai history, as told through Maasai elders.

This history, along with the Maa language itself, is not written and has survived for centuries through the telling of stories. Today, this history is rapidly fading as the modern world encroaches on Kenya, and English and Swahili--the languages of commerce--take over. In fact, Maa has been eliminated from the curriculum in schools by the Kenyan government.

"Travel to the Maasai villages was uncomfortable and dangerous because of muddy and steep slopes; however, our Maasai drivers were amazing, particularly at night when elephants and rhinos suddenly crossed our path."

This EC Flag project was conceived and directed by Bob Pearlman back in 1983, when I accompanied him on his first expedition to the Masai Mara. The methodology of our latest trip was to use the latest digital video and audio technology to record the interplay between Maasai students and the village elders, and to observe the exchange of rituals, stories, laws, and beliefs.

Lessons from the Elders

In building an archive by recording, translating, and photographing at local Maasai schools, we were able to observe elders using the traditional methods of story telling. Some of the life lessons expressed were:   take care of yourselves and get a good education; listen to your elders, they have years of experience; believe in your sons, even if you disagree with the path they have chosen; and women are very capable and can be strong in difficult situations.

"One of Maasai had gone to Washington DC University and took classes at Harvard. He graduated with a law degree, returned home to farming, and is currently focused on civil rights in Nairobi."

I had the pleasure of acting as the team's videographer on this expedition. Although I have been predominantly recognized a still photographer, I have also been very active in film and video throughout my career.

Digital Capture Provides Lasting Record

For this latest project, I used Sony's pioneering new HDR-FX1 HDV (High Definition Video) camera. So new is the technology that I got my hands on the camera only two days before leaving for Kenya. However, the video cam had a quick learning curve which allowed me to get up and running immediately. And the images I came back with were simply stunning.

The HDV 1080i format produces not only clear, sharp, superb HD video, but also stills that can be extracted for use on the web or in small format print output. Using Final Cut Express HD, my editor, Tim Kelly, and I have already put together a trailer that summarizes the mission and experience of the Maasai Oral Histories Project . I will present this short film, accompanied by a speech by team-leader Pearlman, at the Explorers Club's annual gala in New York City in March.

In addition to shooting video with the Sony cam, I shot stills with two professional digital cameras, graciously loaned to me for testing by Olympus. The E-1 and E-VOLT cameras, both using interchangeable digital lenses, performed well. I was particularly impressed with the ability of the compact tele lens to shoot close-ups of distant wildlife. In my film days, I would have had to haul around a big, heavy 500mm prime. I found the small, light, and fast Olympus zoom tele to be equal in quality and a fraction of the inconvenience.

"Warthogs roamed around our tents. One of them became our mascot and we nicknamed him "pork chop." He was bold enough to enter a bathroom, drink from the toilet, and refuse to leave the room."

Online Sources Provide More Information

The still images that were taken during my visit to Kenya were integrated into the Explorers Club presentation video, and are also being added to my online stock archive of travel imagery, represented by Corbis.

All in all, my trip to Kenya was a fantastic experience. I had the opportunity to shoot both still and video for multiple uses. Most importantly, I was able to contribute to the extremely worthy cause of the Maasai Oral Histories Project . More information about the project can be found at www.maasaioralhistories.org . My video for the Explorers Club can be found at http://www.fridaysfilms.com/maasai.movie.1.mov .

Cover:   Q & A--Classmates questiontheir Maasai elder

Morton Beebe showing images on the Sony HDvideocam

Maasai schoolroom seeing an internet image of themselves as broadcast by satellite.

The Maasai Oral Histories Team, a Flag Expedition of the Explorers Club in the Masai Mara, Kenya, January, 2005

Classroom, recording the Maasai elder's tribal history in the Maa language

All photos are © Morton Beebe