Archaeological and linguistic research tells us that the Maasai are descended from the Nilotic people of southern Sudan. During the first millennium A.D. they made their way south, eventually reaching what is today Kenya and Tanzania.

A bitter civil war and disease left the Maasai vulnerable to British and German colonialists wishing to control Maasai territory at the turn of the 19th century. Through manipulation and force the colonialists took control of the territory and moved the Maasai onto small, arid and disease-ridden reserves. Many Maasai still reside in these reserves today in part because surrounding land was privatized and land rights were never returned to the Maasai.

The history books are still being written about the Maasai in post-independence Kenya and Tanzania. Though they face a number of pressing obstacles (i.e. climate change, education, healthcare, etc.) the Maasai have a long history of resiliency. Despite having experienced civil war, disease and colonialism they continue to maintain an independent spirit and close connection to their cultural heritage.