Red Soil

John Kisio, 82 years, sits under a tree in his homestead. “I have nowhere to go. If I die, I want to die on my land”. Nadumoro village, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Workers excavate sand from Oloisukut riverbed, Dol Dol, Laikipia county, Kenya. The sand is then taken to construction sites in big cities like Nairobi.

A tree, known as Orititi in Maa langauge, is considered a blessed tree for the Maasai. There are fewer than 10 such trees left in Mukugodo forest. Traditionally, the tribe would gather around this tree, pray and slaughter goats to seek blessings. Laikipia county, Kenya.

Sioya Kisio, 89 years, poses after returning from herding his cattle and goats. He is John›s older brother and the first born son of Mau Mau general, Kurito Ole Kisio. Nadumoro village, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Mary Lekuye (37 years) with her daughters and a visiting neighbour at her home in Dol Dol, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Community land members open the Annual General Meeting to discuss the joint land issues with a prayer, Lukusero A village, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Maryamu Kisio, (12 years), rests against a wall in her family home that carries her drawings, Nadumoro, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Maasai women gather at the water collection point in their village, close to the fence that separates their community from Borana conservancy. A woman passes a jerrycan through the fence, after which she crawls back form underneath it to the village. Lukusero B, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Overview of the dry Oloisukut riverbed, Dol Dol, Laikipia county Kenya.

Prepared lunch for the community meeting attendees, Mukugodo forest, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Young cows rest after grazing Mukogodo forest, Laikipia county, Kenya.

Facade of a Maasai home in Lukusero B, Laikipia county, Kenya.

A drone-generated image of the shared community land separated from the Llodaiga large-scale ranch with a vast electric fence, Dol Dol, Laikipia county, Kenya.

A young Maasai man gets his face painted with red ochre in preparation for his wedding in Dol Dol, Laikipia county, Kenya.

A dead Samburu cow. Due to long drought, cows grow weaker and are unable to cope with sudden bouts of rain and cold weather. Even with the newly available grass, they die in increasingly significant numbers every year as the dry seasons turns into long droughts and short rains. Nadumoro village, Laikipia county, Kenya.

WORDS & IMAGES BY RASHA AL JUNDI

“Red Soil” is a documentary photography project that uses black and white images to address the current issues affecting the Maasai people as a result of the British colonisation in Kenya and Tanzania.

Colonisation of Africa dehumanised local communities around the continent. It also led to the commodification of wildlife. In the early 1900s, the Maasai of Kenya were pushed into reserves away from prime lands that were reserved as ranches for white settlers. In the 1950s, the Maasai of Tanzania faced a similar situation to create the infamous Serengeti wildlife park. So-called “treaties” were drawn, by the colonial administration, in both scenarios to justify the marginalisation of the tribe. The Maasai suffered significant losses in terms of human and livestock lives as a result of these injustices.

“Land grabs” in the region continue to the present day using wildlife conservation as the neocolonial tool. It is oppression. This time the oppressors come from outside and also from within. The result is the same: uprooting the Maasai. Therefore, I’m convinced that we, as collective consumers, have a moral obligation to consider before planning any wildlife tourism trip.

There is an urgent need to stop the ongoing land grabbing efforts in Tanzania. The Maasai communities in Ngorongoro have requested to sit and negotiate the terms with the authorities and my hope is that my project will give them that leverage and create pressure through its publishing for their requests are met by the authorities.

With a zine and a web presentation, the project aims to create an interactive space for an audience to look past the cliched image of the “African wilderness”, challenge their choices regarding wildlife tourism and extend their concern the Indigenous population that has been facing accumulated injustices.

WORDS FROM THE CREATOR

I've lived in Kenya for the past two years. As a Palestinian visual storyteller, historical and current injustices leading to land dispossession are stories that are close to my heart. I identify with them and feel the need to used my camera and skills to relay them to the world. This led me to learning about how the Maasai in Kenya were uprooted off their vast ancestral lands and pushed into reserves to create space for white settlers. I have photographed the indigenous Maasai communities north of the country over a period of six months (since December 2021) and built really good rapport with them. I wish to extend this story further and create another chapter on the current move that is displacing the Maasai in Tanzania away from their homes to create grounds for trophy hunting.

Rasha Al Judi is the recipient of a PWB Micro-Grant. Our community members have the exclusive opportunity to apply for Micro-Grants on a rolling basis to support their projects. Become a member here.