Cultural and National Identity: Land, Rights, and Wildlife in Kenya’s Maasailand, 1960s–2000

The transition from traditional communal land holdings to the increased individuation of tenure complicates the question of identity and belonging in many contemporary African nations. This paper examines the subdivision of expansive faunally-rich Maasai Group Ranches (MGRs) in Kenya between the 1960s and 2000, which was a significant departure from the colonial period when Maasailand was appropriated for white settlement and the establishment of national wildlife parks. Whereas the Maasai welcomed land individuation that guaranteed the security of tenure as liberating and a symbol of indigenous sovereignty, conservationists, and government agencies correlated this transition to alarming declines in wildlife numbers and viewed them as a threat to Kenya’s wildlife conservation efforts and its image as a top wildlife-destination. This paper argues that these conflicts of interests reveal the Maasai embraced subdivision as a tool of resistance against local and state authority. Land subdivision, which was marked by merges and purges of individuals, families, and clans also enabled an influx of non-Maasai through purchase, further complicated the sense of cultural and national belonging. The paper seeks to contribute to the limited literature that highlights how, historically, wildlife sanctuaries in Africa (including state-run game reserves/national parks and private/community-run wildlife conservancies) are emblems of cultural regionalism—including fomenting ethnic tensions and divisions—or national identity.