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Maasai Elder I have always been fascinated by the images of the indigenous African tribes that make their way into our American books and magazines. These images invariably show a stern-looking native -- imposing and unapproachable. Possibly it is editorial license on the part of these photographers who only want to re-document their prejudices. On my visits, I found stark contrasts. I made discoveries which proved these portrayals to be misrepresentations... I saw this gentleman out of the corner of my eye, standing under an acacia tree near the minaret, the collection of houses uniting the various families in the Maasai village. I turned and politely nodded towards my camera. He smiled to acknowledge that he understood I wished to take his portrait. I only had time to squeeze off two frames before he turned to leave, leaning heavily on his crutch. Later, I found out that he was probably the doctor or spiritual leader of the village and simply wanted to make a spiritual connection with me, the leader of the safari. I felt blessed when I saw this image because I was the only person of our group who had even noticed him. |
