Exploring Maasai Traditional Dress: Tourism, Secondhand Clothing, and Identity

• Chloé Dobbins, Anthropology, University of Delaware

• Kedron Thomas, Anthropology, University of Delaware

In northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, Maasai traditional dress such as the Shuka and intricate beadwork are a central part of Maasai cultural identity. Today, the rise of secondhand clothing markets and cultural tourism have contributed to shifts in the use, cultural meaning, and presentation of Maasai traditional dress. While previous research has examined the commodification and commercialization of Maasai culture through tourism, there is little scholarship specifically on the second hand clothing market and its impact on Maasai traditional dress. Understanding the impact of both cultural tourism and second hand clothing on Maasai traditional dress offers insight into how global markets interact with indigenous culture. This study utilizes qualitative methods, including literature review, visual and media analysis, autoethnography, and a semi-structured interview with an anthropologist who conducted fieldwork on Maasai cultural tourism in Longido Tanzania. My findings suggest that some Maasai, especially younger people, blend western secondhand clothing with traditional dress, which could be due to the accessibility of secondhand clothing in Tanzania and Kenya. The blending reflects adaptation without fully abandoning Maasai identity. Additionally, while some Maasai feel that tourism allows them to share their culture, the industry creates a homogenous image of the Maasai as “authentic” and “primitive”, which reinforces stereotypes and commodifies their dress. These findings highlight the complex ways that global markets interact with Maasai traditional dress and cultural identity.