namely the White Cow and Black Cow. Eight of the clans keep livestock,
the other one are hunters and gatherers, and blacksmiths.
Nkishu Naarok (Black Cow)
Nkishu Naibor (white Cow)
Lmasula
Lpisikishu
Lng’wesi
Lnyaparrae
Long’eli
Lorokushu
Lukumae
Loimisi
We moved to these present areas by the 1911 Treaty which the late
Maasai leader Lenana signed with the British, leading to our expulsion
from Laikipia district among other areas that were well suited to rearing
our livestock. We moved with our indigenous breeds of cattle, sheep and
goats.
The Samburu
Community
Protocol about
the Samburu
Indigenous
Livestock Breeds
and their
Rights to their
Indigenous
Livestock Genetic
Resources and
Role in Global
Biodiversity
Management
WE ARE KEEPERS OF IMPORTANT BREEDS OF
LIVESTOCK
The current areas we live in are semi-arid, which means we receive little
rain. We manage to live here due to the durability of the indigenous
breeds that we and other closely related communities have developed.
Yet with the onset of climate change, the average level of rainfall has
reduced, leaving us heavily exposed to drought and its disastrous effects
on our animals and health.
Indigenous breeds: We keep the small East African Zebu cattle, and
Red Maasai sheep and East African goats. Our indigenous breeds are
particularly suited to local conditions because of adaptation through natural selection, as well as our contribution to their genetic development
through selective breeding. Until the recent introduction of exotic breeds,
these were the only breeds we kept, representing hundreds of years of
co-development between our livestock, the environment and our way of
life. We particularly value their abilities to withstand drought, to walk long
distances and survive on small quantities of rough vegetation, as well
Red Maasai Sheep
3