When Maasai warrior Ole Tome Nemarrau first came to the United States from Kenya in 1993, it was the first time he’d seen snow, skyscrapers, or television.
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It’s a nomadic society with an oral tradition; there are no written words, days of the week, calendars, or clocks. “In Western society you have watches,” he says. “In our society, the sun comes up and you go through the day. The sun goes down and it’s night. You’re not worried about time.” According to Nemarrau there aren’t many worries at all. “I was so amazed when I came here that people kill themselves. Why would a person jump off a bridge to kill himself? They say it’s because of stress. In Maasai culture, if you’re poor and you don’t have many cows, we’ll give you some cows, as a community. And no one is shut out; everyone’s kids play together.”
Nemarrau is the first-born son of a village chief with three wives; he has 20 brothers and sisters. He learned English during his three years as the head of guest relations at Keekorok Lodge in the Maasai Mara. During his visits to the U.S. he’s spoken to school assemblies in Rochester, New York; Detroit; Portland, Oregon; and Chicago. Most recently he spoke to children at Chute Middle School in Evanston.
