COWS ARE COOL: LOVE ‘EM!
36.
14 Cows For America
They sing to them.
They give them names.
They shelter the young ones in their homes.
Without the herd, the tribe will die.
To The Maasai, the cow is life.
Kimeli Naiyomah, originally from Kenya, is a Stanford medical student, currently living in California. He was at the U.N. the day the twin towers fell on September 11. When he returned to Kenya, he told his Maasai tribe the story, and he asked the elders to allow him to give his only cow, named Enkarus, to the Americans. Cows are sacred to the Maasai, and this animal was meant to convey not only condolence, but also to bring healing. This was an extraordinary request, as the Maasai do not give cows to non-Maasai. In the end, the elders agreed—and then went a step further. The tribe augmented Kimeli Naiyomah’s gift with another 13 cows. The best of what they had to give.
The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the most well known of African ethnic groups.
14 Cows For America
They sing to them.
They give them names.
They shelter the young ones in their homes.
Without the herd, the tribe will die.
To The Maasai, the cow is life.
Kimeli Naiyomah, originally from Kenya, is a Stanford medical student, currently living in California. He was at the U.N. the day the twin towers fell on September 11. When he returned to Kenya, he told his Maasai tribe the story, and he asked the elders to allow him to give his only cow, named Enkarus, to the Americans. Cows are sacred to the Maasai, and this animal was meant to convey not only condolence, but also to bring healing. This was an extraordinary request, as the Maasai do not give cows to non-Maasai. In the end, the elders agreed—and then went a step further. The tribe augmented Kimeli Naiyomah’s gift with another 13 cows. The best of what they had to give.
The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the most well known of African ethnic groups.
Cows are awesome !
I love cow pictures! Cows are fantastic animals! They’re so calm and kind-looking, and they have beautiful eyes...
I love being around them and talking to them... (I’m very talkative, and they’re the only ones that listen without getting bored!)
Joseph Moore, Louisville
Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs. Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their eco-friendly practices and ability to farm in deserts and srublands.
Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cows. The measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of cows and children. They believe that God gave them all the cows on earth. Young boys are sent out with the calves as soon as they can toddle.
The staple diet of the Maasai consists of cow’s milk and maize-meal. The milk is largely drunk fresh or as fermented milk or buttermilk - a by-product of butter making. Butter is used in cooking and it is also an important infant food. Studies by the International Livestock Centre for Africa shows that about one litre of milk is consumed per person daily and milk consumption figures are very high by any standards. The needs for protein and essential amino acids are more than adequately satisfied. Electrocardiogram tests applied to 400 young adult males found no evidence whatsoever of heart disease, abnormalities or malfunction. Further study with carbon-14 tracers showed that the average cholesterol level was about 50 percent of that of an average American. These findings were ascribed to the their amazing fitness which was evaluated as “Olympic standard”. Meat is consumed very irregularly and rarely.For centuries, Maasai have lived alongside most wild animals and they have a strong aversion to eating game and birds. Maasai land now has East Africa’s finest wildlife.
They are fierce when provoked, but easily moved to kindness when they hear of suffering and injustice.
When Kimeli Naiyomah tells his fellow villagers about the tragedy in America that has brought a nation to its knees, the villagers are so moved by this young man’s story that they give some of their most precious possessions to the American people.
Traditional Maasai lifestyle centers around their cows. The measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of cows and children. They believe that God gave them all the cows on earth. Young boys are sent out with the calves as soon as they can toddle.
The staple diet of the Maasai consists of cow’s milk and maize-meal. The milk is largely drunk fresh or as fermented milk or buttermilk - a by-product of butter making. Butter is used in cooking and it is also an important infant food. Studies by the International Livestock Centre for Africa shows that about one litre of milk is consumed per person daily and milk consumption figures are very high by any standards. The needs for protein and essential amino acids are more than adequately satisfied. Electrocardiogram tests applied to 400 young adult males found no evidence whatsoever of heart disease, abnormalities or malfunction. Further study with carbon-14 tracers showed that the average cholesterol level was about 50 percent of that of an average American. These findings were ascribed to the their amazing fitness which was evaluated as “Olympic standard”. Meat is consumed very irregularly and rarely.For centuries, Maasai have lived alongside most wild animals and they have a strong aversion to eating game and birds. Maasai land now has East Africa’s finest wildlife.
They are fierce when provoked, but easily moved to kindness when they hear of suffering and injustice.
When Kimeli Naiyomah tells his fellow villagers about the tragedy in America that has brought a nation to its knees, the villagers are so moved by this young man’s story that they give some of their most precious possessions to the American people.
Thus in June of 2002, a very unusual ceremony begins in a far-flung village in western Kenya.
An American diplomat is surrounded by hundreds of Maasai people. A gift is about to be bestowed on the American men, women, and children, and he is there to accept it. The gift is as unsought and unexpected as it is extraordinary. A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw. Tears flow freely from American and Maasai as these legendary warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away.
An American diplomat is surrounded by hundreds of Maasai people. A gift is about to be bestowed on the American men, women, and children, and he is there to accept it. The gift is as unsought and unexpected as it is extraordinary. A mere nine months have passed since the September 11 attacks, and hearts are raw. Tears flow freely from American and Maasai as these legendary warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away.
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Killing the cows and spoiling the land will not solve the problem of food. This is not civilization. Uncivilized men living in the jungle and being unqualified to produce food by agriculture and cow protection may eat animals, but a perfect human society advanced in knowledge must learn how to produce first-class food simply by agriculture and protection of cows. |
Word of the gift will travel news wires around the globe. Many will be profoundly touched, but for Americans, this selfless gesture will have deeper meaning still. For a heartsick nation, the gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft light of hope—and friendship.
A Bestseller Book
Carmen Agra Deedy, a storyteller and author, saw the story and photograph of Maasai women in The New York Times, carrying a hand-lettered sign that read, “We give these cows to help you, September 11 tragedy.” She did not lift her eyes from the print until she had read the article through to its end.
This inspired her to write the story book, 14 Cows for America, in collaboration with Kemeli Naiyomah. Thomas Gonzalez agreed to do the paintings for the book, which came out stunningly beautiful with rich hues of oranges and browns, and blues and greens, capturing the modest nobility of the Maasai people and the distinctive landscape of the African plain. Carmen Deedy hits all the right notes in this elegant story of generosity that crosses boundaries, nations, and cultures.
A Bestseller Book
Carmen Agra Deedy, a storyteller and author, saw the story and photograph of Maasai women in The New York Times, carrying a hand-lettered sign that read, “We give these cows to help you, September 11 tragedy.” She did not lift her eyes from the print until she had read the article through to its end.
This inspired her to write the story book, 14 Cows for America, in collaboration with Kemeli Naiyomah. Thomas Gonzalez agreed to do the paintings for the book, which came out stunningly beautiful with rich hues of oranges and browns, and blues and greens, capturing the modest nobility of the Maasai people and the distinctive landscape of the African plain. Carmen Deedy hits all the right notes in this elegant story of generosity that crosses boundaries, nations, and cultures.
Curious cows checking out a new water pump in a ditch in their farm
The book was hailed as a must-read book for anyone. Not just for this day, but for any day. The sparse text and gorgeous dark and richly-colored illustrations of Thomas Gonzalez amplified the message. It was more than a tale of September 11. It was a portrait of humanity, and how we are all connected. Schoolchildren in America will be told for years how one day, thousands of miles away in Kenya, the continuation of life was celebrated with a most precious gift.
The flag commemorating the 14 Cows is hanging in the September 11 Memorial and Museum.
But would America, the land of hamburgers, also take up the Maasai spirit of protecting cows and nature along with their gifts?
Or will these cows also end up at Mcdonalds?
The flag commemorating the 14 Cows is hanging in the September 11 Memorial and Museum.
But would America, the land of hamburgers, also take up the Maasai spirit of protecting cows and nature along with their gifts?
Or will these cows also end up at Mcdonalds?
