Kikuyu

Introduction
This tribe lives in Kenya and they are amazing!!!  They have a long history.  They have their own culture; which consists of food, clothing, language religion, art, music, philosophy, politics, and cinema.  The first president of Kenya was from this tribe.  There are many famous people from this tribe.

History
The Kikuyu ancestors came to Kenya during the Bantu migrations.  They founders of the this tribe were 10 daughters of Gikuyu and Mumbi.  The families of the 10 daughters became 9 of them became clans; one of them became Kamba.  The Kikuyu started of matriarchal than became patriarchal.  This happened to several Bantu tribes.  Some of their ancestors were the Thagicu; they're the biggest tribe in Kenya.  They are related to the Kamba, Meru, Mbeere, and Embu.

The Mau Mau Rebellion was started by members of the Kikuyu tribe.  A British man killed a cat that made the sound Mau.  The cat was sacred to the Kikuyu.  So, they rebelled against the British and got independence.  Members of the Meru, Embu, Kamba, and Massassi tribes helped the Kikuyu fight the British too.  During their struggle 4 liberation a lot of them were put in concentration camps, and many of them died as a result.       

Culture
Language: Kikuyu has 4 dialects.  It has a high and low tone.  The sentence structure is subject-verb-object.  Nouns come b4 adjectives.  To write they use a latin alphabet.  They also speak Kiswihili.

 Music, Dances, and Art: Their music is polyrhythmic and it consist of drumming, singing, and humming.  Gourd, rattles, guitar, and harps are also used in music.  They like gospel and secular music and they created a bark flute. A lot of their songs tell stories and they love riddles and poems; and they have a riddle poem game.  They have a warrior dance, love dance, rites of passage dances, welcome dances, possession dances, etc.  They are good @ creating statues and shields.  There are different designs 4 face paint, which may indicate marriage, socioeconomic status, mariika, etc.       

Religion: This religion is monotheistic.  The Meru, Kamba, and Embu worship the same  God as the Kikuyu.  The Meru call him Murungu and the Embu call him Mulungu.  Ngai cannot be seen.  The sycamore tree, fig tree, and olive tree are sacred.  When Ngai comes to Earth he rest in Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro.     

Philosophy: They understand the universe was created by invisible forces.  These forces come from Ngai.  Ancestors are connection to Ngai.  Everything as sum lifeforce in it and is interconnected.  Humans have the most lifeforce on earth.  Ancestors reincarnate as babies of there descendants.  The king or queen has the most lifeforce, so they reconnect society to Ngai.  The job of the ruler is uphold Maat.   

Politics: They had age sets called mariika, which remind me of the Oromo and the Maasai.  Periodically boys were initiated into manhood.  Girls were initiated every periodically as well.  Boys were circumcised during initiations.  Girls were been exocised.  The ceremony was called Irua.  Boys were taught by their fathers and girls was taught by mothers.  The people within mariika were closely bonded.  There were rites of passage 4 different stages of life.  They were ruled by a 2 council of elders.  A male councial and a female council.         

Clothings: Each mariika has their own style of clothing.  The young wear skins around their waist and nothing on their upper body.  Men dress similar to the young, but they wear more clothes when it is cold.  Women wear clothes to cover their whole body. 

Food: They like corn, beans, green peas, potatoes, goat, beef, chicken, collard greens, spinach, and carrots.  They cook the food in pots and eat it on wooden plates.  They grow food in their garden and trade with their neighbors.  The Maasai and the Kikuyu are great friends and family!!!! 

Wedding: When a man wanted to marry a woman, he would bring her father a dowry.  Then his parents would meet the woman he wants to marry parents.  After that there is a meal where the families negotiate.  Women come to the bride's house singing and they bring gifts.  The groom has pick out wife in a group of women dressed the same.  If he get it wrong he has to pay her.  They eat goat ears together, which represents listening to each other. 

Cinema: In the 21th century they started to make their own movies.  They have created comedy series and channels.  There are channels in their language.  They are a very creative people. 

First President
Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya.  He was a freedom fighter.  When he was child he taught the ways of his people and he helped his grandfather heal people.  The missionaries helped the Kikuya read and write and helped them medically.  But they tried to get rid of their culture.  He went to boarding school and became a Christian.  He also became a carpenter and went through Irua.  He became a African nationalist.  He believed in freedom, dignity, tolerance, and peace 4 all of humanity.  He was/is loved by Africans, Asians, and Europeans!!!   

Famous People
Wangari Maathai: First African woman to get the Nobel Peace Prize.  She was a political activist and environmentalist.  She was pro-democracy.  She met Obama when he senator. 

Ng'endo Mwangi: She was the first Kenyan lady doctor.  She founded a medical center in 1987.

Helen Gichohi: She's the president of the African Wildlife Federation.

Michael Ndurumo: Professor @ University of Nairobi.  Third deaf African person to get a Phd.

There are many other famous Kikuyu people, but this will suffice. 

Conclusion
This is my favorite tribe in Kenya!!!  Writing about them have given me so much joy.  They have long rich colorful history.  They have great culture and many famous people.  The first president of Kenya was amazing!!

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kikuyu_people
http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/kikuyu-tribe.html
http://orvillejenkins.com/profiles/kikuyu.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau_Mau_Uprising
https://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Kikuyu-Sociopolitical-Organization.html
https://ashhalvellani.wixsite.com/kikuyu-culture/
https://otienojf.wixsite.com/thekikuyutribe/page2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomo_Kenyatta
http://weddings.traditionscustoms.com/kikuyu_wedding