An insight into the history of the Lmartin people; the term Lmartin is used to represent various small groups of communities (clans) whose roots can be traced back to the Illakipiak Maasai. History indicates that during the great Masaai Wars/Feuds the Laikipia Maasai were so badly defeated and decimated the remnants scattered everywhere. Some scampered for food and safety, many were received and accepted by the communities they ended up in. Some were assimilated by the communities they ran to and lost their traditions and identity. There is clear undocumented (Orally passed from one generation to the other) history of each family from the time of the exodus.
The dominant community branded them Iltorobo /Dorobo taken from the Maa word iltorobo (“those without cattle”), is used to describe small hunter-gatherer communities of Kenya, This being a derogatory and demeaning term .The Maasai and Samburu use it to mean someone poor who is without cows.
The small clans mentioned above are:
1) Lmarmar
2) Lorukoti
3) Remoto
4) Supukia
5) Lkaitakine(Lmaasai)9
There is need for restoration and preservation of the rapidly weakening and disappearing culture/way of life of the Lmartin people (Ltorobo) due to assimilation by the dominant communities living around them. The community through its own ways, means and support of Partners has developed strategies to explore to try and mitigate the rapid loss and dilution of the Lmartin peoples way of live i.e
– Oral sharing of the way of life are supposed to be done/carried out.
– Engagement in preservation of their distinct livelihood sources like forests and other natural ecosystems.
– Seeking capture the original/ cultural activities by trying as much as possible to pass it down from the successive generations by seeking out the few old persons who understand culture as it supposed to be.
– Attempts have also been done made to electronically capture and preserve some of the aspects of culture/way of life.
– Forums for the young people especially town dwellers and those in
Educational institutions have been organized to try and share the cultural aspects of the Lmartin people way of life and also give the youth opportunity to know one another and get encouraged to be proud of their unique cultural heritage.
– The Lmartin Community has also been exploring and implementing albeit in a small way the collection, documentation, storage, preservation and propagation of the original Lmartin people way biodiversity with the overall intention of mitigating
further distortion and erosion/disappearance of the culture. The aim is for the restoration of culture in the various segments of the Lmartin community. By so doing result in the acceptance/recognition of a proud culturally distinct and resilient community that can thrive in harmony with the dominant community.
Some of the problems facing the Lmartin Community are
– The rapidly disappearing cultural biodiversity of the Lmartin people.
– Distortion/disappearance of the Lmartin peoples culture/way of life through assimilation by the dominant community.
– The non-documentation/preservation of the Lmartin peoples way of live.
– The non-recognition of their distinct way of doing things / way of life. The elimination/toning down in the use of derogatory (Ltorobo) terms by dominant communities that suggest inferior social status/standing.