Two Maasai cultural guides are starting a Luther College residence

​Leboy Oltimbau and Musa Kamaika

Two members of Tanzania's Maasai tribe will be in residence at Luther College this spring.

Leboy Oltimbau and Musa Kamaika will share their culture, which has developed around the herding of cattle, sheep and goats, while experiencing American life for the first time and greeting old friends.

For more than a decade, Oltimbau and Kamaika have worked with Luther College students and faculty as cultural guides and translators for January Term programs based in northern Tanzania. Students spend much of the month living in Maasai home communities in rural Tanzania. Oltimbau and Kamaika collaborate in the educational process to help students learn about the Maasai.

During their residency, Oltimbau and Kamaika will speak with students in a variety of classes at Luther and will talk with church and community organizations in Decorah. Their time in the U.S. is made possible through the Center for Sustainable Communities with additional support from Luther's Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work departments.