Low levels of maternal gene flow from North Africa and the Horn of Africa were also observed in a few groups, mainly via the presence of mtDNA haplogroup M and haplogroup I lineages in about 12. 5 % of the Maasai and 7 % of the Samburu samples, respectively.

Traditionally Samburu relied almost solely on their herds, although trade with their neighbors and use of wild foods were also important.

Dancing Samburu were included in a Mastercard commercial.

The paradox of Samburu gerontocracy is that popular attention focuses on the glamour and deviant activities of these footloose bachelors, which extend to a form of gang warfare, widespread suspicions of adultery with the wives of older men, and theft of their stock.

The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which may have a variety of meanings which Samburu themselves do not agree on.

The Samburu speak Samburu, which is a Nilo-Saharan language.

The paradox of Samburu gerontocracy is that popular attention focuses on the glamour and deviant activities of these footloose bachelors, which extend to a form of gang feuding between clans, widespread suspicions of covert adultery with the wives of older men, and theft of their stock.

The name ' Samburu ' is also of Maasai origin and is derived from the word ' Samburr ' which is a leather bag used by the Samburu to carry a variety of things.

One of the earlier film appearances by Samburu was in the 1953 John Ford classic Mogambo, in which they served as background for stars such as Clark Gable, Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner.

In the 1990s, 300 Samburu travelled to South Africa to play opposite Kevin Bacon in the basketball comedy The Air Up There, in which Samburu are portrayed as a group called “ The Wonaabe ” whose prince is a potential hoops star who would propel Bacon to a college head coaching job.

The Samburu National Reserve was one of the two areas in which conservationists George Adamson and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the Lioness made famous in the best selling book and award winning movie Born Free.

To the east, the Maa languages Samburu and Camus ( on Lake Baringo ) are spoken, and to the south, the other Kalenjin languages Tugen and Markweta are found, which show considerable influence from Pökoot.

Kamunyak ( which means Blessed One ), is a lioness in the Samburu National Reserve, in Northern Kenya.

The Isiolo town is also becoming a centre of interest because of the of its newly acquired status as a resort city cashing in on the popular Samburu and Shaba Game reserves and the Meru National Park, which have become preferred destinations after the famed Maasai Mara.

Such portrayals make good use of Samburu ’ s colorful cultural traditions, but sometimes at the expense of accuracy.

Today Samburu rely increasingly on purchased agricultural products — with money acquired mainly from livestock sales — and most commonly maize meal is made into a porridge.

Although ritual life focuses especially on cattle, other livestock such as goats, sheep, camels, and even donkeys figure into Samburu ceremonies.

For instance, CNN recently portrayed the Samburu practice of young men giving a large number of beads to a particular girl as tantamount to rape, and erroneously stated that no research exists on the tradition despite the fact that anthropological portrayals based on long term studies show it to be largely akin to the U. S. practice of “ going steady .” In a 2009 article MSNBC took readers on a tour through imaginary places purported to be in Samburu District, while asserting that ethnic conflict between Samburu and the neighboring Pokot was the result of both sides starving because they had more cattle than the rangelands could support, although the reporter did not indicate how having too many cattle could make people starve.

KADU's aim was to defend the interests of the tribes so-called KAMATUSA ( an acronym for Kalenjin, Maasai, Turkana and Samburu ), against the dominance of the larger Luo ( Kenya ) and Kĩkũyũ tribes that comprised the majority of KANU's membership ( Kenyatta himself being a Kĩkũyũ ).

Samburu district was once a large part of the NFD.

Traditionally the Samburu economy was purely pastoralist, striving to survive off the products of their herds of cows, goats, and for some, camels.

As Europeans introduced Western style clothing it was initially shunned by Samburu.

KADU's aim was to defend the interests of the so-called KAMATUSA ( an acronym for Kalenjin, Maasai, Turkana and Samburu ethnic groups ), against the dominance of the larger Luo ( Kenya ) and Kikuyu that comprised the majority of KANU's membership.

In their oral traditions, the Ilchamus economy underwent a succession of elaborations: from foraging and fishing to a sophisticated system of irrigation, and then this was mixed with pastoralism under the influence of Samburu immigrants and neighbouring Maasai.

*** The Maa languages, spoken by the Plain Nilotes including the Maasai, Samburu and Turkana

It is performed by people of many cultures, such as the Indigenous Australians, the Arrente, the Luritja, the Samburu, the Samoans, and the Native Hawaiians.

Even today Samburu is relatively remote, although highland areas can be reached fairly easily by public transport.

However, as Western style education has increased, and interaction with non-Samburu has become increasingly common, it no longer bears the same stigma, although clothing deemed " traditional " by Samburu is still the norm, and would be expected to be worn in many everyday and ceremonial contexts.

A similar lack of understanding of both traditions and cultural dynamics is sometimes exhibited in misrepresentations by mainstream media who write articles in popular news outlets after only a short time among Samburu.

** Samburu ( spoken by the Samburu people )

Samburu is the Eastern Nilotic, North Maa language spoken by the Samburu in the highlands of northern Kenya.

Their language is one of the Eastern Nilotic Maa languages, closely related to the Samburu language ( between 89 % and 94 % lexical similarity ), to the point of it being considered a Samburu dialect by some.

The town is inhabited by the Nilotic Samburu and Turkana, as well as the Cushitic-speaking Gabbra, Burji, Borana and Rendille.

It is in an area populated by the Samburu people.

Indigenous cultures of the Amazon Basin also practise subincision, as do Samburu herdboys of Kenya, who are said to perform subincisions on themselves ( or sometimes their peers ) at age seven to ten.

The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels.

Besides these spontaneous prophets, Samburu have ritual diviners called ' loibonok ' who divine the causes of individual illnesses and misfortune, and guide warriors.

Tea is also very common, taken with large quantities of sugar and ( when possible ) much milk, and is actually a staple of contemporary Samburu diet.

Other African names for the giraffe include Ekorii ( Ateso ), Kanyiet ( Elgon ), Nduida ( Gikuyu ), Tiga ( Kalenjin and Luo ), Ndwiya ( Kamba ), Nudululu ( Kihehe ), Ntegha ( Kinyaturu ), Ondere ( Lugbara ), Etiika ( Luhya ), Kuri ( Ma ' di ), Oloodo-kirragata or Olchangito-oodo ( Maasai ), Lenywa ( Meru ), Hori ( Pare ), Lment ( Samburu ) and Twiga ( Swahili and others ) in the east ; and Tutwa ( Lozi ), Nthutlwa ( Shangaan ), Indlulamitsi ( Siswati ), Thutlwa ( Sotho ), Thuda ( Venda ) and Ndlulamithi ( Zulu ) in the south.

Milk is still a valued part of Samburu contemporary diet when available, and may be drunk either fresh, or fermented ; " ripened " milk is often considered superior.

The Samburu National Reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ng ' iro river in Kenya ; on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve in Northern Kenya.

** Camus ( or il-Chamus, the preferred autonym ; sometimes considered a dialect of Samburu )

Samburu is closely related to Camus ( 88 % to 94 % lexical similarity ; Camus is sometimes considered a Samburu dialect ) and to the South Maa language Maasai ( 77 % to 89 % lexical similarity ).