Samburu Research – Page 3 – For the study of culture, the environment, and pastoralism.

For the study of culture, the environment, and pastoralism.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

saasaa e oriong

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Long tin grater.

The saasaa e oriong is a long, rolled tin with punched holes all over its surface. It is rough and used for scrubbing on the outside of the lmala.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

saasaa e atua

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Small tin for grating the inside of a lmala.

The tin may be the size of a tomato-paste can, with small holes punched at the bottom to make a grater for scrubbing the wood from a lmala interior.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

lorise le oriong

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Short, sharp blade with a wooden handle for peeling the outside of a lmala.

“When you are through with the digging and you are done on the outside with a panga, again you apply this tool to make it smooth, so your calabash has no more ridges.” Robin or Longhiro?

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

lwierset

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
A sharp blade with a long wooden handle for digging out the wood of a lmala.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

ltuda

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Sewing needle with a wooden handle.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

lorise lu nochuaa

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Small hand tool for peeling the inside of a lmala. A sharp blade with a long wooden handle.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

ldupasoroi

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
A wood that is burnt and mixed with lodo (painting blood) to decorate a lmala.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

nbita

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Tool used in making wooden objects, such as a cattle trough.

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This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

January 29, 2025 William Rubel Types of Milk Containers - Lmalasin

lodo

Noun
Pronunciation: XXX
Blood for painting a lmala.

Return to Types of Milk Containers.

This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.

Samburu County is a region in the north of Kenya, largely populated by the Samburu tribe, a group of nomadic pastoralists closely related to the Maasai, living a traditional life on common land. The Samburu speak northern Maa, though everyone speaks Swahili, and everyone who has been to school also speaks English. The area is changing very rapidly, with traditional culture practices declining rapidly. Climate change, manifested as deeper and more frequent droughts, compounded by overgrazing, has decimated the Samburu Lowlands savannah grasslands. Cows, the most prized animal, can no longer be supported.

Samburu Research is an American organization with Kenyan partners, formed by William Rubel in collaboration with local Samburu friends and colleagues. Together, we work with local communities to research and document Samburu culture for the benefit of current and future generations, and to communicate those research outputs to the local community as well as to the outside world.