Book
Facing Mount Kenya: the tribal life of the Gikuyu
Secker and Warburg • London • Published In 1953 • Pages:
By: Kenyatta, Jomo.
Abstract
This book was first published in 1938. The author, a Kikuyu himself, was the grandson of a seer and a leader of his own age group. He was the General Secretary of the Kikuyu Central Association and the founder of the first Kikuyu journal, 'Mui gwithania', and acted as the spokesman of his people in dealing with the British government on tribal land matters. Kenyatta studied anthropology under Professor Malinowski. His strong feelings against European encroachments upon his native land and institutions are forcefully expressed in this book. Later, he participated actively in the Mau Mau movement which led to his capture and imprisonment. 'Facing Mount Kenya' is a description of tribal life with special emphasis on the interdependence of various social, economic, and religious institutions in giving the Kikuyu society its organic unity. The disintegrative influence of European missionary and political efforts upon tribal life is trenchantly commented upon. This source is particularly useful for the understanding of the Kikuyu kinship system, land tenure, handicrafts, the education of the young, initiation rites, age groups, political and legal organizations, and finally religious and magical practices. The presentation is sometimes marred by the misapplication of European terminology to native institutions.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2010
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Anthropologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Robert Lee ; 1958
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- 1920-1938
- Coverage Place
- Kenya
- Notes
- by Jomo Kenyatta ; with an introduction by B. Malinowski
- LCSH
- Kikuyu (African people)