The Department of Africology and African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University received a gift of Maasai jewelry from donors who had purchsed the jewelry during travel at a ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
“The jewelry sets are from their several trips to the East African homelands of Maasai people,” Professor Victor Okafor, head of the Department of Africology and African American Studies at EMU, said in an email.
The Maasai jewelry sets are products of beadwork, which are a vital aspect of Maasai culture, Okafor said.
“The jewelry sets are aesthetically beautiful and internationally acclaimed symbols of the cultural values and traditions of the Maasai people,” Okafor said.
The Jewelry Gift Presentation Ceremony involved David Victor, professor of management and international business at EMU, presenting the set of Maasai jewelry to the AAAS department in the Pray-Harrold auditorium.
“[We] feel notably valued and honored by this gift," Okafor said. "It indicates to us that, after all, some watchful members of this learning community view us as a valued presence rather than as a dispensable budget-balancing nuisance."
The AAAS department will showcase the donated Maasai jewelry to highlight its academic significance.
“[We] intend to deploy the jewelry gift in a manner that would noticeably contribute to the advancement of its educational mission,” Okafor said.
