This PowerPoint is a review of the short story Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick.

1. Kirinyaga
By Michael Resnick

2. The milieu
 Near- to mid-future.
 Eutopia: Some sort of space habitat that
can be “adjusted” by Maintenance.
 Most animals on Earth extinct.
 Hyenas and water buffalo survive and
have been brought aboard.
 Attempt at restoring ancient Kikuyu
culture underway.

3. Modern Kikuyu
 Largest tribe in
Kenya
 Bantu speaking
 Make up much of the
Kenyan educated
elite, often working
in government and
business

4. Where is Kenya, by the way?
Here I am!

5. Mau Mau Rebellion
 Began in 1952, reaction against
British expropriation of land.
 Allegedly led by Jomo Kenyatta.
 11,000 rebels eventually killed
 80,000 Kikuyu—men, women, and
children—confined in detention
camps
 100 Europeans and 2000 pro-British
Africans lost their lives
 Although it was a military failure,
Mau Mau rebellion brought both
recognition of African grievances
that eventually led to Kenya's
independence.
 Jomo Kenyatta became first Kikuyu
president of Kenya, 1963.
Jomo
Kenyatta,
post
colonial
leader of
Kenya

6. Ancient Kikuyu
 Traditionally farmers and herders, not hunters.
 Patrilineal, polygamous families.
 Village-oriented.
Mt. Kenya,
AKA “Kirinyaga”

7. Who is Koriba?
 Kirinyaga’s
“mundumugu”
 Shaman
 Tribal historian
 Witch doctor
 Western educated
 Is he proud of that fact?

8. What’s Koriba done?
 P. 149.
 Killed a baby…
 Or was it a demon?
 What was the “sign” he
used to tell?
 Breech birth.
 What happens next…?

9. Maintenance arrives…
 Maintenance arrives in the form of
Barbara Eaton
 Who is she?
 Educated
 Humane
 Modern Western sensibilities all around.
 Why is she there?
 What does she suggest?

10. Koriba’s response?
 Rejects her offer
 Says he’ll do it again if the situation
arises
 Tells her the story of the hyena…which is?

11. Koriba’s reasoning…
 On p. 155, how does he justify his actions?
 Is he a murderer?
 Is he a savior of his people?

12. Where does Koriba’s power
come from?
 When Koinnage, the chief wants to
apologize, what does Koriba say? P. 149-
150.
 Could he have sent the bees?
 Why would educated Koinnage believe he
could do this?
 Don’t people buy into superstitions all the
time?
 Every checked your astrological chart?
 Are superstitions somehow useful?

13. Is Koriba technically right?
 Regardless of whether Koriba is right or
wrong, is he right about gradually losing
the Kikuyu culture if they change their
ways?
 Is it possible for a minority culture to
assimilate within a more advanced
culture and still maintain its essence?

14. Is Koriba morally right?
 Are cultural values relative? In other
words, do values change over time, or are
they stagnant?
 If you were the Kikuyu parent of a breech
baby, would you let Koriba strangle it?
 What about the fact that Koriba uses
Western technology himself? (Computer,
email, etc.)
 What about the compromise Maintenance
offers?
 How do you feel after considering Koriba’s
actions?

15. What is Koriba doing at the
end?
 Preparing the youth of the tribe for a
struggle.
 What sort of response do you suppose he
is contemplating?
 What is truly motivating Koriba? Is it just
tradition or something else?