The story is set in a future space habitat called Eutopia that is designed to resemble an ancient Kikuyu village from Kenya. Koriba is the village mundumugu, or shaman, who is responsible for maintaining the traditional Kikuyu culture and customs. When a breech baby is born, Koriba kills it according to Kikuyu custom, which causes conflict with Maintenance, the governing body of Eutopia. Koriba believes preserving Kikuyu traditions is important to maintain their cultural identity, even if some customs are seen as barbaric today. The story explores the tensions between tradition and modernization.

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?