The Maasai are a pastoral people who live on the plains of East Africa between Kenya and Tanzania. They live in circular villages surrounded by thorn fences and huts made of branches, grass, and cow dung. Maasai society is organized into male age groups and they have a spiritual leader but no single chief. The women care for the children, gather food and water, and make jewelry, while the men herd livestock and protect the village. Their diet consists primarily of meat and milk from their cattle, goats and sheep. They face threats from loss of land and wildlife conflicts.