ABSTRACT
In 1992, a young Maasai woman in Tanzania took her father to court rather than marry according to his will. Her father and elder Maasai men were therefore compelled to scramble, both inside and outside of the courtroom, to defend their legitimate' authority, an authority premised on a certain configuration of 'naturalized' and 'proper' gender roles and relations. Aloya became involved with Masierr, a young, educated Maasai man who lived nearby and was a successful farmer and livestock trader. News of Aloya's accusations against her father and her threat of suicide quickly reached the village. Despite the lack of overt help and encouragement and the looming threat of the elders' curse, Aloya pursued her case. One was the ambiguous role of 'consent' in determining the difference between a 'voluntary' marriage, an 'arranged' marriage, and a 'forced' marriage. As an important arena for the exercise of state power, the Tanzanian legal system is similarly patriarchal.
