Who is The Masai from A Primate's Memoir and what is their importance?

A tribe of Masai are a very prominent part of A Primate's Memoir as a Masai village was located near the nature preserve where Robert worked. During his years in Kenya, Robert befriended the Masai and learned a great amount about their culture. Initially he approached them with trepidation but they became friendly and often shared tribal goings-on and gossip with him. When Japanese tourists started to flood in Robert's area of the preserve, he had to move down river and thus lived even closer to the Masai which made him a fairly regular part of their lives. When he brought Lisa to them, they immediately welcomed her.