The laibon is the Maasai spiritual leader, a prophet and ritual specialist with authority that transcends clan and region. Laibons do not rule, but they bless, they advise, and their words carry weight. The role is hereditary, passed down through specific families. Colonial authorities tried to co-opt laibons, and some collaborated while others resisted. Today, the laibon's authority is contested by modernity, Christianity, and secular politics, but it persists. The laibon is part of what makes the Maasai distinct, a link to cosmology and history.