The indigenous Sabaot tribe or the 'Elgon Maasai' live near Mount Elgon and are a Kalenjin sub tribe. They value their culture and guard it with pride. They are traditionally pastoralists. They used to believe that their god lived in elevated places where they couldn't reach such as on top of Mount Elgon or up in the sky. However, due to influence of Christianity, education and intermarriage, most of these traditions have been replaced by modern culture, a reason why the one time pastoralists are now big farmers in the region.