In This Issue:
Letter From Juan Mesa
Letter From Antonio Castanenda Marquez
An Archaeological Mystery?
Cordon, A Form of Kardecian Spiritism
Music and Dance In Santiago De Cuba
As A Believer And Folklorist
An African-American Context
Santiago De Cuba, Cultural Versatility
A Visual Artist's Perspective
After almost thirty-four years in Belize,
the idea that I would add another country to my list of interests seems ludicrous
in the extreme. Can you feign surprise, therefore, on learning that during a journey
to Cuba as part of a scientific delegation I found an archaeological site (and Cuban
archaeologists) so overwhelmingly interesting that I am about to plunge - almost
literally, in fact - into Cuba's past?
For those who love a mystery, there is a feast for thought at Los Buchillones. Beneath the lagoon's shallow waters lies fango, or mire, which in this case is so laden with sulpher and other chemicals that it will turn a silver ring bluish-green in a few moments. Perhaps it is the chemical bath, or perhaps the thick bottom clay itself, that has offered protection for artifacts that should have succumbed to the forces of decay several centuries ago. Out of the muck have come fragments and nearly whole specimens of beautiful shallow oval wooden bowls or trays, often with decorated handles at their ends; portios of duhos(complex ceremonial stools that served as badges of rank of office); handles that once held "petaloid" stone axes; carved and plain pins, including one that looks like a brand -new fid (of course we all know that a fid is a rope working tool); a hook so like modern ones used for suspending things from rafters that one can hardly doubt its ancient use; and, perhaps most striking of all, a wonderful variety of figurines that once boasted shell-inlaid eyes, mouths, and other features. Here is the richness of which tropical archaeological sites have been robbed; here, in some ways at least, is an open window on an almost unknown aspect of the Antillean past. But how did such remarkable richness come to lie buried at the bottom of a lagoon?
The work aimed at addressing this mystery is just beginning. (for suggestions and further discussion, please see the Royal Ontario Museum Archaelogical Newsletter from which this short note is taken)
Many academics within the United States have
expanded their academic field of vision to include forms of religious experience
originating in the African diaspora. This quest for a new canon of religious experience
has benefitted from the writings of informed outsiders and preactitioners.
However, the appeal of these traditions and their essential nature is best recognized through direct observation and, when possible respectful participation. This aspect is, for many reasons, difficult to navigate.
Conversations with practitioners and religious leaders, arranged by the Eleggua Project, allowed for a closeness to these religious traditions hard to come by. In addition, this study program allowed for the unique opportunity to observe and, in a very real way, "participate in" these traditions. One cannot make this trip and walk away without a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the significance these traditions hold for life.
Anyone interested in thoughtfully and respectfully tapping into the religious traditions of Cuba, beyond secondary readings, should consider this program. The personal contacts and theoretical education provided are well worth the expense. Professionally, this trip has helped me to provide a more balanced presentation of these traditions in the classroom, gain important information for my research, and understand a personal challenge. The opportunity to discuss one's questions and concerns with others who hold similar questions and concerns in invaluable. This is a benefit of the program not mentioned in any literature.