SmithsonInstitution34th Annual SmithsonianFoLKLiFE FestivalOn The National Mall, Washington, D.C.luNE 23 - 27 & Tune 30 - Iuly 4, 2000
ineton, D.C: It's Our HomeBeyond the Land of Sno^
Special Concerts
On the front cover:From top to bottom: Participants m a human rights marchview the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall, D.C.;photo by Anne Kluttz. A group of monks at NamgyalMonastery are engaged in a spirited debate of Buddhistphilosophy; photo ? Sonam Zoksang. A group of RaramuriIndians celebrate the Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe inCiudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico; photo by GenevieveMooser.On the back cover:From top to bottom; Vaqueros rope a calf on a ranch inSouth Texas; photo by Javier Salazar. Two Ihamo (Tibetanopera) performers entertain audiences during an annualspring Festival; photo ? Sonam Zoksang. Young athletesenjoy a pick-up game at Lincoln Heights Day block party inNortheast D.C.; photo by Harold Dorwin.
Smithsonian InstitutionCenter for Folklifeand Cultural Heritage955 UEnfant Plaza Suite 2600Washington, DC 20560-0914www.si.edti/folklife
? 2000 Smithsonian InstitutionISSN 1056-6805
Editor: Carla M. BordenAssociate Editor: Peter SeitelDirector of Design: Kristen FemekesGraphic Designer: Caroline BrownellDesign Assistant; Lynn Murphy
Washington, D.C: It's Our HomeThis program is produced in collaboration waih the D.C. Commission on the Arts andHumanities. Major suppon is provided by the Government of the District of Columbia,The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The D.C. Sports and EntertainmentCommission, Hilton Hotels Corporation, The Dunn and Bradstreet Corporation, The MeyerFoundation, The Washington Post, Chevy Chase Bank, Washington Metropolitan Area TransitAuthority IBM, and The Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds. Additionalsupport is provided by the D.C. Humanities Council; the Blum Kovler Foundation; andProgram in African American Culture, Division of Cultural History, National Museum ofAmerican History. In-kind contributors include SPOT Image Corporation; American University;The George Washington University Gelman Library, Special Collections Department;Howard University; Gallaudet University; and Ron Allen,
Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of SnowsThis program is produced in collaboration with the Conservancy for Tibetan Art & Cultureand wnth the assistance of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet and the Tibetangovemment-in-exile. Major support is provided by the International Campaign for Tibet,Tibet Fund, Tibet House New York, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Gere Foundation,Inner Hannony Wellness Center/Peter Amato, Steven and Barbara Rockefeller,Edward F Nazarko, the Kruglak Family Tibetan Alliance of Chicago, Inc.,The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, Inc., Utah Tibet Suppon Group,Kazuko Tatsumura Hillyer, and Padma Health Products, Inc.
El RioThis program is produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives.Major support is provided by the State of New Mexico, Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Fund,U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Housing Assistance Council.Additional support is provided by El Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Aries, TexasCommission on the Arts, El Consejo para la Cultura de Nuevo Leon, Instituto Tamaulipeco parala Cultura y las Artes, Direccion General de Ecologia del Estado de Coahuila, Programa deMuseos Comunitarios en el Estado de Chihuahua, and National Museum of American History'sENCUENTROS: Latino America at the Smithsonian. In-kind contributors include CambridgeInternational; Colorado College; Cultura Fronteriza, A.C.; Desarrollo Integral de la Familia delMunicipio de Saltillo, Coahuila; El Colegio de la Frontera Norte; Garden City;Mexican Cultural Institute, Washington, D.C; Priefert Mfg.; Southwest Center forEmironmental Research and Policy; University of New Mexico; Southwest HispanicResearch Institute; and University of Texas-Pan American.

ContentsThe Festival: For the Cuhural Good ofthe Nation by Lawrence M. Small 2Our Cultural Heritage: The Key to PreservingAmerica's Treasures by Bruce Babbitt 3Pursuing Cultural Democracyb\- Richaid Kunn 4Festival Partnerships by Diana Parker 10Washington, D.C: It's Our HomeWelcome by Anthony Gittens 12Research Practices: How We Learnedabout the Traditions of D.C. Folkby Mananna Blagburn and Brett Williams 16Culture and Community: Voices ofWashington, D.C.Introductionby John W Franklin and Michael McBnde 20Every Day of the Week by Alpheus Mathis 2
1
Our Experiences at Adas Israelby Ra)TOond and Pearl Kruger 22Haroset and Hoecake: The African-American/Jewish Seder in D.C.by Michael Twitty 23The Ubiquitous Poetry of Washington,D.C. by Kenneth Carroll 24Go-Go, Yesterday and Todayby lley Brown II 26
"Stepping" Out by C Bnan Williams 27The Vietnamese Wedding in Washington, D.C.by Thanh-Thuy Nguyen 27The Circolo della Briscolaby Enrico Davoli 29Soccer? The Beautiful Gameby Walter A. Roberts III 30Who's Got Next? Pick-Up Basketball inWashington, D.C. by Tom Blagburn 31
"1 Am a Proud Woman"by Elizabeth Clark-Lewis 32Latinos and Human Rightsby Nilda ViUalta 33Reflections on Nineteen Years of Serviceby Sharon Murphy 34Some of Us Were Born Hereby Diana Onley-Campbell 35Born in Washington? And in Americaby Eleanor Holmes Norton 36
Tibetan CultureBeyond the Land of SnowsTibetan Culture Beyond the Land ofSnows by Richard Kennedy 38Tibetan Culture in the 21st Centuryby Bhuchung K. Tsenng 43Tibetan Buddhism Beyond theLand of Snowsby Matthew Pistono and Jamphel Lhundup 46Nuns in the Tibetan Buddhist Traditionby Venerable Lobsang Dechenand Elizabeth Napper 52Preserving Tibetan ArtBeyond the Land of Snowsby Kalsang and Kim Yeshi 54Rethinking Tibetan Identityby Losang C Rabgey 58Tibetan Nomads by Daniel J, Miller 61ElRioEl Rio: Culture and Environment in theRio Grande/Rio Bravo Basinby Olivia Cadaval and C)Tithia Vidaum 64Traditional Knowledge in theRio Grande/Rio Bravo Basinby Victor Hernandez 71The Spirit of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo:Land, Water, and Cultural Identityby Ennque R. Lamadnd 77Making a Living in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin by Erin Martin Ross 84Special ConcertsSixth Annual Ralph RinzlerMemorial ConcertIntroduction by Kate Rinzler 90A Singer for My Time by Pegg>' Seeger 9
1
Piano Traditions by Howard Bass 97Ear to the Ground: A Centenary Tribute toMalvina Reynolds by Anthony Seeger 98Woody Guthrie's Songs for Childrenby Howard Bass and Anthony Seeger 99General Festival Information loi
The FestivalFor the Cultural Good of the Nation
by Lawrence M. Small, Secretary, Sniithsonian InstitutionThe Smilhsonian is an immense force forgood m Amencan society and, indeed,among people tfiroughout the world whoare touched by its programs. One way theSmithsonian achieves so much recognition andrespect is by providing authentic experiences ofour cultural heritage. There's authenticity in theartifacts and artworks of our museums. There'sauthenticity in the knowledge Smithsonian scien-tists, scholars, curators, and educators present inbooks, exhibitions, and public programs. Andthere's authenticity, in perhaps its most dramaticand intimate form, in the performances and activi-ties at the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Ifyou're looking for the genuine traditions of ourcultural heritage, you'll find them at the Festival.The goal of the Festival is to present diverse,community-based traditions in an understandableand respectful way The great strength of theFestival is to connect the public, directly and com-pellingly, with practitioners of cultural traditions.This year, the Festival features programs on thecultural ecology of the Rio Grande/Rio BravoBasin, on Tibetan refugee culture, and on the localtraditions of "Washington, D.C. If you want toknow how a cowboy or vaquero from South Texasworks cattle, you can watch him do so at theFestival. If you want to know the meaning aTibetan-American immigrant sees in her contin-ued practice of sacred traditions, you can ask her.And if you want to imagine how an urban muralreflects life in Washington, D.C, you can let yourmind's eye be guided by an experienced artist.The Festival has an especially significant impacton those artists, musicians, cooks, and ritual spe-cialists who participate directly in it. The attention
they receive usually fortifies their intent to pass ontheir traditions to children, apprentices, andstudents, just as it sometimes encourages culturalexemplars to extend their creativity by connectingIt to broader civic and economic issues.The Festival's rich cultural dialogue on theNational Mall is particularly significant forAmerican civic life as we enter an era in which nosingle racial or ethnic group will be a majorityThe Festival allows a broad array of visitors tounderstand cultural differences in a civil, respect-ful, and educational way No wonder it hasbecome a model for public cultural presentation,adopted by organizations elsewhere in the UnitedStates and in other democratic nations.Festival programs are often reproduced "backhome" and reach directly to regions around theUnited States. Earlier this month, the 1999Festival program on New Hampshire was repro-duced as "Celebrate New Hampshire" at the statefair grounds. More than 14,000 students attendedthe program. From other recent Festival programs
? on Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Mississippi Delta
? there have emerged education kits for schools,Smithsonian Folkways recordings, teacher-trainingprograms, and even traveling exhibitions and tele-vision programs.The educational power of the Festival is felt byhundreds of thousands of people who hold a mag-nificent, open, public dialogue at our symbolicnational center in the weeks leading up to ourIndependence Day? just as it's felt by coundessothers when the dialogue is resumed back home,in states across the nation.We're honored and proud to offer this event tothe nation.
Our Cultural Heritage:The Key to Preserving America's Treasuresby Bmce Babbitt, Secretajy of InteriorAmericans have always valued their naturalheritage. Our heritage is the gift of ourforebears ? an inheritance we share withour children and future generations. By preservingand protecting spectacular sites and breathtakinglandscapes of natural beauty, we pay tribute toAmerica's past. Millions visit our national parksevery year to experience the glorious tapestry ofnature in places like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone,and Yosemite. And as we have learned, biologicaltreasures are also to be appreciated in theirintegrated landscapes? grasslands, wetlands,forests, lakes, and rivers, in which life iscontinually renewed. At the national, regional,state, and local levels, Americans are caring forand conserving their natural environment?because they are very concerned about openspaces, how we live on the landscape, and howwe use its natural resources.Increasingly Americans also celebrate theirbountiful cultural heritage. The National ParkService has long served as steward for many of thehistorical sites and monuments that represent andhelp to interpret the diversity of our national life.We preserve and protect monuments and memo-rials that help to define our nation's spirit and theprinciples for which we stand. Our recent initia-tives have recognized that cultural sites are part ofa larger society, its social movements, and itshistorical periods. Through federal-state andpublic-and-private partnerships, we have encour-aged the formation of heritage corridors andheritage rivers? the Rio Grande among them ?to promote the preservation and interpretation ofcultural achievements.
Today there is a sense of urgency aboutprotecting America's natural and culturaltreasures, simply because we don't always geta second chance. There is a sense of urgencyabout not just celebrating the visionary acts ofgreat leaders in the first half of the century, butalso turning towards the future and asking,
"What is that we want to see 50 and 100 yearsfrom now? How will we preserve these treasuresfor the future?"At the threshold of the new millennium,we, along with the White House and the U.S.Congress, support a program to Save America'sTreasures. Some of this effort wall help preserveimportant historical and cultural icons like theStar Spangled Banner and the Wright BrothersFlyer. Other grants have helped to recoverHispanic literary texts in the Southwest, to restorethe ferry building at the Statue of Liberty wherenew immigrants took their first steps intoAmerica, and to preserve the Sewall-BelmontHouse, just a block from the Capitol inWashington, D.C., the first (and present)headquarters of the National Woman's Partywhich pressed for women's suffrage.The Smithsonian Folklife Festival itself is anAmerican treasure. This annual event bringstogether on the National Mall a great diversity ofindividuals and traditions, demonstrating that ourcultural heritage lives. By honoring past traditionsand sharing the inheritance of our culturallydiverse heritage with our children and futuregenerations, we move with grace and understand-ing from one millennium into the next.
WESHIUlllllDKil!DtKL'MLMAK^ (U 1 1 1 IM \KC II (JN W ASH ING 1 ON
PursuingCultural Democracyby Richani KunnFor some, the Festival is an entertainingshow on the National Mall, a pleasantsummertime diversion with song, dance,and food. For others, it is a museum exhibition,albeit with living people, but nonetheless a dis-play of traditions rooted in a historical past.While these are indeed possible ways to see theFestival, they might not be the best. More appro-priate, in my opinion, is to see the Festival asthe exercise and pursuit of cultural democracy
? a view closer to the intentions of Festivalproducers, collaborators, and most participants.The founding director of the Festival, RalphRinzler, developed an idea of cultural democracyfrom such teachers as Woody Guthrie, CharlesSeeger, and Alan Lomax and through the folkmusic revival and the Civil Rights Movement.Guthrie expressed American populist democracyin song. His "This Land Is Your Land" presentsthe idea that everyone has an equal place as anAmerican in this country and that no one ownsthe nation more than anyone else. Charles Seeger,the founder of ethnomusicology and a public doc-umentanan, found in Americas communities adiversity of cultural treasures embodying wisdom,artistry, history, and knowledge. Alan Lomaxclearly saw the growing problem of "cultural gray-out"? the worldwide spread of a homogenized,commercial, mass culture at the expense of mostlocal and regional cultures. In the 1960s Rinzlerdrew these strands together and created a plan.Rinzler saw the problem of cultural disenfran-chisement, as people lost touch with and powerand control over their own cultural products. Hesaw that in rural Appalachia and in Cajun
The March on Washington marked the modern begmnmg ofthe use of the Mall for public gatherings to assert participa-tion In the institutions of democracy. The documentaryalbum of the march, including Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s/ Have a Dream speech, was published by Folkways Records.
Louisiana and m Texas, the spinted performancesby old-timers of superb musical skill were under-appreciated by their descendents, but hadachieved popularity among city youth in theNortheast. He saw the strength of cultural enfran-chisement in the powerful role music played mthe Civil Rights Movement, where it mobilizedpeople in community churches, on picket lines,and in the streets for a great moral battle. ForRinzler, the grassroots creation and continuity ofculture in contemporary society was a buildingblock of democracy The democratic force of cul-ture was raised to a new level on the NationalMall with the March on Washington in 1963 and
the Poor Peoples March m 1968.Rinzler came to the Smithsonian Institution,hired by Jim Morris, to design the content for afolklife festival, as a popular attraction on theNational Mall. Rinzler envisioned a project of cul-tural conservation and recovery, in which, withthe efforts of people like action-anthropologist SolTax and the leadership of then-Secretary S. DillonRipley, endangered cultures and traditions couldbe revitalized for the life and livelihood of grass-roots culture-bearers and for the educational ben-efit of the larger society Displays like the FolklifeFestival on the Mall, concerts such as at theNewport Folk Festival and in Carnegie Hall,recordings on labels such as Folkways Records,documentary films, and other programs couldhonor musicians and their cultural communities,enhance their cultural identity, standing, andpractice, and convey knowledge to others. Rinzler,wdth artisan and activist Nancy Sweezy and econ-omist John Kenneth Galbraith, also helped revivecrafts operations and Southern family potteries toaid cultural and economic development in theregion. Museum shops, by selling these crafts,generated income and regenerated these Amencancultural traditions.By the time of the American Bicentennial cele-bration in 1976, Rinzler was ready to orchestratea redefinition of Americas cultural heritage in theface of European nationalist and American elitistmodels. American culture has its multiple levelsand interpenetrating sectors? national, regional,local, ethnic, religious, occupational, folk, popu-lar, elite, community based, commercial, institu-tional, and official. Most importantly for Rinzler,American culture is diverse, vital, and continuallycreative. It is situated in a larger economy, a largersociety, indeed a larger world of technological andsocial transformations. In this world lie opportu-nities and challenges. Rinzler did not want torecreate an older world of utilitarian crafts orpurge music of electronic media, or reconstitutethe nation or world into villages. Rather, hisvision was to move the contemporary world
towards more culturally democratic institutions.This vision grew and took shape thanks to theefforts of a broadly inclusive and diverse group ofscholars and cultural workers in the Festival proj-ect ? folklorists Roger Abrahams and Henr>'Glassie, Gerald Davis, Bemice Johnson Reagonand the African Diaspora Group, ClydiaNahwooksy Lucille Dawson, and other NativeAmericans, Archie Green and those involved inoccupational culture, and many concerned waththe broad range of U.S. immigrant groups, newand old. Scholars and researchers working on theFestival recognized that older aesthetic traditions,forms and systems of knowledge, values, andsocial relationships would not just inevitably anduniformly fade away, but rather could be used bypeople to design and build their ovm futures.The village might get bigger, the forms ofcommunication more wide ranging, the systemsof exchange more complex, but skill, knowledge,and artistry based in human communities couldstill remain and prosper. If voices that couldcontribute to cultural democracy became silent,everyone would lose.We have followed Ralph Rinzlers course forover three decades now, guided by the under-standing that a living culture depends upon theself-knowledge of its practitioners and access totheir own heritage. Culture depends upon liberty
? the freedom to practice one's traditions, bethey religious, linguistic, culinary, or musical.Democracy depends upon a community's reapingthe benefits of its cultural achievements, as well asupon its continued opportunity to build on thoseachievements through creative change.Cultural democracy is threatened in today'sworld on a variety of fronts? ecological, politi-cal, and socioeconomic. The environmental degra-dation of ecosystems destroys the infrastructuresupporting many traditional peoples and cultures.Displacement, famine, lack of economic viabilitydrastically change ways of life. People die, andcultures with them. In other cases, local, regional,ethnic, and other forms of culture are suppressed
Festival participation has often been used as avehicle for expressing the joining of diversecultural communities within a larger civic frame-work of dignity and respect. At the 1992 Festival,Sam Leyba painted a mural representing thevarious Native, Hispanic, Anglo, and African-American populations of New Mexico, who share aland and interact to create a regional culture.The mural was returned to Santa Fe, where itremains on view at the Plaza Resolana, a centerfor community, culture and education.Photo above by Rick Vargas; photo at right by Richard Strauss,Photos courtesy Smithsonian Institution
by State authonties. Despite major gains in demo-cratic and human rights achieved m the last partof the 20th century, much of the world still livesunder authoritarian and repressive national gov-ernments. Those governments often seek to limitor destroy cultural diversity within their borders.Globalization in the form of the unprecedentedworldvkdde spread of mass commercial culturalproducts, forms, and sensibilities also threatenslocal cultures. Many see their own ways of nation-al, regional, or local life threatened economicallysocially, aesthetically and even morally, by theavailability, popularity, and packaging of globalmass culture. They also witness the appropriation
of their own commodifiable traditions by out-siders without adequate compensation or benefitto the home communityGiven this situation, our job is to study, encour-age, and promote cultural democracy We seek tounderstand how various and diverse communitiessee, use, and care for the world with their cul-tures. We appreciate that those ways of knowing,doing, and expressing have significance, meaning,and value to real people living contemporarylives. It doesn't mean we necessarily agree wiih allof them or want to emulate every lifeway knownto humans. But it does mean we respect the factthat varied forms of knowledge, skill, and artistry
may have something to contribute to the lives offellow citizens of the nation and the world. Webelieve that as a national cultural institution wehave an obligation and duty to provide a just andcivil framework within which different forms ofknowledge and artistry can be broadly discussed,shared, and considered, for the benefit of all. Andwe have learned that our mission is best achievedwhen we work closely and collaboratively in part-nership with, the people and communities we seekto represent. The Festival is one very public wayof pursuing this mission.Issues of cultural democracy are at the fore ofthe featured programs at this year's Smithsonian
Folklife Festival. Our program on the cultures ofWashington, D.C., shows the vibrancy of localcommunities that live in the shadow of nationalinstitutions. El Rio demonstrates the tenacity ofregional culture at the borders, even margins, ofMexico and the United States. The program onTibetan refugees provides a cultural in-gatheringof a diaspora community that faces issues of con-tmuity and survival. Overall, the Festival this yeardemonstrates that, while people may be subject tomodern forms of colonization, to unequal powerand economic arrangements, and to marginaliza-tion, exile, and strife in many forms, they usetheir cultural traditions as sources of strength,resistance, and creativity to cope with and over-come their travail. Culture, after -all, is a means ofhuman adaptation. Just because people may beeconomically poor or politically powerless doesnot necessarily mean that their cultures are brittleor bereft of value.We pursue our mission beyond the Festival inother ways. We recently concluded our series ofSmithsonian Folkways recordings on Indonesianmusics, a benchmark 20-volume effort document-ing that island nation's musical heritage. The proj-ect began with the development of the 1991Festival program on Indonesia. Funded by theFord Foundation over the last decade, dozens ofIndonesian archivists, technicians, and studentswere trained, in an extensive collaboration withthe Indonesian Musicological Society Publicationof the series? with notes in regional languages
? usage in Indonesian educational institutions,and popular airplay have helped millions ofIndonesians access their ovm traditions and buildtheir cultural future. Half a world away fromthere, we are in the final stage of completing aneducation kit with a stellar video. Discovering OurDelta. This project, growing out of the 1997Festival program on the Mississippi Delta, followssix middle and high school students as theyresearch their community's traditions. We expectthe video and the teacher and student guides toinspire a generation of students in that region to

Festival participation tias often been used ,v, ,ivehicle for expressing ttie |oining of diversecultural communities within a larger civic framew/ork of dignity and respect. At the 1992 Festival.Sam Leyba painted a mural representing thevarious Native, Hispanic, Anglo, and African-American populations of NevK Mexico, who share aland and interact to create a regional culture.The mural was returned to Santa Fe, where itremains on view at the Plaza Resolana, a centerfor community, culture and education.
t right by Richard Strauss
by state authorities. Despite major gains in demo-cratic and human rights achieved in the last partof the 20th century, much of the world still livesunder authoritarian and repressive national gov-ernments. Those governments often seek to limitor destroy cultural diversity within their borders.Globalization in the form of the unprecedentedworldwide spread of mass commercial culturalproducts, forms, and sensibilities also threatenslocal cultures. Many see their ovm ways of nation-al, regional, or local life threatened economicallysocially, aesthetically, and even morally by theavailability popularity and packaging of globalmass culture. They also viitness the appropriation
of their own commodifiable traditions by out-siders without adequate compensation or benefitto the home communityGiven this situation, our job is to study, encour-age, and promote cultural democracy We seek tounderstand how various and diverse communitiessee, use, and care for the wodd with their cul-tures. We appreciate that those ways of knowing,doing, and expressing have significance, meaning,and value to real people living contemporaryli\es. It doesn't mean we necessarily agree with allof them or want to emulate every lifeway knownto humans. But it does mean we respect the factthat varied forms of knowledge, skill, and artistry
may have something to contribute to the lives offellow citizens of the nation and the world. Webelieve that as a national cultural institution wehave an obligation and duty to provide a just andcivil framework within which different forms ofknowledge and artistry can be broadly discussed,shared, and considered, for the benefit of all. Andwe have learned that our mission is best achievedwhen we work closely and collaboratively m part-nership with the people and communities we seekto represent. The Festival is one very public wayof pursuing this mission.Issues of cultural democracy are at the fore ofthe featured programs at this year's Smithsonian
Folklife Festival. Our program on the cultures ofWashington, D.C., shows the \abrancy of localcommunities that live in the shadow of nationalinstitutions. El Rio demonstrates the tenacity ofregional culture at the borders, even margins, ofMexico and the United States. The program onTibetan refugees provides a cultural in-gatheringof a diaspora community that faces issues of con-tinuity and survival. Overall, the Festival this yeardemonstrates that, while people may be subject tomodem forms of colonization, to unequal powerand economic arrangements, and to marginaliza-tion, exile, and strife in many forms, they usetheir cultural traditions as sources of strength,resistance, and creativity to cope with and over-come their travail. Culture, after all, is a means ofhuman adaptation. Just because people may beeconomically poor or politically powerless doesnot necessarily mean that their cultures are brittleor bereft of value.We pursue our mission beyond the Festival inother ways. We recently concluded our series ofSmithsonian Folkways recordings on Indonesianmusics, a benchmark 20-volume effort document-ing that island nation's musical heritage. The proj-ect began with the development of the 1991Festival program on Indonesia. Funded by theFord Foundation over the last decade, dozens ofIndonesian archivists, technicians, and studentswere trained, in an extensive collaboration withthe Indonesian Musicological Society Publicationof the series? with notes in regional languages
? usage in Indonesian educational institutions,and popular airplay have helped millions ofIndonesians access their own traditions and buildtheir cultural future. Half a world away fromthere, we are in the final stage of completing aneducation kit with a stellar video, Discovering OurDelta. This project, growing out of the 1997Festival program on the Mississippi Delta, followssix middle and high school students as theyresearch their community's traditions. We expectthe video and the teacher and student guides toinspire a generation of students in that region to
Various nations have used the Festival to help express nevuIdeas of cultural participation in civic life. At the 1999Festival, a diverse group of South Africans, here withAmbassador Sisulu, gave form to the idea of a rainbownation. Photo by Jeff Tmsley. courtesy Smitfisonian Institution
learn from the people and cultural communitiesaround them.Good signs for cultural democracy appear on thehorizon. There is an increasing institutional con-sciousness that healthy ecosystems are necessaryfor economically viable communities. Internationaland local policies increasingly recognize possessingculture and practicing traditions as human rights.We cooperated with UNESCO last summer toorganize an international conference andprepare analyses of current internationalpolicies on folklife and intangible heritage. Our
particular contribution was to define culturalheritage in an active, dynamic sense, connect itto broader civic and economic life, and stress com-munity self-help, participation, and enterprise asaction strategies.In the United States, many are wary of a govern-ment-based, top-down approach to "managing theculture" ? a cultural policy that would imposeupon the American citizenry a prescriptive culturalregime analogous to the statist and authoritarianmodels found in most of the world. Ministries ofculture frighten Americans. They seem to be elitistrather than democratic institutions. Allowang a gov-ernment power to define and decree the correct useof language, the correct appreciation of art, or thecorrect interpretation of history runs counter to theliberties historically enjoyed by Americans, the veryliberties that have attracted so many immigrantsfrom around the world. While national institutionsprovide a general sense of a broad American experi-ence and shared laws, values, heritage, and icons,they tend to avoid overt normative prescriptions forparticular cultural behavior. We avoid, with a pas-sion, official rules for how to talk, what to wear,how to worship, what to eat, how to sing. Ratherthan promoting a specific, narrowly conceived cul-tural canon, most of our government's very limitedeffort in the cultural arena goes towards recognizingand encouraging the diversity of the nation's cultur-al traditions and providing the infrastructure forcitizens to assemble and utilize cultural resources.Much of the cultural effort is actually handled bystate and local governments, and often through theformal educational system? as a means of encul-turating the population. Cultural forms and accom-plishments are encouraged through curricula? theheroes and heroines studied in history, the genresof oral and written literature studied in languagearts, the arts studied and emulated in music and artclasses. While there is a broadly shared sense ofnational cultural experience, the decisions thatdevelop it are fairly democratic, the outgrowths ofpublic school-board hearings and local and stateelections.
Increasingly, however, culture is managed not somuch in the governmental sector as in the corpo-rate sector. Cultural products? music, food,fashion, adornment, popular arts, games, andentertainments ? are carefully managed byindustry to produce a profit. Product developmentand marketing divisions generate public demand,and make the distribution and consumption ofcultural products subject to the values of the mar-ketplace. And the marketplace, even a lively one,is no guarantor of democracy The marketplacecan exclude people, ideas, and cultural products.But efforts to democratize the marketplace haveresulted in the entry of cultural enterprises initiat-ed and controlled by members of culture-produc-ing communities. This is a good sign, as membersof the cultural communities find enterprisingstrategies to benefit the hometown folks who sus-tained and shaped a tradition? music, foods,textiles? over generations.Cultural policies are also made by variousorganizations of civil society Associations, volun-tary groups, foundations, unions, museums, edu-cational institutions, clubs, and neighborhood,regional, ethnic, and other organizations regularlyassess or reassess their cultural identity, values,aspirations, and forms of expression. They seekways of realizing them within a larger socialframework. This, too, embodies participatory cul-tural democracy at the grassroots level ofAmerican societyWe are proud to be engaged in the work of cul-tural democracy in which we find many allies,friends, and collaborators. We are encouraged bythe work of foundations like Rockefeller, Pew,Luce, Ford, and others who have invigorated cul-tural work and articulated it with attempts toincrease political democratization and economicopportunity We are encouraged by academic ini-tiatives at Princeton University and the Universityof Chicago, where new programs address culturalpolicy issues from a research-based perspective.New non-governmental public ser\'ice organiza-tions like the Center for Arts and Culture are
bringing added \igor to ways of stud>ang culturalcommunities, examining public policies, and fig-uring out how cultural resources may be pre-served and best utilized for broad benefit.Organizations in the culture industry and the legalprofession are wrestling with questions of whoowns culture and benefits from its products.These debates over copyright and cultural owner-ship are a healthy development and will provide abasis for legislation in the United States and forinternational accords developed by UNESCO,WIPO (World Intellectual Properly Organization),and WTO. Economic approaches to culturaldemocracy also abound. Small non-profit organi-zations like PEOPLink, Cultural Survival, and Aidto Artisans are trying to appropriate contemporaryglobal technologies? the Worid Wide Web andnetworks of markets and communications? forlocal benefit and with local involvement. Other,larger multilateral organizations like the GrameenBank, and even the World Bank, are developingglobally linked programs for utilizing local-levelcultural industries to stimulate economic andpolitical development. The desire for a diversity offlourishing local cultures exists not only at theinstitutional level, but also at the personal.Individual artists, scholars, advocates, philanthro-pists, and others are strongly committed to thefullest range of human cultural achievement. Therealization of that goal would maximize not onlyhumanity's chances of future survival but also thequality of life we might hope to enjoy
Richard Kurin is Director of the Smithsonian CenterforFolkhfe and Cultural Heritage. A cultural anthropolo^st whoearned his Ph.Djrom the University of Chicago, he is theauthor of Reflections of a Culture Broker: A View from theSmithsonian and Smithsonian Folklife Festival: CultureOf, By, and For the People. He was awarded the SmithsonianSecretary's Cold Medal for Exceptional Service in 1996 and theBotkin Award for Lifetime Achievement in Public Folklore bythe American Folklore Society in 1 999.
Festival Partnershipsby Diana ParkerYou might think that after 34 years, producingthe Smithsonian FolkUfe Festival would havea standard formula. While some systemshave become routinized over the years, each year isdifferent ? both because of the content of eachFestival program and because of the particular teaminvolved in its production.The Festival is an intensely collaborative project.A strong Festival program requires an intimateknowledge of the community being presented? itstraditions, history aesthetics, current issues, leader-ship, and funding possibilities. Our own staff lacksthe expertise needed to curate three to five programsa year? while following up on prior programs andplanning new ones. Nor would it be desirable toresearch and design programs totally "in house." It isfar more eye opening and engaging to work in intel-lectual partnership with the communities featured.This means working with people who are dailyinvolved in understanding and interpreting theirown traditions, and with varied members of thecommunity? political and civic leaders, sponsorsand supporters, educators and cultural advocates.This engagement improves the quahty of our work.This year provides good examples. Washington,D.C., is home for many of our staff, several ofwhom have done long-term research in the city Butto comprehend the full breadth of the city's artisticexpression is a full-time job belonging to TonyGittens, Executive Director of the D.C. Commissionon the Arts and Humanities, who first proposed theprogram. With the able leadership of MichaelMcBride on the commissions staff and JohnFranklin on ours, a curatorial team was put togetherthat includes Brett Williams of American Universityand Marianna Blagbum, a cultural anthropologistbased in D.C. More than 45 researchers from com-munity institutions and universities in the District
worked for over a year and compiled cultural docu-mentation on hundreds of potential Festival partici-pants. Then they tackled the ticklish task of makinga coherent statement about our multi-faceted cityThe El Rio program had to work with a morewidespread community Staff curators Olivia Cadavaland Cynthia Vidaurri worked closely with scholars,educators, and cultural workers from communitiesalong the length of the Rio Grande in Mexico andthe United States. Among those involved wereJuanita Garza of the University of Texas-PanAmerican, Jorge Ibama of the Consejo para laCultura de Nuevo Leon, and Marico Montafio ofColorado College. Together they compiled case stud-ies of particular ways that human culture interactswith the river basin environment. Communityculture-bearers, Uke educator, drummaker, andmusician Arnold Herrera from Cochiti Pueblo, NewMexico, and the Layton conjunto group from Elsa andEdcouch, Texas, participated as interpreters of theirown traditions, history, and contemporary actions.In Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of Snows, thepartnership was also widespread, with collaborationfrom scholars and Tibetan refugee cultural organiza-tions, and financial and in-kind support from peoplearound the worid. The Conservancy for Tibetan Art& Culture initiated fundraising drives and activitieshighlighting cultural concerns. More than 1,400individuals and foundations contributed the funds toensure the programs viabilityFinally, a very important partner in a Festival pres-entation is you? the audience. Dance to the music,eat the food, introduce yourself to the storytellers,and question the craftspeople. We and our partnershave worked for years to bring you somethingextraordmar}'. We in\dte you to engage it.
Diana Parker is Director of the Smithsonian FolMife Festival.

Washington, D.C.:It's Our HomeWelcomeby Anthony GittcnsI am the son of West Indian parentswho immigrated to the UnitedStates m 1917. They left Barbadosto move to Brooklyn, New York. Later Ileft Brooklyn to move to Washington,D.C., for, ironically, the same reason theyleft Barbados ? to search for a better life.Just as they found what they werelooking for in Brooklyn (they never oncereturned to Barbados), I have found what
1 was looking for m Washington. What is
it about Washington that makes it myhome?
If I had only five minutes to illustrateWashington to someone, I would takethem to the corner of 29th andO Streets in Georgetown on a Sunday12


where one never feels subservient to his or herphysical environment. Because of architecturalrestrictions, there are no skyscrapers blocking thesky, no towering structures whose sheer size dom-inates the spirit of the people v/ithin them. Therivers, the abundance of trees and parks, the logi-cal streetscape of the UEnfant plan all makeWashington a city for people. The result is a citi-zenry who feel empowered by as opposed todominated by their environment.This environment of human scale allows peopleto maintain contact with their traditions withoutbeing absorbed into a homogeneous whole. Attimes, one can be thrust into small foreign villages
? dancing in the streets during the CaribbeanCarnival, attending an Ethiopian wedding cere-mony where they kiss twice on the cheek, orobserving people leaving service at the GreekOrthodox cathedral, where they kiss three times.The geographical location of Washington resultsin something for everybody Washington is closeenough to the South so that its hospitality andculinary traditions are quickly appreciated.Washingtonians easily travel along the Boston-D.C. corridor for business and to check out NewYork styles. The city is located close to farmlands,the traditions of which still live in the back-grounds of those who migrated to Washington.There are thriving home gardens, community gar-dens, and farmers' markets.While much of Washington is about politicalpower, much of it is also about doing good.Unlike many parts of the United States, the feder-al government and its bureaucrats do not intimi-date Washingtonians, because those bureaucratsare our neighbors. People are proud of being pub-lic servants who work hard to solve huge socialproblems. This has resulted in a can-do culture asopposed to one of constant complaint.Yet Washingtonians must often draw on hugereservoirs of courage and resilience, as it some-times seems as though we live in a city designedto ignore us. The center of town is the U.S.Capitol, not city hall. We do not have home rule
or congressional representation, and all local gov-ernment activities are closely scrutinized by out-of-town members of Congress. The transportationsystem is designed to move workers between thesuburbs and their downtovm offices, and touristsaround the National Mall. Our only major news-paper concentrates on national ? not local ?issues, and when visitors consider Washingtonculture, they draw upon images of theSmithsonian Institution, the White House, andthe Kennedy Center, as though those who livehere have little to offer.This is why the Folklife Festival's focus onWashington, D.C., is a unique opportunity toshowcase, appreciate, and celebrate what isuniquely Washington, beyond the monuments. Itwill present a look into those who bulk and main-tain the nation's capital while living a full and richlife. So we welcome you to Washington, D.C. Weopen our doors and welcome you into our home.Anthony Gittens is Executive Director of the D.C. Commissionon the Arts and Humanities
This program is produced in collaboration vvithTHE D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.Major support is provided by the Government of theDistrict of Columbia, The Morris and GwendolynCafritz Foundation, The D.C. Sports andEntertainment Commission, Hilton HotelsCorporation, The Dunn and BradstreetCorporation, The Meyer Foundation, TheWashington Post, Chevy Chase Bank, WashingtonMetropolitan Area Transit Authority, IBM, andThe Recording Industries Music Performance TrustFunds. Additional support is provided by the D.C.Humanities Council; the Blum Kovler Foundation;and Program in African American Culture, DivisionOF Cultural History, National Museum of AmericanHistory. In-kind contributors include SPOT ImageCorporation, American University; The GeorgeWashington University Gelman Library, SpecialCollections Department; Howard University;Gallaudet University; and Ron Allen.
Research Practices:How We Learned aboutthe Traditions of D.C. Folkby Matiatma Blagburn and BicU WiUiamsOur research learn for Washington, D.C:It's Our Home was composed of D.C.community residents and localuniversity students interested in urban folklife.As coordinators of this group, we brought to theproject a great love for Washington nurtured bygrowing up, marrying, raising children, sustainingfamilies, supporting churches, schools, andsports, working, organizing, and conductingpublic anthropology projects over many yearshere. While we knew that we knew the city, wewanted many eyes and voices involved mresearch, for Washington's complexity ensuresthat no person can know it all. The research effortwas funded by the D.C. Commission on the Artsand Humanities and the Humanities Council ofWashington, D.C, in collaboration.Our goal was to document urban practices andliving traditions performed by the residents ofWashington, D.C. The methodology requiredthousands of hours spent deeply involved in D.C.communities in conversation vAth D.C. residents,and active participation and observation in a widecross-section of neighborhoods and communities.Our challenge was twofold: to seek out the DC.residents whose photos and living practices arerarely seen, and to ask them to collaborate withus in documenting their traditions. Our knowl-edge and connections to the city, the energies andskills of the researchers, and careful attention tothis collaborative process allowed us to capturethe tenor and quality of the voices, expressions.
and indefatigable spirit of the citizens who live inthis place we call home.Seasoned anthropologists, longtime D.C. resi-dents, senior citizens, young athletes, environ-mentalists, musicians, immigrants, and studentsfrom George Washington, Howard, and Americanuniversities fanned out across the city Over anine-month period, the 45-member research teamvisited playgrounds, schools, churches, communi-ty gardens, and nightclubs; attended civic meet-ings, picnics, concerts, and games; and participat-ed in river clean-ups, parades, political gatherings,and Senior Wellness Day They listened to hun-dreds of D.C. natives and newcomers share storiesand watched their artful expressions of makingand doing within their own communities.Washington, D.C: It's Our Home is a programrich with the memories and flourishing traditionalpractices of the city's fishermen, taxi and bus dri-vers, lawyers, dancers, activists, retirees, seam-stresses, craftspeople, musicians, choirs, quartets,gardeners, poets, cooks, quilters, and rappers,from east of the Anacostia River to west of RockCreek Park. Often people drew on times gone byto interpret the current conditions of the city.Washington, D.C, is a city of refuge and advocacyfor the marginalized peoples of our nation and theworld, and people helped us see the social, cultur-al, and political context for their folklife practices.The perspectives of anthropology and folklorehave also helped us provide context for thesepractices. For example, we talked to people who
Glover Archbold Community Garden, In the Glover Parkneighborhood of Northwest D.C., is one of nine communitygardens under the authority of Rock Creek Park and one ofthe oldest. Photo by Carla Borden
fish about the techniques of skilled fishing. Someanglers draw on traditional arts to craft their ownrods and lures. People often fish with kin andfriends, share their catch with neighbors, andgather for fish fries or spicy fish stews. Fishingoffers a window to building community in thecity Sometimes fishing practices affirm connec-tions to other places. When anglers dip for her-ring to preserve in salt and fry up for breakfast,they echo the Atlantic practices of the WestAfrican communities where some of theirancestors lived. New immigrants often catchdifferent fish and prepare them using the season-ings and techniques of Southeast Asia or CentralAmerica. Finally many people concerned about
how pollution harms fishing come together incoinmunity clean-ups to act on their concern forWashington's rivers.Soccer games offer other windows to connec-tions and community New immigrants toWashington often search for soccer teams fromhome. Each week Washington's parks host a smallcontest between nations, from Trinidad to Koreaand Ethiopia. Spectators cook and share tradition-al foods, play music, and dance, transformingthese games into celebrations. Long-timeWashingtonians have grown to love soccer aswell, and the city has nurtured its own legendaryplayers and coaches, clinics and camps, styles,language, and new generations of players.We found that Washington, D.C., residents areenthusiastic participants in and spectators ofnumerous parades and processions throughoutthe year, Caribbean Carnival, Gay Pride, ChineseNew Year, Unifest, Halloween, the CherryBlossom, and inaugural parades and Good Fridayprocessions are examples of lively celebratoryevents which take place on our city streets.Participants spend countless hours in detailedplanning and preparation to create the delicatebalance between artistic style and performance.Spectators interact with performers as this unpre-dictable form of dynamic street theater pulsatesthrough city neighborhoods.This program honors community life and civicaction, including the memories of the neighbor-hoods that people built as safe spaces from dis-crimination, and others that people lost throughurban renewal and relocation. Participants alsodescribe the city's long tradition of human rightsactivism, and they share the songs, arts, stories,icons, rituals, and memorabilia that haveenlivened this tradition. Go-go, Washington'sindigenous music, may be the quintessentialurban music, all percussion and beat, pulsingfrom garbage can lids, plastic buckets, homemadedrums, cowbells, bass guitar, and saxophone,drawing audiences into passionate call-and-response as they identif}' the neighborhoods
Left: Pride in neighborhood is a feelirshared by many D.C. residents.Photo by Elizabeth SheehanRight: The Chinese Dragon Dancemarks the new year in Chinatown.Chinese first settled In D.C. in 1851.
where they hve. As musicians, deejays, dancers,styhsts, instrument builders, and fans make thismusic, they also communicate its deep and com-plex roots in African-American musical styles, thehistory of live musical gatherings in the city, andthe pride of place expressed in a musical traditionthat begins with meager material resources.Washington, D.C: It's Our Home began with thisresearch: developed and guided by the residentsof Washington who have built extraordinary tradi-tions from the ordinary fabric of everyday life.Suggested ReadingAbbott, Carl. 1999. Political Terrain. Chapel Hill:University of North Carolina Press.Cadaval, Olivia. 1998. Creating a Latino Identity inthe Nation's Capital. New York: Garland Publishing.Cary, Francine Curro. 1996. Urban Odyssey.Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press.Federal Writers Project. 1942, 1983. The WPA Guideto Washington. New York: Pantheon Books.Gutheim, Frederick. 1977. Worthy of the Nation.Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press.Hutchinson, Louise. 1977. The Anacostia Story:1608-1930. Washington, D.C: SmithsonianInstitution Press.Landis, Kenesaw. 1948. Segregation in Washington.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Melder, Keith, and Melinda Stuart, 1997. City ojMagnificent Intentions. Intac, Inc.Orbach, Barbara, and Nicholas Natanson. 1992.
"The Mirror Image: Black Washington in WorldWar Il-Era Federal Photography," WashingtonHistory (September 5-93).Smith, Catherine Schneider. 1980. A Histoiy of theDistrict of Columbia. Washington, D.C: Associatesfor Renewal in Education.
. 1988. Washington at Home. Northridge,California: Windsor Publications.Terrell, Mary Church. 1966. A Colored Woman in aWl\ite World. New York: G.K. Hall and Co.Weissman, Barr, and Glen Leiner. 1991. Home:The Langston Teirace Dwellings. A Study Guide forViewers. Humanities Council of Washington, D.C.Marianna Blagbum is a D.C.-based anthropologist interestedin urban folklife practices and life stories among the African-American community in Washington, D.C. She grew up inAnacostia, attended D.C. schools, married a nativeWashingtonian, and is raising herfamily here. She currentlyteaches a course on interpreting American culture at AmericanUniversity
Brett Williams is Professor and Chair of the Department ofAnthropology at American University. She has written fourbooks, including Upscaling Downtown, and many articlesabout neighborhood life, integration, displacement, homeless-ness, poverty, and the history and cultural life of Washington.
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tCulture and Community:Voices of Washington, D.C.What aspects of Washington, DC,make this city "home"? Districtresidents of different ages andcultural heritage, from different walks of life andneighborhoods, some bom here and others hereby choice or circumstance, offer their insights intothe question in this collection of short essays.They begin with communities of worship. Likeextended families who tend to members' spiritual,social, and material needs, the congregations atthe same time constitute communities in a broad-er sense, having built enduring coalitions thattranscend religious denominations and race.Another group of essays focus on expressivetraditions? one, go-go, a D.C. invention? andthe institutions that have enabled them to flour-ish. These also are rooted in particular cityneighborhoods or cultural communities, yet mayhave an impact well beyond them.While providing D.C. residents an opportunityto display their athletic talent and channel theircompetitive urges, soccer and pick-up basketball
forge bonds between people of diverse back-grounds that ihey maintain through the years.Sports have developed their own distinctivetraditions here, and games draw friends, family,schoolmates, and neighbors to share in them.The last cluster of essays are linked by theirauthors' active concern with human dignity,freedom, service, and social justice. "Washington,DC, IS a place of refuge for those fleeing turmoil,persecution, or poverty m other countries ? orother regions of the United States. It is a place ofsolidarity for those seeking economic indepen-dence and equal rights. It is also a city, as the finalessay so powerfully argues, in which full democ-racy for its own citizens has not yet prevailed.As they reveal values, pursuits, traditions,concerns, and even contradictions that are integralto life in this multi-faceted city the authors ofthese interconnected essays leave no doubt as totheir pride in being "Washingtonians.
? John W. Franklin and Michael McBiide
John W. Franklin is Program Manager at the SmithsonianCenterfor Folklije and Cultural Heritage and a co-curatorof Washington, D.C: It's Our Home. Michael McBride isa Program Officer at the D.C. Commission on the Arts andHumanities and a co-curator of the Washington, DC,program.20
tEvery Day ofthe Weekby Alphcus MathisIn 1863, 21 freed slaves and enslaved AfricanAmericans from Fredericksburg, Virgmia,came to Washington, D.C., and foundedShiloh Baptist Church. Since then its membershiphas grown by the thou-sands, and it has become acenter for African-AmericanUfe in the Shaw community -r-land in the city It has sur-vived the unknownsbrought about by the end ofslavery, the dismantling ofReconstruction, Jim Crow,segregation, racist mobs in1919, the disturbances of1968 following the assassi-nation of Dr King, and afire m 1989. It has alwaysheld a special place for me.Church is not just on Sunday Church is sup-posed to be every day of the week. When youwake up in the morning, you say: "Lord, I thankyou for this day" I was raised as a SouthernBaptist. My whole family came from Georgia. Myfather came first, seeking employment, and thenmy mother and my brother and I joined him.One Sunday night, during an evening service, weall joined Shiloh as a familyChurch members were from various Southernstates. It was a warm, family-oriented church.You felt welcomed. They fed you fried "gospelbird" (chicken), string beans, mashed potatoes,cake, and punch. But the drawing card was thepreaching? the sustenance that you got was theword. You went to the house of the Lord to seekguidance. Shiloh was an open haven for people
coming to the cityBack in the 1940s, Shiloh was a mecca for youngministers. If you attended Howard Divinity School,and you had tutelage under Reverend Harrison,you were called a "Son of Shiloh." New ministersgained credibility by learning to preach under him.Many Washington churches got their start from arelationship with Shiloh? it was a nursery forpreachers. That made a great impression on us andmany others. The preaching, the people, and thetradition made you feel athome again.There were close to 4,0001 ? people then. Each family]0ined a "named" circle, andthat would become yourextended family. Each circlehad a representative whowould deliver the spiritualand social concerns of hisgroup in the circle leaders'council. The church had pro-grams for new members,indigent people, and even aclothing store. That began atradition of ministering to an extended family. Ifyou were sick, they had prayer bands who prayedfor you. You supported each other. I joined theusher board because the first impression is alwaysthe lasting impression. You dressed sharp, youwore white gloves. People served by the churchserved the church back.Even now, there are a lot of outreach programs.The Family Life Center ministers to the church andto residents of the Shaw communities. There aretechnical training programs, programs for seniors,a nursery, and a restaurant. Even though timeshave changed, the church continues to feed itsflock spiritually, physically, and mentally The bot-tom line is that the family bond draws us together.We pray together, we grow together, we staytogether as a church home.
H A JAlpheus Mathis has been a member of Shiloh Baptist Churchsince 1946. A professional catererJor more than 30 years, hehas prepared dinners Jor congregants at Shiloh as well as joroccupants of the White House. He lives with his wife and son inFort Totten.Our Experiencesat Adas Israelby Raymond and Pearl KiiAgevow difficult was it going to be to find ourplace at a.Conservative Jewishcongregation of more than1 ,600 in the nations capital?Did we want to be as activeas we had been in the twosmall suburban congrega-tions to which we hadbelonged? For us, the answerwas a resounding yes. -^ .^ -,Adas Israel now has tworabbis, two cantors, and amyriad of programs andactivities designed to interestand serve our diverse synagogue community Itincludes families that have been members forthree or four generations, people in the federalgovernment, and many young professionals. It hasdeveloped special services in addition to the onein the main sanctuary. For 29 years there has beena havurah* to which we belong. The service isshorter, and there is study in the form of a "giveand take" sermon. All parts of the service areperformed by members of the group. We haveboth learned to read the Torah after being trainedby a member of the havurah, and Pearl choosesfrom among six or seven people to preside overthe service.More recently, another lay-led service called theTraditional Egalitarian Minyan** has become wellattended by younger adults. Its unique name
T - ?1
means that it includes more of the Sabbath prayersand is totally in Hebrew, but is led by both menand women. This service, not coincidentally,serves as a place for singles to meet. At HighHoliday time, we need five different services toaccommodate members from all over theWashington area. Both of us sing in a volunteerchoir in one of the services.We have a very active Hebrew literacy programfor adults who either never learned the languageor forgot it. Pearl teaches one of those classes. Wekeep our home open to Washington-area studentswho cannot be with their families on some of theJewish holidays. The syna-gogue IS not the only placefor worship; the home is thelittle sanctuary in Judaism.Partly because of theincreasing expense of funeralarrangements, aBereavement Committee,hevrah chadisha (holy broth-erhood), was started. We areco-chairs of the group thatprovides "guardians" for thedeceased from death untilburial. Ray served for a timev?ith the group that prepares the body for bunal.Pearl provides evening services at homes dunngthe week of mourning. It is interesting to note thatone of the first things the members of Adas Israeldid when they established the congregation in1876 was to buy a plot of burial ground? a sign,in religious terms, that this was their new home.Adas Israel is very much tied to the life ofWashington. We receive many dignitaries anddiplomats in search of a traditional Jewish servicewhen they come to our city. We maintain close ties
'Derived from the Hebrew word haver, which means friend. Ahavurah is a small group of individuals, couples, or families whoform a close community through the sharing of common interestsand regular meetings.
**The minimum number of males (10) required to constitute arepresentative "community of Israel, or quorum," for liturgicalpurposes.22
with the African-American community. Each year,on the King holiday weekend, the pastor ofTurner Memorial A.M.E. Church (now housedin Adas's last downtown sanctuary) comes andpreaches a sermon at Friday night services,their choir sings, and we enjoy a Shabbat mealtogether On the following Sunday we go toTurner Memorial, our rabbi preaches at theirservice, our choir sings, and we enjoy Sundaydinner with them.So here is our place to pray, teach, learn, helpothers, and socialize. Our motto of "patronizeyour local synagogue" is still right for us.Raymond and Pearl Kmger havebeen married for 49 years andhave hvedfor the last 21 years inthe District of Columbia. Theyhave been singing in Zemer Chai,Washington's Jewish communitychorus, for 21 years. They havethree daughters, four grandchil-dren, and two great-grandchildren.Ray is now a sculptor and a docentat the Corcoran Gallery of Art.Pearl is a tour guide at theKennedy CenterHaroset andHoecake:The African-American/Jewish Seder in D.C.by Michael TwittyEach year I join other African Amencansand Jewish Americans of Shiloh BaptistChurch and Adas Israel Congregation for aSeder in celebration of freedom and our commit-ment to social justice. Coming as families,activists, clergy, and students, some 400-500 peo-ple a year participate in one of the largest African-American/Jewish Seders in the nation. It is part of
a tradition that began in D.C, in 1968, whenRabbi Arthur Waskow and other Jews involved inthe Civil Rights Movement held a "FreedomSeder" incorporating common themes of struggle.Each year, Adas Israel, Shiloh Baptist, and theAnti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith worktogether to sponsor the event.The Seder is only one example of culturaldemocracy at work in African-American/Jewishcoalition building in Washington. Common Questmagazine is a joint project between HowardUniversity's Afro-American Studies Departmentand the American Jev/ish Committee. OperationUnderstanding bringsAfrican-American andJewish students together forholidays, tnps, and dia-logues. Amencan andHoward universities offerjointly taught courses onthe history and contempo-rary relevance of African-American/Jewish relations.The Seder occurs approx-w -L JL V . imately two weeks beforethe actual Passover, and thecongregations alternatelyhost the evening. When Shiloh hosts, it is the rareoccasion when a mashgiach (inspector) supervisesthe preparation of food to insure it is kosher.When Adas Israel hosts, it is the only time of theyear when commeal and raw greens are preparedfor ritual consumption.Central to the Seder is the use of symbolicfoods. Matzo and hoecake sit side by side asbreads of poverty and affliction. Parsley is wedwith collard greens, symbolizing the bitterness ofoppression. Salt water reminds us of both thetears of the Israelites and the waters of theAtlantic during the Middle Passage. Tasting haroset(a mixture of apples, nuts, and vnne symbolizingmortar) and hoecake, I am reminded that in bothtraditions food expresses the soul. I savor roastchicken, matzo ball soup, and tzimmes (a sweet 23
vegetable dish) made with sweet potatoes.Everything is intertvwned. Rabbi JeffreyWohlberg and Pastor Charles Smith both lead theceremony. The opening song of the Seder is "GoDown Moses," a shared expression of pain andpromise. African-American and Jewish childrensing the four questions of the Seder, in Englishand Hebrew. In the Haggadah or Passover narra-tive, prophets from Abraham Joshua Heschel toMartin Luther King, Jr, foretell a peaceful age.Jewish and African-American songs bleed intoeach other, "Dayenu" and "Oh Freedom." At theend, the halld, or songs of praise, are "We ShallOvercome" and "Lift EveryVoice and Sing."Why do 1 return each year? - --,-?--It's satisfying to see oldfriends from past Seders andnew faces, all of us savonngthe gift of freedom. Withaffection, I call it the "SoulFood" Seder
Michael Twitty is a senior at HowaiclUniversity. He has been activelyinvolved in courses, conferences, andinter-ethnic dialogues in theWashington, D.C., area on Afiican-American/Jewish relations.
.^1
The UbiquitousPoetry ofWashington, D.C.by Kenneth CanvllThe official history of poetry in Washingtonis told pnmarily by its scholars and formalinstitutions. Since the 1800s the Library ofCongress has been a magnet pulling the great poetsof the world to our city Universities like Howard,Georgetown, American, andGeorge Washington havealso hosted their share ofpoets. But the true story ofWashmgton poetiy is foundin the neighborhoods wherepoets lived and the everydaylives of people they wit-nessed. Poets like GeorgiaDouglas Johnson, MayMiller, Sterling Brown, andJean Toomer all found con-siderable inspiration m theneighborhoods and the peo-ple who inhabited them. Johnson's weekly "S StreetSalon" hosted the likes of Toomer, Countee Cullen,Langston Hughes, and Angelina Grimke, who oftenintroduced new works there.Today in addition to its vibrant wntten literarytradition, D.C. has become one of the most excit-ing cities for spoken-word poets and performers.Why IS understandable if we examine two impor-tant D.C. community institutions that were born inthe 1970s.
"It was when I began 'The Poet and the Poem'that I learned how ubiquitous poetry was mWashington, D.C," relates Grace Cavalieri, founderand host of the ground-breaking radio programthat has captured the ears and hearts ofWashington-area poetry lovers for 20 years onPacifica outlet WPFW 89.3 FM. What Cavaliendiscovered when she opened the airwaves for poets24
to hear and be heard was that a deep folk tradi-tion existed m D.C. It manifested itself throughthe barbers, grocery clerks, and church deaconswho called in to be a part of Cavalieri's "Dial-A-Poem" program. "The Poet and the Poem" fea-tured not only the literary greats who lived andperformed in D.C, it also featured our neighborsin Anacostia and Brookland who wrote poetry toraise the everydayness of their lives to art. Manyemerging poets have discovered themselves andbeen discovered as a result of Cavalieri's program,which now reaches poetr)' fans across the UnitedStates and around the world through its associa-tion with the Library ofCongress and public radio."We announced our pres-ence to the world m 1977by coming on the air withthe music of Duke Ellingtonand the poetry of SterlingBrown," says Cavalieri, whowould continue this richmix of music and poetryvidth her annual poetry andmusic celebrations at thefamed DC Space nightclub.
"I wanted to create a read-ing series that would pro-vide opportunities andaccess for African American,women's, and other voiceswhich tend to get marginal-ized in our society,"responds E. Ethelbert Miller,when asked why he startedhis award-winningAscension Reading Senes. Begun m 1974, theAscension readings are D.C. 's longest-runningreading series. In addition to providing a platformfor celebrated poets. Miller, like Cavalieri, wouldtap the unheard and uncelebrated voices of D.C.communities to fill out the over one hundredreadings he has hosted since the program's incep-tion. But what truly makes the Ascension read-
"Before the Alphabet"Jane Alberdeslon-CorahnYd pledge Allegiance to the flagof the place my Papi moved us toandto which republic where we to standburied in the tin heart of a tankOne family divisibleunder GodWhisper Shango, Alielulia Diesarroz con leche es la libertadWhere is the libertyWe have liberty?Yeah ?just as we fall
Puertonqua'mjane Albcnkswn-Coralin came laD.C. in J 995, andfound a home in the Black writers'community. She ii a co-founder of the Modern UrbanGhots, a local poetry performance collective, and oneof the vvrilers who has shared her work on "Tlic Pocland the Poem." Her moU recent collection ofpoenK isThe Afro Taina Dreami.
ings special is the way Miller uses them to bridgeand create community "Every-one here should leavewith one new phone number of a person you don'tknow, and you should get together to set up yourown readings," is a standard appeal Miller uses tobegin or end his series. Ascension readings haveacted as the basis for dialogue between D.C.'sBlack, Latino, gay, and straight communities.Ascension's ripple effect is evidenced by the pro-liferation of readings, slams, performances, andother spoken-word collaborations over the past twodecades between poets who first met after bravingthe stairs at Founders Library on the HowardUniversity campus and findingthemselves in Miller's domain
? the Afro-American ResourceCenter. Ascension would be oneof the first reading series to fea-ture young poets whose primarypoetic influence was hip-hop.Miller's and Cavalieri's pro-grams have made space andopportunity for the flowering ofthe spoken word inWashington, D.C, by sanctify-ing the voices of poets laureateand bus drivers, Pulitzer Prizewinners and the homeless, aca-demics and recovering addicts.What "The Poet and the Poem"and the Ascension ReadingSeries have done is to use theart of the spoken word to createnew communities by buildingbridges and tearing downfences. Cavalieri and Miller havefound poetry everywhere in Washington, and havecreated safe and familial places for that poetry to beheard. "The Duke" and Sterling would be proud.
Kenneth Carroll, a native Washinglonian, is a poet, playwright,and a freelance features writer His poetry, plays, and essayshave been widely published. He is Executive Director of DCWritersCorps, an award-winning arts and community serviceprogram. 25
Go-Go, Yesterdayand Todayby Iky Brown 11The early 1970s in Washington, D.C.,marked the beginning of a new musicalsound that was still untitled. Basements mneighborhoods throughout the city were convert-ed into after-school stages and rehearsal halls forbudding bands and musicians. In many parts ofthe city, an organist would meet up with percus-sionists and drummers, whoin turn would know of ahorn player. Bands were cob-bled together, and bondswere formed.To satisfy audiences ofteenagers, young adults, andgrown-ups, local "funk"bands would play the radiohits of Mandrill, Kool & TheGang, New Birth, AverageWhite Band, or HerbieHancock, among others.Musicians and singers beganto provide listeners with something extra ? asound they could call their own because it washomegrowTi.A fresh new energy with percussion-based funk(bongos, congas, cowbells, whistles) as a bedrockfor rhythm and blues, inspired by the nationalfunk and soul music surge, was the beginning ofthe music known then and now as "go-go."Instrumentalists in and around Washington,inspired by this movement, were now "jamming"and playing the hits at recreation centers,summer-in-the-park concerts, or "show-mobiles"throughout the city and newly blossomingsuburbs of Landover, Pepper Mill Village, CapitolHeights, and Chillum, among others.Dozens of bands across the city, such asExperience Unlimited, the Young Senators, Chuck
Brown and the Soul Searchers, Trouble Funk, LeadHead, Hot, Cold Sweat, Cro Magnum Funk, Stacy&r the Soul Servers, Class Band &r Show, MouseTrap, The Shadows, and go-go icons including IceBerg Slim and Big Tony, began to add the "live"features of go-go to their shows or recordings:choreography, smoke and fog machines, go-godances, and extended instrumental solos includingthe trademark cowbells, whistles, and drum andconga solos added to known radio songs popular-ized by local radio stations. Radio hits that becamego-go hits were "Family Affair" by ExperienceUnlimited, "Run Joe" by Chuck Brown, and
"Trouble Funk Express" byTrouble Funk, which is atake from "Trans EuropeExpress" by Kraftwerk.In live perfonnances audi-ences engaged the bands incall-and-response segmentsof songs, usually duringpercussion breaks rangingfrom a three-minute teaser
? a short percussion solowith strains of the radioversion of the song? to asmuch as 17 minutes ofpercussion and call-and-response. Chuck Brown,Trouble Funk, and Reds and The Boys all popular-ized this style of go-go. And the music lives ontoday because of the creativity of its style of songcrafting. As a full-fledged movement began togrow in D.C. and spread elsewhere, promoters andrecord labels including TTED - DETT, I Hear Ya,and Jam Tu all released hits. Their contributionshave kept the music going for nearly 30 years.Go-go has enjoyed local, regional, national, andinternational success, and its influences areevident in the music of hip-hop inventors AfricaBambaataa, Doug E. Fresh, and most recently WillSmith, who included a version of "Pump Me Up"
Photo: Go-go has influenced D.C. style, as exhibited in thejacket worn by Rare Essence band nfiember Andre Johnson.Photo by Darrow Montgomefv26
by Trouble Funk on his WHlenium CD. There arealso local record and production companies,including PA Palace, releasing cassette tapes of theever-popular go-go groups Only 1 Purpose(OIP), Rare Essence, Chuck Brown, andJunkyard. A book documenting go-go will bepublished by Billboard next year.
Iky Brown U is a native Washingtonian and has been a fan ofgo-go music since its inception. He has worked extensively inthe music industry in New York, Los Angeles, and overseas.
"Stepping"Outby C. Brian WilliamsStepping is a uniquelyAmerican, percussivedance genre that grewout of the song and dancerituals performed by histori-cally African-American frater-nities and sororities. As dis-cussed by scholar Jaqui A.Malone in her book Steppin'on the Blues, stepping is "one of the most excitingdance forms to evolve in the twentieth century."The tradition's "...precise, sharp and complexrhythmical body movements combined withsinging, chanting, and verbal play require creativ-ity, wit, and a great deal of physical skill andcoordination." Stepping is, without question, arising art form with growing popularity amonghundreds of thousands of Americans, youngand old.Washington, D.C., more so than any other cityin the country, can claim "bragging rights" to thistraditional dance form. As home to HowardUniversity, the birthplace of several African-American fraternities and sororities, the city haswdtnessed the beginnings of the tradition, datingback to 1907, all the way through the first
3ing IS,^houtStepwiquestion,a risingart form.
competitive "step show" at Howard University in1976. Today stepping can be found on many localcampuses, and performances are sharedfrequently wath District residents.But stepping is no longer just for fraternitiesand sororities. As stepping has received widerexposure in D.C. and the country, schoolchildren,K-12, are performing the dance with tremendousenthusiasm. Step teams can be found in numer-ous District high, middle, and elementary schoolswith teachers using the dance form as a way tofoster teamwork, discipline, and communityD.C. -based churches have also picked up thefonn with Gospel step teamsfound in practically everyquadrant of the city.Stepping is definitely animportant part of our city'sdaily cultural life.
C. Brian Williams is Director ofStep Ajrika! USA, and co-founderoj the Step Ajrika! InternationalArts & Cultural Festival.The VietnameseWedding inWashington, D.C.by Thanh-Thuy Nguyen
"T "Tietna\/ growV D.C."ietnamese Americans are the fastest-ing ethnic group in Washington,While some Vietnamese, the "boatpeople," came after the end of the Vietnam War in1975, most of the District's Vietnamese communi-ty arrived 1 5 to 20 years after the fall of Saigon.They are a diverse group, mainly ex-military,government officials, and family members who,having associated with the United States during 27
the war, were freed after re-education camp. Since1990, 5,000 Vietnamese refugees and legal immi-grants have resettled in the District of Columbia.The majority of them are now living in the MountPleasant and Columbia Heights neighborhoods.Chnstian churches, Buddhist temples, and non-governmental organizations have helped themmake the transition to American life. Yet the com-munity also holds on to many of our traditionsand customs, continuing to honor values of familyeducation, and hard work, celebrating Tet (NewYear) and the moon festival at home and commu-nity gatherings. The older generation transmitsour heritage to future gener-ations. Within the metropoli-tan Washington, D.C.,community the Vietnamesewedding ceremony is themost beautiful representationof the linkage between pastand present.Dam Hoi?EngagementCeremonyThere is a deep sense ofcontinuity that Vietnamesefeel between the living and the dead; and the fam-ily structure, generational roles, and the networkof relationships in which the Vietnamese live isstrong. The decision to marry is a family one.When a couple wants to wed, they first ask theirparents for pemiission. Once it is granted fromboth sides of the family, the couple has an engage-ment ceremony at the brides home. Traditionally,this ceremony would permit the couple to startdating and be seen in public together. However, inpresent-day American society this tradition is notnecessarily followed. The groom leads a proces-sion by fool not far from the bride's house,accumulating family and friends along the wayWhen they arrive, they present the bride with giftsof clothes, jewelry such as earrings and necklaces,fruits and cakes, foods such as roasted pig.
perfumed tea, fine wine or spirits, and money Allthese products are available at the localVietnamese stores. The couple would be wearingthe ao dai (traditional Vietnamese costume), asymbol of the country's rich history and culture.The groom's parents formally ask the bride'sparents for their daughter's hand in marriage totheir son. Next, they share a toast to mark thisspecial occasion. Then the two families join m afeast to celebrate the coming union.Dam Cvoi?Wedding CeremonyParents traditionally picka date for the weddingbased on the horoscopes ofthe couple's birthdays,delivered by a monk or afortuneteller; however, cou-ples have more freedom tochoose their special day inAmenca. For Buddhist cou-ples, the wedding usuallytakes place in the bride'shome. The groom and hisfamily again go to thebride's home to moc gum(escort the bride), bearing gifts. Next, the parentsand elders of both families and the couple sharetea. The couple will then ask for their parents'blessing and will proceed to the ancestral altar topay respects and receive a blessing from theancestors. Then both families enjoy a light buffet.Christian couples may have an afternoon ceremo-ny at Sacred Heart parish in Mount Pleasant. Laterin the evening, a reception at a restaurant with anine-course meal will celebrate the union of twofamilies.Thanh-Thuy is a member oj the D.C. Mayor's Asian PacificIslander Affairs Commission, and past president of theVietnamese American Society, a non-profit organizationdedicated to promoting Vietnamese culture, fostering betterbusiness relations between Vietnam and the United States, andserving the Vietnamese community in the United States.She came to the United States with her father and two28
younger brothers in December 1981, at the age of eight, as iboat refugee. Her mother escaped eight years later She ispresently pursuing an M.S. in behavioral science at JohnsHopkins University.The Circolo dellaBriscolaby Emico DavoliIn March 1991, an old friend telephoned mebecause his wife had left him. He said hemerely wanted to talkwith me, to have someonelisten to him, to have asounding board. Rejectingmy "macho" offer to getdrunk together, or to "gettogether vidth the boys," oreven for "just the two of us"to have dinner at a quietrestaurant, my final sugges-tion? a game of briscola ?was slowly, deliberatelyaccepted with a very happy,
"Hey, Enrico, that's not abad idea. I used to play with my Sicilian grand-mother, who told me the only way to win was tocheat! Let's do it! But I haven't played for 25years!" Well, I hadn't played for 30 years, but Irecall having played the game of briscola with mynonno (grandfather) Bruno from Calabria, whoalways taught me that to win consistently onehad to remember all the cards which had beenplayed. We set a date; we would see whosegrandparent was correct!I learned how to play briscola during my fami-ly's frequent visits to my grandparents' very mod-est, cold-water flat on Hester Street in New YorkCity's "Little Italy" In that tiny flat, the kitchenwas the center of family activities during myyouth in the 1930s and 1940s. Everyone in thatlarge family? our grandparents had six children
and fifteen grandchildren ? tried to congregatethere at least monthly I recall much laughter andshouting, lots of hot food ? pasta, ragii, brasciola,caffe espresso, pizzelle, and the like, good southernItalian peasant fare ? and the inevitable briscolacard games which followed all those eating
"orgies." Briscola is one of several traditionalItalian card games which we, the sons and daugh-ters of immigrant families, learned from ourfathers and grandfathers, part of what I like torefer to as an oral tradition. We played wath decksof American poker cards, but we always removedall the eights, nines, and tens, leaving a deck vnlh40 cards, the number neces-sary for playing briscola. The
"picture cards"? queens,jacks, and kings? werethen assigned the numericalvalues eight, nine, and ten,respectively I would notlearn of the existence ofthose classical, beautifullydecorated, tarot-like Italianplaying cards? carte dagioco? until my first trip toItaly in 1970, where 1 wit-nessed a street-comer gameoutside a small cajfe in Piazza San Marco inVenezia. I have never again played briscola with apoker deck. Throughout Italy, the game of briscolais played with words more than it is wath cards.Partners resort to figurative language, cunning,and enigmatic signals to dupe their opponentsinto believing that the hand of cards they hold isexactly the opposite of what they have been dealt.It is a battle of wits.From that low-key, somewhat inauspiciousbeginning precipitated by my friend's wife leavinghim, we proceeded to play sporadically, usuallyonce every two to four months that first year.Today we have grown to 44 dedicated, impas-sioned members? sod? who meet to playmonthly, dine informally, almost always "family-style," at players' homes or at one of the many 29
area Italian restaurants, vicariously trying torecreate the warm, exuberant ambience of Italianhomes. We also enjoy an unparalleled competitivecamaraderie m our quest for a trophy awardedannually Two of our circolo are recognized "inter-national champions." The circolo now plays a pre-Christmas mmi-toumament at Washington's HolyRosary Catholic Church against visiting professorsfrom Italy and conducts an annual awards dinnerin conjunction with the International Lodge of theOrder Sons of Italy in America in Januaiy at theTivoli restaurant. Our soci would, indeed, prefer toplay weekly, it only our wives would consent!Ennco Davoh is a pcdiatncum. Heis also the president of the Circolodella Briscola and a very activemember of the Italian community ithe Washington area.Soccer?TheBeautifulGameby Walter A. Roberts IIII have been playing soccer since I was six yearsold. When I graduated from DeMatha CatholicHigh School in 1993, though, I thought thatmy soccer-playing days were essentially over.I enrolled at the historically Black MorehouseCollege, which at that time did not have an NCAAsoccer team. But it did have a club team thatcompeted at a high level, and I joined the teammy third day at school. I became team captain,manager, and assistant coach. I also spearheadedthe team's efforts to become an NCAA Division 2team. We had players from all over the globe, fromthe Caribbean to West Africa; that was my firstexperience of the international nature of the game.
After completing college and returning toWashington, D.C., from Atlanta, I began to lookinto the amateur game in the metropolitan area.In my efforts to find an adult team to play with,
I was amazed to learn how significantly soccerhad grown over the short time of four years. Injust a few brief searches on the Internet and a fewpick-up games on the Mall, I came across all typesof contact names and leagues. I found ethnicleagues, men's amateur leagues, co-ed leagues,women's leagues, embassy leagues, recreationalleagues, and 1 was stunned to find out that theyouth leagLies that I had grovm up playing m hadalmost tripled in size.Seeing this growth andalso having been armed inmy college experience withthe passion not only forplaying but also for coach-ing and teaching the game,
I decided to find a careerin soccer. I am presently theathletic director for DCSCORES, a non-profitorganization that operates asoccer league along withcreative writing workshopsin 16 elementary schools throughout the Districtof Columbia. With my mother, I coach theWashington soccer club, Isis, an under-12 urbangirls' travel team. I also coach an under-12 boys'recreational team, comprised of children from theDC SCORES program.
I particularly enjoy coaching these youth teamsbecause each reflects a special piece of the futureof soccer in this country. Soccer is a unique sportm that it has few limits or boundaries; it is similarto a universal language, spoken by all who haveever touched their foot to a ball. It is undoubtedlythe most popular sport in the world. On both ofmy teams, the cultural representation is a mirror
Photo: A spirited game of soccer takes place on the field atJefferson Junior Higli School in Southwest D.C.Photo by Harold Dorwin30
of communilies throughout the District. Isis andthe DC SCORES team both bnng together chil-dren of Black and Latino descent, which has thepositive effect of erasing fears, combating preju-dices, and uniting families.The sport of soccer has given me more than1 ever expected m return, and 1 can only imaginewhere it will lead me in the future. I have keptmy need for competition alive by playing with aPeruvian amateur team called La Univarsitaro,which, like my former college team and the twoteams I coach, is extremely diverse and dynamic.
I am also a proud fan and season ticket holder ofDC United, the MajorLeague Soccer championthree out of the past fouryears. To my delight, thesport of soccer is thriving inthis country and is alive andwell in Washington, DC, atall levels transcending age,ethnicity, race, gender, andclass.When not on the soccer field,Walter A. Roberts 111 hvci mNorthwest D.C.Who'sGot Next?Pick-Up Basketballin Washington, D.C.hy Tom BlagbumThe competition is always intense, therhythm almost hypnotic, the jukes andbounce of the ball practically non-stop!On playgrounds across America, and inWashington, D.C, in particular, the first yell is
"who's got next?" Who is choosing the next pick-
up basketball team? The game, frequently called
"b-ball" in D.C, is an asphak theater of jumpers,blocked shots, sweaty T-shirts, fast breaks, andawesome dunks. Players have been known toshovel snow off the court to start a pick-up bas-ketball game. Over the past 30 years, 1 have shov-eled off a few courts myself.Pick-up ball IS a highly competitive trainingsport where skills are developed and refined.Some of us progress; others seem to be able to gono further with their talent ? a slice of life. Agame is comprised of two, three, four, or fiveplayers. Nothing energizes the play like the chat-ter and critiques from the
-. - sidelines. Shouts andT (''^~33^5*^5 screams such as "shoot the1^ "^'^^n J ^""^ "D-up" drive the?-,.,j?J p[ay [o new heights. Greatperformance is alwaysrewarded with a boost mgame reputation.The games rich histor)' isfull of legendary playerswhose playground heroicsoften transcend the gameItself. Elgin Baylor, JohnThompson, Ernie Cage,James "Sleepy" Harrison, "Monk" Milloy, BernardLevy, Dave Bing, Jerry Chambers, Frank Williams,
"Chicken Breast," Ray Savoy "Biggie"Cunningham, Bill Gaskins, Lonnie Perrine, AustinCarr, James Brown, Aaron Covington, and MelvinMiddleton are just a few of D.C.'s finest. I remem-ber clearly the rainbow jump shots of Joe Carr,the keen shooting accuracy of Art "Bunny" Perry,the adroit cross-over of Reggie Green, the bricksof seven-foot Art Beatty? each representative ofso many players who loved the game. Ask any-body across the city, these players were the
"b-ballers" of summer in their dayEndless captured moments of play can bedebated and disputed. Post-game analysis is partPhoto: Young athletes enjoy a pick-up game at LincolnHeights Day block party in Northeast D.C. Photo by Harold Dorwm 31
of the participation. There may never be a "best,"because someone will always have a story aboutanother player who was better. It is the cama-raderie of the game which gives all of us a specialconnection over time. Even today after so manyyears of playing b-ball on the courts of D.C., I runinto other players in board rooms and grocerystores; we still talk about the legendary playersand games we remember.D.C. playgrounds, for decades, have been theincubators of basketball talent. It was on the play-grounds at 10th & R, Luzon, Turkey Thicket,Happy Hollow, Sherwood, Banneker, Kelly Miller,and Bundy where so manyfirst displayed their prowess.Average players were devel-oped and nurtured to great-ness by many unsung men-tors and coaches, such as BillButler and Jabbo Kenner,who tirelessly gave of them-selves. Because of their con-tributions, perhaps it can besaid, "Everybody has game."In Washington, D.C, pick-up basketball is the game ofchoice. Like a boomerangevolution: no matter to which level of play thegame has taken you, pick-up basketball alwaysbrings you home.Tom Blagbum plays pick-up b-ball on Sunday mornings at theChevy Chase, D.C, playground. He has played for more than30 years on playgrounds across the cityjrom River Terrace toChevv Chase.
"I Am a ProudWoman"by Elizabeth Clark-LewisI
::r andautonomy of aAx/rNriH Tig-classnan.
n the fall of 1979 my great-aunt Mary JohnsonSprow found a diary she had written whileworkmg as a domestic servant more than 60years before. She was part of the outward migra-tion from the South between 1900 and 1920,when cities such as Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia shifted fromreliance on European immi-grants to African Americansfor household service.In 1910 nearly 90 percentof [Washington's] gainfullyemployed African-Americanwomen worked in domesticservice. [But] she chafed atthe attitudes of those,including her own familymembers, who believed thatsimply because she was apoor African-Americanfemale born in the ruralSouth, she should work as a live-in servant all herlife. Living m meant being on call to one's employ-ers 24 hours a day Those women like Mary whoultimately made the transition from live-in serviceto day work sought the autonomy of setting theirown schedule and tasks. Living in meant little ifany privacy few opportunities for a social life, andminimal independence. Live-out work meant thatthe worker had the freedom to quit an unpleasantsituation; she did not rely on her employer for theroof over her head.Then what is work? Who made work? To clean andscrub days in and days out. Above all who made thepeople that we toil for? That never knows what it isto want and yet is never thankful for nothing that wedo, no matter how hard no matter how we try toplease. When I look at them I see that they are made
of the same flesh and blood as we. 1 see that theyeat three times a day same as we? but only afterbeing waited upon they enjoys it better becausetheir digestion organ have had the rest while ourbody and minds work all the time.After all, work would not be such a task if it wasnot for the mgratitude we get from our employers.But then all of the good boys and girls that can,find better works. You can get something to do thatdon't take all day and night; and you have parentsthat IT)' to make something out of you.Mary Johnson Sprow personified the determi-nation that women workersbrought to the eventualtransformation of domesticwork from near-slavery toindependent contracting.Women such as Mary estab-lished and sustained sup-port networks with otherwomen who had left live-inservice in the 1920s and1930s. These networks pro-vided role models for thetransition into daily paidwork, mentors who did notbelittle the former live-insdesire for independence. These women sharedtheir knowledge of how to operate in severalhouseholds simultaneously. They also formedself-help groups, savings clubs, and burial soci-eties, which augmented the region- or kin-basedassociations that also provided African Amencanswith some social securityMary Johnson Sprow died in Washington in1981 after more than 80 years of work in domes-tic service. Her story is one of the very few first-person sources for understanding the feelings,experiences, and aspirations of members of thisimportant social and economic group as theyconfronted life in the first generation after slaveryand made the leap from live-in service to daywork. Her diary [offers] a different view from his-torians who emphasize the victimization of
Amencas domestics; [Mar)-s VkTitings) stress thepower and autonomy of a working-class woman.She reveals how African-American women weresimultaneously intricate and plain; overt and sub-tle; visible and veiled. She helps us again realizewhy the women who have been "domestics" willthemselves write the correctives to this culture'smisconceptions about them.
Elizabeth Clark-Lewis is Associate Projessor oj Histoiy andDirector of the Public History Program at Howard University.She has spent nearly 30 years collecting the oral histories anddocuments of rural-to-urban migrants from 1900 to 1940.
ed inngton,iQ an
These excerpts are from a longerarticle that appeared in Washin0onHistory Magazine of the HistoricalSociety of Washington, DC, 5-1(Spring/Summer 1993). Repnntedwith permission.Latinosandi^k^FE^f HumanRightssolidarity.L by NMa ViUahaast year in the midst of a discussion aboutthe Latino Festival in Washington, D.C.,Quique Aviles, a performance artist andwiiter, summarized the irony of the CentralAmerican migration to D.C.: "We came to D.C.because of a war that was supported from here,and now we are here to stay" Historical and socialdevelopments in Latin America have drawnLatinos to the U.S. capital. They represent a largecommunity of people of different nationalities,educational levels, social status, races, and immi-gration experiences. Veronica DeNegri, a Chileanexile, illustrates the activism, search for justice,and political struggle within a community that hasgrowTi and diversified over the years.In 1973 in Chile, Augusto Pinochet led a coupthat removed socialist president Salvador AUende. 33
1,17^ "L^,..
AUende and approximately 3,000 others werekilled. Thousands more were imprisoned,tortured, and forced to leave Chile. VeronicaDeNegri, an AUende partisan, was one of thoseimprisoned. After her release, the governmentharassed her until she left in 1977. With the helpof the International Rescue Committee, she cameto Washington, D.C., with her youngest son,Pablo. Soon her son Rodngo jomed them. Dunngthose years, Veronica worked in many jobs fromchambermaid to housing activist with Adelante, alocal Latino social agency She and Rodngo, aphotographer vdth a growing reputation, wereactivists against SouthAfrican apartheid and U.S.intervention in CentralAmerica. In 1986, 19-year-old Rodngo went toSantiago, where hephotographed city life andstreet protests. One morning,soldiers arrested him and astudent. The army severelyburned both youths, andRodrigo died, having beendenied proper medical treat-ment. In the following years,Veronica traveled widely speaking about humanrights for Amnesty International. She now worksas a tour guide in D.C. and continues her publicspeaking. Veronica discusses how readily she fit inas an activist in DC:
1 was bom into a troubled world and then got intoanother troubled world. I have advocated all my lifefor human rights in different capacities, as astudent, a woman, a mother When I arrived mWashington, I found an atmosphere of solidarity,and there I began at a time when young people'sand immigrants' rights were just being recognized.The Ijitino community was very active, moreintegrated; it participated with the Black communityand other communities.
In April of this year in a discussion about herparticipation in a community exhibit at the LatinoCommunity Heritage Center, Veronica voiced theimportance of Washington, D.C, in her life:This city IS the center of everything; you candemonstrate and express your opinions about issuesthat are important for people all over the world,and that is very important for me. I like to live hereand be part of a community that has gone throughso much and is full of life and willing to keepon fighting.
Nilda Villalta is a Ph.D. candidateat the University of Maryland,working on a dissertation entitled
"Testimonies, War, and Survival;Representation and Creation in BSalvador and in the United Statesby Exiled Salvadorans." She hasconducted research and fieldworkIII Washington, DC, and inCentral Amcnca.
Reflectionson Nineteen Yearsof Serviceby Shawn MurphyMary House opened its doors in 1981with the belief that forgotten familieshave the right to shelter, food, medicalcare, and a safe place to tell their stories.Immigrant and refugee families bring their storiesof family members left behind, struggles of newbeginnings, and the same dreams for their chil-dren that all parents, of all countries and back-grounds, desire.34
The first family to come to Mary House made itto the nations capital from Mexico. At the mercyof an unscrupulous apartment manager, they,along with 15 other immigrants, paid $85 for theprivilege of sharing a basement hovel inNorthwest D.C. When I took this family homewith me, Mary House began what is now its 19thyear of service to refugee families in Washington,D.C. During this time, we have shared our homewith more than 200 families.For many families who come to the nationscapital as refugees, day-to-day demands becomethe focus of stories. A mother from Honduraslearns English for an houron Sunday morningsbecause the 12 hours of _commuting and work sixdays a week only allow foran hour. This is neverthelessher determined attempt tomaster the language that isquickly becoming herdaughter's first language. ABosnian father performsjobs that most would notwant in order to provide forhis children; he wants togive his children the warmth of a safe home todream their own dreams.The first phrase I learned in Spanish was,
"Mi casa es su casa" ? "My house is your house."This is the foundation of Mary House, and toprovide necessary services to those refugees andimmigrants in the nations capital. The first \actimof poverty is always a persons dignity. MaryHouse provides a home to forgotten families, aplace to reclaim their dignity, and an opportunityto establish themselves as neighbors in this newcommunity they call home, Washington, D.C.Sharon Neuman Murphy is a wife, grandmother, and motherojjow. She is co-Jounder and Director of Mary House.
Some of Us WereBorn Hereby Diana Onlcy-CampbellI was born in Washington, D.C, on May 4,1954, in Freedmen's Hospital (now HowardUniversity Hospital). I grew up in a complete-ly Black environment. The only window that Ihad on the world of White America was televisionand my family's weekly drive from our split-levelhome in far Northeast to the family church inGeorgetown. I grew up twoblocks from the ShrimpBoat, and to this day I cantell if Black folks are nativeWashingtonians by theirfamiliarity with this land-mark.On Sunday mornings myfamily embarked upon ajourney across social bound-aries. Traveling west on EastCapitol Street brought usacross the Anacostia River.But it was not until we gotto the other side of Stanton Park that thingsbecame less real to me and more like television.
I wondered why our church, Mt. Zion Methodist,was surrounded by White people. My paternalgreat-grandmother and my grandmother shared ahome in the heart of Georgetown on O Streetaround the corner from the church. The closestBlack families to them were over on P Street nearRose Park. The house in which they lived hadbeen built by my great-grandmother's husband asa wedding gift to her when the neighborhood wasstill predominantly Black. When my great-grand-mother died, the house had a huge sum in backtaxes attached to it, so it was sold. I was 19 then.As a child 1 felt very safe in my neighborhood.I attended Kelly Miller Junior High School at atime when it was transitioning away from the 35
long-time pnncipal who had just retired. It was arough three years, not only because of the chaosthat reigned there but because 1 was beginning tounderstand myself to be a lesbian. At least therewas the beginning of understanding that it wasgirls that I wanted, not boys. This desire wouldlie submerged in my consciousness for anotherdecade before my acceptance of it as part of who
1 am.High school was a time of great unfolding forme. I attended Spingarn High during the BlackPowerMetnam War era. I wore a black armbandto school for the anti-war moratorium campaign.None of the faculty or staffmade any note of it. Mypeers, however, inquired allday about it. 1 became a con-duit of information for them,a role that I continue to bedrawn to even now.I curtailed my education atHoward University to getmarried, a move that I nowrecognize as an attempt tonegate the lesbian part ofmyself. It was an ill-foundedrelationship that could nothave lasted for a number of reasons. But from it
I was blessed by giving birth to my daughter
1 never did return to Howard. Instead I began thetask of building a life that would be true to who
I am and to the things in life that I value.Part of that life included being the out lesbianmother of a child in the D.C. public school sys-tem. My daughter was fortunate to have attendedBrookland Middle School. The faculty and staffthere were nothing but loving and nurturing.1 know that they knew I was a lesbian. 1 had beenfeatured in a Channel 9 news series by BruceJohnson about the city's Black lesbian and gaycommunity My daughters high school experiencewas not as positive, but the climate in the wholecountry had begun to deteriorate by then.1 have been out as a lesbian for more than 20
years. In that time I have had my family's love andsupport. I have had the opportunity to be politi-cally active as an out lesbian, an opportunityuniquely provided by D.C. All of the social justicemovements of my time have had, and will have, apresence m this city It has been uncommonly ful-filling to me to be m this environment where theidea of justice lies always just below the surfaceand so regularly is elevated by those who seek it.Diana Onky-Campbell is Assistant Director oj the UnionInstitute's Centerfor Women. She is a founding member of theBlack Women's Education and Action Collective-
Photo-. October 11, 1987, Is thedate of the second national marchfor lesbian and gay rights.Photo? JEB (Joan E Biren)
lONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTO^)R LESBIAN AND GAY RIGHTSBorn inWashington?And in Americaby Eleanor Holmes NortonIam a proud native 'Washingtonian, who grewup to represent her city in the United StatesCongress. As a child at Bruce-MonroeElementary School, near Howard University I didnot dream of becoming a congresswoman.Perhaps this was because Blacks had only tokenrepresentation in Congress. Perhaps it wasbecause Washington's schools and public placeswere all segregated. It certainly mattered that the36
Distnct of Columbia had never had represenia-tion m Congress and had no local self-govern-ment at the time.Most visitors are astonished to learn that eventoday our country, alone, denies the residents ofits capital their basic democratic rights. D.C. citi-zens are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court,but our appeal is also broader. Americans every-where must play a role to assure freedom for theirfellow Americans who live in the nation's capital.My grandfather, Richard Holmes, lived 96years, long enough to see the end of racial segre-gation in the capital, but not to see the beginningof democracy for theDistrict. In the Congress,I proudly represent the citywhere my family has livedfor four generations. Yet myfamily has never had fullrepresentation in theCongress where I nowserve. This is not a contra-diction in terms; it is a con-tradiction of the democraticideals and practices of ourcountry.Americas capital city resi-dents are still treated much as King George IIItreated the American colonists, requiring taxationwithout representation. D.C. residents are theonly Americans who pay full federal taxes, but aredenied full representation in Congress.
I vote in committee and have all the privilegesof other members of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives except the one that defines ademocratic nation, the vote on the House floor.D.C. residents have no representation in theSenate. Only since 1964 have we had the right tovote for president, and not until 1974 was self-government achieved. Local control in theDistrict is often nullified by Congress in ways thatwould not be tolerated elsewhere in America.I count myself fortunate to have been deeplyinvolved in the great human rights struggles of
We willinsist thatdemocracytriumphhere.
our time ? especially for civil rights, women'srights, and the Free South Africa movement. Allhave achieved the most important of reforms?recognition of rights as a matter of law. Only inthe nation's capital, where I was bom, does thismost basic of struggles remain unfinished.We who are residents of Washington receivepeople from across the country and around theworld who come seeking American governmentsupport for the right to freedom and democracywhere they live. Ironically, they come to the seatof democracy where there is less democracythan anywhere else on American soil. Americamust lead by examplebeginning in the city shemakes her home.This year, the city isits 200th anniversaryHowever, D.C. residentswill do more than celebrate.We will insist that democra-cy triumph here as it haseverywhere else in ourcountry. No people canachieve full democracyalone in a democraticnation. We will prevailwhen our fellow Americans return home not onlywith memories of our glorious capital, but withdetermination to include all Americans inAmerica.Congrciswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DQ is servingher fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
37
Tibetan Culture Beyondthe Land of Snowsby Richard KennedyTibetan Culture Beyond the Landof Snows uses a translation ofthe Tibetan term for Tibet,Bhod Gangchen-Jong, or "land of snows,"to describe a community of people who
are Tibetan in origin but are now livingoutside the historical and ethnographicboundaries of Tibet. These Tibetansbegan to leave Tibet in 1959 after HisHoliness the 14th Dalai Lama, the
spiritual and temporal leader of thepeople of Tibet, fled to India. The DalaiLama fled Tibet after a decade of
negotiations with the Chinese govern-ment for peaceful co-existence had failed.He eventually established a government-in-exile in the Himalayan town ofDharamsala. Over the subsequent 40
38
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Tibetan Culture Beyondthe Land of Snows
-^^
by Richard KennedyTibetan Culture Beyond the Landof Snows uses a translation ofthe Tibetan term for Tibet,Bhod Gangchen-Jong, or "land of snows,"to describe a community of people who
are Tibetan in origin but are now living
outside the historical and ethnographicboundaries of Tibet. These Tibetansbegan to leave Tibet in 1959 after HisHoliness the 14th Dalai Lama, the
spiritual and temporal leader of thepeople of Tibet, fled to India. The DalaiLama fled Tibet after a decade of
negotiations with the Chinese govern-ment for peaceful co-existence had failed.He eventually established a government-in-exile in the Himalayan town ofDharamsala. Over the subsequent 40
4tf,
years many other Tibetans have escaped fromChinese-occupied Tibet and settled throughoutIndia and Nepal, and smaller numbers have emi-grated to North America and Europe. Nowapproximately 140,000 Tibetans live outside ofTibet. Another 6 million Tibetans remain in theTibetan areas of present-day China. This Festivalprogram focuses on the culture of the Tibetanrefugee community, beyond the land of snows.The Festival often has featured the cultures ofimmigrant groups; these programs have exploredthe transformations that take place in culturesuprooted and reestablished in new settings. In thecase of Tibetans, those who settled in India haveadopted elements of Indian culture, many ofwhich have long been familiar to them. TheseTibetans have learned Hindi, altered their diet tosuit the Indian sub-continent, and establishedIndian bureaucratic systems. Similarly, Tibetans inNorth America have learned English, formed rockbands, and eaten hamburgers at McDonalds. Butalthough the immigration of Tibetans to India,Europe, and the United States is similar to themigrations of many peoples who have fled war,destitution, and/or political chaos, the degree towhich Tibetans immediately seized on culture as afocus for their new identities is striking.The destruction of Tibetan monasteries andcultural institutions over the past four decades,but particularly during the Cultural Revolutionof 1966-78, left many in the Tibetan communityfearing the total annihilation of the centuries-oldreligious and secular traditions of the country.Cultural preservation often is important toimmigrant identity; however, the Tibetans havemade it a central goal not only of their newsociety but also of their new government. Theestablishment of cultural institutions that wouldrevitalize and strengthen traditional Tibetanculture was among the first considerations of thegovemment-in-exile. TIPA (the Tibetan Institutefor Performing Arts), Men-tse Khang (The TibetanMedical and Astro Institute), and the Library ofTibetan Works and Archives are but three of
Tibetans and Indians live together in Dharamsala in thefoothills of the Indian Himalayas. Dharamsala is home of theTibetan government-in-exile and the Dalai Lama.Photo @ Alison WrightPrevious page: Tibetans young and old, monks and lay peoplein Kathmandu, Nepal, celebrate Tibetan New Year by tossingtsampa (roasted barley flour) in the air, an expression ofpositive intentions for one's own and others' happiness.Photo O Alison Wright
40
numerous institutions that are integral to thepolicies of that government.
In spite of the Tibetan govemment-in-exiles effortsat cultural preservation, people in the West knowlittle of Tibetan culture. The fevi' available images ofTibet are often highly romanticized. The West haspictured Tibet only as an isolated land of piousBuddhists who have developed highly sophisticatedreligious practices removed from the currents ofmodem life. From 19th- and early 20th-centuryreports of travelers to Tibet, such as AlexandraDa\id-Neel, and from translations of Tibetan religioustexts to more recent New Age interpreters of Tibetanculture, Tibet, to many observers, has remainedprimarily a beacon of religious enlightenment.Certainly the international role played by the DalaiLama to some degree reinforces this view Somebooks by Western writers and early films such as the1937 Frank Capra classic Lost Horizon have created aparticularly compelling impression of a very foreignand spiritual "land of snows." Although portrayalssuch as that of Shangri-La in the Capra film arepatently false and misleading, there is much truth insome of the images established by earlier writers.Nevertheless, together they are only part of the storyBecause Tibet was never colonized by a Westernpower and remained particularly isolated during theperiod of Western expansion, it did, in fact, appearto have been perennially cut off from Europeanhistory In reality Tibet during much of its historywas in close commercial and cultural contact withits neighbors and, throughout its history, has playeda role in regional affairs. Tibet was a land of mer-chants, nomads, fighters, and great scholars as wellas monks. Little about this side of the country'shistory ever reached the West. However, after theDalai Lama's escape in 1959 and particularly again inthe 1990s after he was awarded the Nobel PeacePrize, a more complete image of Tibet has beenavailable. This time, rather than Buddhist texts ortravelers' reports, Tibetans themselves have come totell the tale. 41
Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of Snowsprovides a plaiform for a number of Tibetans tospeak and hopefully, in turn, paints a more com-plete picture of the culture. Festival participantsmay tell of the horrors of torture and culturaldestruction by the Chmese, while others willspeak about the Buddhist insights developed byTibetan masters over centuries into highlysophisticated intellectual reflections and medita-tion practices. Some of these narratives willreinforce what Westerners have always thoughtabout the spiritual preeminence of Tibet, whileothers may test preconceptions and question thefeudal traditions and inequities historically foundin the country's social order. Young Tibetans bornin India or the West have less grounding in thespintual Tibet of memory and text, and some arequick to look for new sources of inspiration insecular Tibetan and Western cultures. This Festivalprogram will allow a broader number of Tibetanvoices to be heard in the West.Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land of Snows affordsa rare opportunity for the public to hear directlyfrom monks, nuns, and religious leaders fromIndia and the United States, and from the veryfinest of traditional artists now living outsideTibet, and to speak with musicians from Canada,
Tibetan officials pose in Lhasa, Tibet, during Losar (Tibetan New Year)The Potala Palace is shown in the background. This photo was pub-lished in a book by Alexandra David-Neel in the 1930s, and was oneamong only a few images available to Westerners before the 1950s.Photographer and year urrknown, courtesy The Newark Museum/Art Resource. NY
craftsmen from Dharamsala, cooks from theUnited States, and weavers from Nepal. Fromthese discussions we should gain a clearer under-standing of the status of Tibetan culture in the21st century. I hope the picture that comes intofocus will be a complex one that includes imagesof Tibet as a contemporary living ethnic commu-nity as well as a historical ideal. Certainly visitorswill gain a deeper understanding of how critical arole culture does play in shaping the identities ofboth a refugee community and a nation.Suggested ReadingAvedon, John F 1984. In Exile from the Land ofSnows. New York: Harper Perennial.Lopez, Donald S. 1998. Prisoners of Shangri-la:Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Chicago:University of Chicago Press.Richardson, Hugh. 1998, High Peaks, Pure Earth:Collected Writings on Tibetan Histoiy and Culture.London: Serindia PublicationsConservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture<www.tibetanculture.org>.
Richard Kennedy is Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Centerfor FolMiJe and Cultural Heritage and co-curator oj theFestival program on Tibetan culture. He has curated Festivalprograms on Hawai'i, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, andRussian music. Before coming to the Smithsonian he wasAssociate Director of the National Council for the TraditionalArts and Chair of South Asian Area Studies at the U.S. StateDepartment's Foreign Service Institute. He earned his Ph.D. inSouth and Southeast Asian studies at the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley.
This program is produced in collaboration with theConservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture and withTHE assistance OF HiS HOLINESS THE 14tH DaIAI LaMAof Tibet and the Tibetan government-in-exile. MajorSUPPORT IS provided BY THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGNFOR Tibet, Tibet Fund, Tibet House New York, TheRockefeller Foundation, The Gere Foundation,Inner Harmony Wellness Center/Peter Amato,Steven and Barbara Rockefeller, Edward F Nazarko,THE Kruglak Family, Tibetan Alll^nce of Chicago,Inc., The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation,Inc., Utah Tibet Support Group, and KazukoTatsumura Hillyer.42
Tibetan Culture in the21st Century
by Bhuchung K. TsciingWhen tracing our cultural heritage, weTibetans talk about three mainsources of influence: for our spiritualtradition we looked towards our neighbor to thesouth, India; for our culinary tradition towardsour neighbor to the east, China; and, for our styleof dress we looked towards our neighbor to thenortheast, Mongolia. We amalgamated theseborrowings with our existing traditions to comeout with a distinctly Tibetan culture. His Holinessthe Dalai Lama points to the khata, the Tibetangreeting scarf, as a concrete example of thisfusion of influences. The khata's origin can betraced to India, but it has been mostly manufac-tured in China, and it is used only in the Tibetancultural areas.In its artistic expression and other aspects,Tibetan culture has a deeply spiritual foundation.In the Tibetan medical tradition, for example,Tibetan physicians place equal emphasis on medi-cines (mostly herb and mineral based) and on thespiritual component. Patients need to recite cer-tain prayers before taking some medicines; inother instances, medicines, particularly therinchen nlhu (precious pill), are said to be moreefficacious if consumed during certain holy days.Tibetan culture has a holistic approach. It encour-ages a macro perspective of the issue, whether itis a discussion of deeper Buddhist philosophy orthe treatment of sick people. The local lama(teacher) is a spiritual leader, psychiatric coun-selor, medical doctor, and business advisor allrolled into one. The culture also has a pragmatic
The Dalai Lama receives aceremonial khata from KhyongiaRato Rmpoche in New York, 1999.Photo
?
Sonam Zoksang
side, with peopleencouraged tofind creativeways of adhenngto their tradi-tion. For exam-ple, traditionallyTibetans refrainfrom starting ona journey on aSunday or oninauspiciousdays as calculatedby Tibetan astrolo-gy. But when peo-ple cannot avoid doing this, they first undertake amake-believe journey on the previous day, com-plete with a backpack, before returning homeafter a short trek, to fool the evil spirits. Theythen begin their actual journey the next dayThe arrival of Chinese troops in Tibet, whichforced a sizable number of Tibetans to seek refugeoutside of their homeland, upset the Tibetan cul-tural balance. Tibetan culture, which had untilthen blossomed in familiar terrain, was exposed topressure on a large scale. Within Tibet, Chinesevalues have been forced upon Tibetan society forpredominantly political reasons. Chinese influencehas become a norm in the daily lives of theTibetans in Tibet, particularly those living inurban areas. Tibetan dress has become sinocized.Tibetan Uterature, painting, music, and dancehave taken on Chinese overtones with a common 43
Left: Two monks read thenewspaper during breakfast inVirginia. Teachers from the fourschools of Tibetan Buddhism andBon, the indigenous rehgion ofTibet, travel often to NorthAmerica to teach meditation.Photo courtesy Chocgtul RinpocheOpposite page: Tibetan womenin chubas. traditional hats, andaprons sing traditional chang(beer) songs in a Tibetan refugeecamp in South India.Photo ? Sonam Zoksang
theme: depicting the supposedly terrible situationin Tibet in the pre-Chinese era and the so-calledpositive aspect of Chinese rule.Tibetans in the diaspora have experienced a dif-ferent kind of pressure. Having been transplantedto a different cultural environment, Tibetanrefugees have had to cope with the cultural values,including climatic conditions, of their host soci-eties, whether in the Indian subcontinent or theWest. The post-1959 period also saw Tibetan cul-tural and religious institutions assuming dual iden-tities. Major Tibetan monastic communities havebeen re-established in the Indian subcontinent.Today, there are Sera and Tashi Lhunpo monaster-ies both in Tibet and in exile.The interaction with the outside culture hasposed a dilemma for the Tibetans, particularlywhen there was contradiction between traditionalTibetan beliefs and the modern world view. TheDalai Lama from an early stage asked Tibetans tobe pragmatic as they faced such a situation.Tibetans, he said, should differentiate between theessence of their culture and its more superficial rit-ualistic accouterments. He stressed the importanceof preserving the former while being able to forgo
some of the latter, particularly in terms of ntualslike customary ways of greeting that includedsticking ones tongue out, or traditional burialstyles which are not feasible at lower altitudes.Tibetans are m the process of doing this. TakeTibetan dress, for instance. The traditional chuba(kimono-like garment) is not suitable for the cli-matic conditions m the Indian subcontinent.Thus, although Tibetan men in exile still preserveour chuba, they only use it during formal occa-sions. Tibetan women, on the other hand, haveadapted the chuba for daily usage. TibetanBuddhists also have learned to accept that thewodd is round, as scientifically proved, instead ofbeing flat, as contained in some of the Buddhistscriptures.The experience of the past four decades, duringwhich Tibetans experienced close interaction withthe outside world, showed that Tibetan culturehad much to contribute to the development ofworld civilization. For example, in India there hasbeen a reverse spread of Buddhism, from theTibetans back to India. There is an interesting andmoving process of re-translation from Tibetan toSanskrit of Buddhist scriptures which had been
lost in India. Tibetan Buddhist philosophy is afield of study in very many institutions of higherlearning in the West; the Tibetan medical traditionhas a pride of place in the alternative healing sys-tems of the world.Tibetan culture itself, rather than being sub-merged in the cultures of our host societies, hasacquired new dimensions. The exposure has creat-ed a new breed of teachers of Tibetan Buddhism.Western scholars in suits and ties as well asWestern monks and nuns in Tibetan Buddhistrobes now lecture on the deeper aspects ofTibetan Buddhist philosophy, which 50 yearsbefore would have been a strange sight forTibetans. The widespread recognition of Tibetanculture has also engendered a new market for
"Tibetan items" ranging from ashtrays, lighters,and singing bowls to designer prayer flags androot beer. It has also resulted in the secularizationof Tibetan culture, if you will. The thangka paint-ings and sacred statues, which traditionally couldbe found only in the shrine rooms and altars ofhouses, have also moved into the living rooms. Inaddition to being symbols of spiritual visualiza-tion, these items have become decorative objects.Today, Tibetan culture is at a crossroads.Diaspora life has changed the mode of its preser-vation. An institutionalized system has been estab-
lished with knowledge of the culture passed onmore through the classroom than through livingexperience. The Library of Tibetan Works andArchives, the Norbulingka Institute, and theCentral Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies inIndia, and Tibet House and numerous DharmaCenters in the United States are but a fewexamples of this development. The Asian ClassicsInput Project and Nirtartha International, bothbased in New York, have harnessed the power ofthe computer to preserve and make availableTibetan literature on the Web. The test for Tibetanculture is to be able to maintain its continuitywhile adapting to the changes in the situation.One important factor in this is the abiUty ofTibetan religious and cultural values to makethemselves relevant to the daily life of the Tibetanpeople, whether in Tibet or beyond the land ofsnows. This 21st century will be a critical periodm the evolution of Tibetan culture.Suggested ReadingShakabpa, W. D. 1967. Tibet, A Political Histoiy.New Haven: Yale University Press.Shakya, Tsering. 1999. The Dragon in the Land ofSnows: A History of Modem Tibet Since 1947.New York: Columbia University Press.Smith, Warren. 1996. Tibetan Nation: A History ofTibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations.Boulder: Westvlew Press.Canada Tibet Committee <http://www.tibet.ca>.International Campaign for Tibet<http://www.savetibet.org>.
-: Tibetan Government in Exile<http://www.tibet.com>.Bhuchung K. Tsering was bom in Tibet and broughtout by his parents when he was ten days old.He was raised and educated in the Tibetan refugeecommunity in India. He was a journalist with thedaily newspaper Indian Express in New Delhi beforejoining the Tibetan govemment-in-exile inDharamsala. India, working as editor of the Tibetanjournal Tibetan Bulletin, as well as working on issuesin Zurich and Geneva with the United NationsCommission on Human Rights. He joined theInternational Campaign for Tibet in Washington,DC, in 1995 and-is presently its director 45
Tibetan BuddhismBeyond the Land of Snows
/'V Matthew Pistono ancljamphd LhundupPadmasambhava, an 8th-century meditationmaster, finnly established Buddhism inTibet, the land of snows. Known toTibetans as Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhavaprophesied, "When the Iron Bird flies and horsesam on wheels, Tibetans will scatter like ants andthe Dharma [the teachings of the Buddha] willspread to the West, beyond the land of snows."And in fact, after the first airplanes landed inTibet carrying military representatives of MaoZedongs regime and Chinas armored vehiclesinvaded a roadless Tibet from western China, theembodied symbol of Tibetans and TibetanBuddhism, the 14th Dalai I-ama, fled south acrossthe Himalayas.With the Dalai Lamas escape m 1959, and thatof the more than 100,000 Tibetans who followed,came the diffusion of Tibetan Buddhism beyondthe land of snows. Over the last 40 years, this dif-fusion has spawned monastic institutionsthroughout the Indian subcontinent, brought thestudy of Tibetan Buddhism to the classrooms ofmajor Western universities, and led to the estab-lishment by Tibetan lamas (teachers) of spintualcommunities in Europe and North America.Before Chinese-Occupied TibetFor over a thousand years, personal and com-munal resources in Tibet were utilized to furtherthe aims of the spiritual community, whichincluded large monastic institutions, mountainhermitages for meditating ascetics, and secludednunneries. A mutually beneficial relationship
existed between the laity and the ordained monksand nuns: the laity offered material necessitiessuch as food and clothing, while the monasticcommunity provided spiritual guidance and lead-ership. Even though some unscrupulous monksand ambitious bureaucrats took advantage of thissystem for personal gain, on the whole the leaderswho developed Tibetan social, religious, andpolitical structures showed deep concern for thespiritual well-being of both the individual and thecommunity While pre- 1959 Tibet was not aUtopia, nor did it match its Hollywood depictionas Shangri-La, it was a highly devout society thatproduced some of the most sophisticated philo-sophical reflections m world thought.This system changed dramatically when Chinainvaded Tibet, razing over 6,000 monasteries andnunneries, burning thousands of libraries, andbombarding sacred chotens (Buddhist monu-ments) and grottos to ruins. Tens of thousands ofmonks and nuns, teachers, scholars, and devoutlay people lost their lives for their religious beliefs,forever altering the spiritual teaching lineages' andthe sacred landscape of Tibet.Tibetan BuddhismBeyond the Land of SnowsRe-establishing monasteries in the refugee com-munities in India and Nepal was critical to sus-taining the cultural and spiritual traditions of the
* A lineage is an unbroken line of successive masters throughwhich are transmitted the oral instructions on particular religioustexts and spiritual practices.
Monks at Rumtek Monastery near Gangtok, Sikkim,lift a larger-than-life-size mask of Padmasambhava, worn bya monk, Padmasambhava firmly established Buddhism inTibet. Photo by Don Farber
Tibetans. Initiated by the many lamas who fledTibet in the late 1950s and early 1960s, monaster-ies were established in virtually every refugeecommunity and Buddhist pilgrimage site on thesouthern slope of the Himalayas. By the early1970s, the Tibetan govemment-in-exile assisted insetting up large monasteries on land provided bythe Indian government. These monasteries todayhouse several thousand monks each and maintainmost of the traditional customs, although somecommunal agricultural work is required of able-bodied monks.
A notable development in India withm the last20 years has been the revitalizalion of the nun tra-dition. Although monks and nuns are meant tohave equal opportunities, in Tibet this was not thecase. In exile, however, with the Dalai Lama's sup-port and the dedication and initiative of the nunsthemselves, religious and educational opportuni-ties are now being instituted for them.Within the last decade, some nunneries andmonasteries in India and Nepal have merged thetraditional religious curriculum of philosophy,debate, and analytical contemplation with a mod-ern curriculum of computer, Internet, andEnglish-language course work.Tibetan Buddhist Studies andDharma CentersTibetan Buddhisms influence has stretched farbeyond the Indian subcontinent, manifesting itselfin North America primarily in the establishmentof Tibetan Buddhist studies in universities and ofDharma Centers by Tibetan meditation teachersand their Western students.Tibetan Buddhist studies in North America weredeveloped by Westerners who had traveled andlived in India and Nepal in the 1960s. These spiri-tual seekers traded their encounter with the soli-tary meditators life in the Himalayas to becomethe new generation of scholars, translators, andcommentators of ancient religious texts in modernuniversity classrooms.This new wave of Tibetan Buddhist scholars dif-fers from the 19th- and 20th-century
"Orientalists" for whom the study of TibetanBuddhism ? which they termed pejoratively
"Lamaism" ? was one primarily of textual philol-ogy. These philologists subordinated the study ofTibetan Buddhism to that of Indian, Chinese, andJapanese Buddhism. The new Western scholarsfocus more on the teaching lineages of livingTibetans, bringing refugee lamas into the class-room to explain their traditions. Instead of grap-pling solely with the literal translations of theancient religious texts, these new Western univer- 47
students at a Dharma Centerreview notes before a meditationsession. Tibetan Buddhistmeditation and ptiilosophy aretaught in Dharma Centers notonly by refugee lamas butWesterners as well. DharmaCenters are a completely newphenomenon in the TibetanBuddhist tradition.
sity professors and their students explore potentialapplications of Tibetan Buddfiist traditions such asanalytical meditations and scholarly debate.Dharma Centers are spiritual communities forWesterners that formed under the spiritual guid-ance of Tibetan lamas. The myriad forms ofTibetan Buddhist practice have resulted in a vari-ety of Buddhist practices being taught in NorthAmenca. An expression m Tibet that conveys thisnotion of diversity states, "In every valley a differ-ent dialect, with every lama a different spirituallineage." While some Tibetan lamas, for example,have merged Western free verse poetry vnthBuddhist formless meditation, others have empha-sized traditional disciplined study and the funda-mentals of Buddhist philosophy Spontaneity andesoteric rituals have been the focus of some lamasat Dharma Centers, while more conventionallamas have developed and concentrated on a cur-riculum of study similar to that of their monastery.Although a handful of Dharma Centers haveseen episodes of misunderstanding and controver-sy between Tibetan lamas and their students, thecenters established in the past 30 years have laidthe foundation for the flourishing of TibetanBuddhism in the West? by some estimates, thesecond fastest growing religion in North Amenca.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether theseeds of Tibetan Buddhism will firmly take root.Perhaps in the next three decades, a culture ofethics, concentration, and wisdom will emerge outof Westerners' practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Onthe other hand, maybe the profound wisdom con-tamed in the many teachings, seminars, and booksthat Tibetan Buddhist lineage holders have offeredto the West will only be used to reduce stress andprovide relaxation.The Changing FaceOF Tibetan BuddhismAs much as Tibetan Buddhists have changed thespiritual landscape of India and academic andspiritual communities in the West, so, too, are theTibetans themselves changing. Had the Iron Birdnot flown into Tibet, Tibetan monasteries wouldprobably not be posting Buddhist teachings on theInternet today Had military tanks not fired onquiet mountainside nunneries, devoted Tibetannuns would not have fled Tibet and ultimatelyrevitalized the nun tradition in refugee communi-ties. And while m Tibet the majority of meditatorswere ordained monks and nuns supported by thematerial resources of the lay community in theWest the laity are the meditators as well as the48
financial supporters of TibetanBuddhism. But perhaps the clear-est example of the changing faceof Tibetan Buddhism beyond theland of snows can be found in the14th Dalai Lama himself.Enthroned at the age of four,the Dalai Lama was positioned totemporally and spiritually lead hispeople from inside the massiveand secluded Potala Palace inTibet's capital, Lhasa. He hasemerged, as history has seen,from the cloistered walls of thePotala to become one of theworld's most recognizable leaders.From convening symposiumson "Mind Science" with Harvardand Columbia professors and medical profession-als to giving commentary on the New Testamentto the World Community for Christian Meditationin England, the Dalai Lama consistently engagesthose outside the traditional Buddhist world. The14th Dalai Lama fills social, political, and religiousroles never known to the previous thirteen DalaiLamas in Tibet. His many books on ethics andcompassion have found a vast audience in theWest, and his tireless advocacy for human rightson the world political stage and for a non-violentresolution to the current occupation of Tibet,for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizein 1989, confirms the Dalai Lama's impact onmatters far beyond the traditional leadershipof Tibetans.The drastic changes in the role of the DalaiLama and Tibetan Buddhism reaffirm the funda-mental Buddhist tenet that all things must change.If it is true that all dependent things must change,it is hoped that the forces that continue to keepthe Dalai Lama and over 100,000 Tibetans sepa-rated from their homeland will also change, andTibetan Buddhism from "beyond" will return tothe land of snows.
Buddhism inContemporary TibetAll major Tibetan religiousleaders have fled Tibet in the last 40years. Few of Tibet's once-thrivingmonasteries and nunneries or sacredhermitages and cholens remain stand-ing since Tibet's invasion by Chineseforces. Despite this exodus anddestruction, and continued severerestrictions on religious expression inTibet today, Buddhist practice is stillalive due solely to the devotion and resilience of the Tibetans inside Tibet. Theability of Tibetans to withstand the oppression in their homeland is testimony tothe vitality and strength of the Tibetans' resolve to express their religion freely.
Suggested ReadingDalai Lama. 1995. The World of Tibetan Buddhism.Boston: Wisdom Publications.
. 1991. Mind Science. Boston; Wisdom
Two monks print Buddhist scriptures tormonastic libraries at the famous printing pressesof Derge, Kham, in eastern Tibet. Thousands ofmonastic libraries throughout Tibet have beendestroyed in the last 40 years of Chineseoccupation. Photo by Carol Elchert
Publications.
. 1990. Freedom in Exile. New York:HarperCollins.Goldstein, Melvyn D., and Matthew T. Kapstein, eds.1998. Buddhism in Contemporary Tibet. Berkeley:University of California Press.Revel, Jean-Francois, and Matthieu Ricard. 1999.The Monk and the Philosopher. New York:Schocken Books.Matthew Pistono, Manager of Programs jar the ConservancyJor Tibetan Art & CvXture in Washxnglon, D.C., is a ProgramCoordinator at this year's FolUiJe Festival. He received hismaster's degree in Indian philosophy from the School ofOriental and African Studies at the University of London andhas lived and traveled throughout Tibetan communities inTibet, Nepal, and northern India.Jamphel Lhundup, co-curator of Tibetan Culture Beyond theLand of Snows, holds a lopon degree (M.Phil.) with distinc-tion in Buddhist Sutra and Tantrafrom Namgyal Monastery inIndia. As the most outstanding student of the first graduatesfrom the re-established Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, hewas selected to serve as Junior Attendant to His Holiness theDalai Lama for ten years, traveling extensively worldwide. MrUiundup worked in the Office of His Holiness for three yearsbefore joining the Conseiyancy for Tibetan Art & Culture. 49

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Nuns in the TibetanBuddhist Tradition
by Venerable Lobsang Dechen and Elizabeth NapperBuddhism has had a very long and richhistory in Tibet since its arrival in the7th century. Its establishment in Tibet iscredited with spurring cultural development and aliterate society With Buddhism came monasticismand, from the earliest years, the tradition hasincluded nuns as well as monks.This is significant because in Tibet, unlike inmany traditional societies, women have had analternative to the expected pattern of marriage andmotherhood. Tibetan women have always takenadvantage of this opportunity to choose a lifefocused on spiritual endeavor, and many familiescount one or more nuns among their members.While the history of Tibet includes numerousfemale luminaries who reached advanced levels ofspiritual attainment, the norm has been ordainedwomen who live quietly, often engaging in medi-tative retreat without attracting a great deal ofattention. Monks, on the other hand, have been afar more visible part of public life and have beeninvolved in the official trappings of power andauthority in ways that the nuns never have been.Much of the explanation for this has to do witheducation. An elaborate system of educationevolved in the monasteries of Tibet, culminatingin the degree of geshe, comparable to the Westerndoctorate of philosophy This system was basedon many large monastic universities, which attheir height in the years before the communistChinese overran Tibet had up to 10,000 monks inresidence in a single monastery.The nuns were never a part of this system.
Nunneries were smaller, less tightly structuredinstitutions. After ordination, many nuns stayednear their famiUes and built small retreat housesjust outside the family compound. Their religiouspractice focused on meditation and prayer ratherthan advanced philosophical studies.All this was radically changed by the commu-nist invasion of Tibet and its repression of reli-gion. Monks and nuns were imprisoned, forced tomarry, and most of the monasteries and nunnerieswere physically destroyed. The years between1980 and 1987 brought an easing of religiousrestnctions in Tibet and a slow re-establishment ofthe nunneries. Women flocked to them. Since1987, however, severe constraints on the nunner-ies (and monasteries), such as limiting admissionand ordination and instituting "patriotic re-education" to communist ideology, have beenre-imposed in Tibet. In response to these coercivemeasures, large numbers of nuns have fled toTibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal,and several nunneries have been established thereto receive them.In the refugee communities, a serious move-ment is underway both to draw upon thestrengths of this ancient spiritual tradition forwomen and to develop and improve it, especiallythrough adding more formal education. In all theTibetan Buddhist schools, the traditional coursesof study are being opened up to women, includ-ing those leading to the geshe degree. Since it isnearly a 20-year course of study, no women haveyet completed it, but some have reached advanced52
levels of the syllabus, and the day of the firstwoman geshe is fast approaching.An interesting case in point is ShugsepNunnery The original Shugsep Nunnery is locat-ed several hours to the southwest of Lhasa. It wasfirst established as a place of learning and prayerin the Uth century. Destroyed by the DzunkarMongols in the late 17th century, the site lay inruins for more than 200 years. About 100 yearsago, the site was re-occupied as a religious center,and the renowned woman teacher, Jetsun RigzinChonyl Sangmo, made it her home. Known asShugsep Jetsun Rinpoche, she was one of themost famous teachers in Tibet during the first halfof the century. She died in 1953 at the age of over100. She was the holder of a number of importantpractice lineages. Noteworthy among these wasthe lineage of chod (cutting-off ego) practice thatdates back to Ma-jik-lap-dron, a renowned yogini(female yoga adept) of the 11th century TheShugsep nuns received this lineage of practicefrom her and continue it to this day They areknovm for their detailed and beautiful perform-ance of rituals.Fleeing the repressive environment in Tibet, anumber of the Shugsep nuns have come to India
and Nepal. Some left Tibet having endured impris-onment and torture after they peacefully demon-strated on behalf of Tibetan independence, whileothers left to seek educational opportunitiesdenied in Tibet. A group of about 20 Shugsepnuns live in Nepal, mainly engaged in meditativeretreat. A larger group of over 50, including nunsat this years Folklife Festival, have relocated to theDharamsala area of North India. There they con-tinue the meditative and ritual practices of theirhome nunnery. These nuns also have entered intothe nine-year course of study that is undertakenby the monks of their Nyingma tradition. In doingthis, they are complementing a long and esteemedtradition that stretches back to the greatest womenmeditators of Tibetan Buddhism, with educationalqualifications that viall enable them to take moreactive roles as teachers and representatives of theirrich spintual heritage in the future.Suggested ReadingKhachoe Ghahyil Ling Nunnery<http://www.zamba.com/BuddhasVillage/causes/khachoe.htm>.The Tibetan Nuns Project <http://www.angelfire.cotn/nt/tnp>.Lobsang Dechen was bom in India in 1960, just after herparents escapedfrom Tibet. She became a nun at the age of 13.Because there was no education available at the one nunnery inthe Dharamsala area at that time, she remained in the Tibetanschools established in India by the exile community to completeher secondary education. She then attended an Indian college,where she earned a B.A. and B.Ed. In 1992, she began workingfull timefor the Tibetan Nuns Project, in order to advance itsefforts to make educational opportunities available for nunsthroughout the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She and ElizabethNapper are Co-Directors of the Tibetan Nuns Project.Elizabeth Napper received a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, with afocus on Tibetan Buddhism, from the University ofVir^nia.She has taught there, at Stanford University, and the Universityof Hawaii and has authored and edited several books onBuddhist philosophy and the Tibetan language. Since 1991 shehas devoted her efforts full time to the Tibetan Nuns Projectand the establishment of the Dolma Ling Institute of HigherStudies for nuns, the first ever of its kind. Through itssponsorship program, the Nuns Project supports approximately500 nuns from all schools of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. 53
^Presenting Tibetan ArtBeyond the Land of Snows
by Kalsang and Kim YcshiUnder circumstances of extreme duress,artistic culture suffers greatly as survivalbecomes peoples most pressing prionty.The disruptive events of the 20th century in Tibetdestroyed much of the nation's cultural wealthaccumulated over 12 centuries. More than thephysical expressions of this great civilization weredestroyed, for the upheavals that shook Tibetfrom 1949 to 1978 also eliminated many of theheirs and practitioners of the great artistic tradi-tions, as well as their supporting institutions.Monasteries had long supported the arts mTibet. Additionally, since the 18th century thetraditions of thangka (religious scroll paintings),applique thangka, statue making, and woodcarv-ing were organized into guilds, whose memberswere highly respected within Tibetan society Afterthe guilds were forced to disband in 1959, littlecould be done within Tibet to ensure the future ofthe traditions they had represented.In the refugee communities Tibetans first facedan urgent struggle for survival. After safety and amodest degree of stability were achieved, effortswere initiated within the Tibetan community toensure the preservation of their artistic culture.Training highly skilled artists proved to be unfea-sible because Tibetans at that time did not havethe means to commission work from them. Manyof the refugees accepted the artwork they couldafford, despite its lower quality and gradually thepublics appreciation of fine work declined.Artistic creations that would normally have takenmonths to complete were replaced with more per-
functory versions, using cheaper, ready-madematerials. For the first 20 years after fleeing Tibet,refugee artists were likely to give up their trade formore lucrative occupations or to work on then-own for very little. The students they trainedlacked the vision or courage to set themselves upon their own once they had completed theirinstruction, and often resorted to working inrestaurants or peddling sweaters on the streets ofMadras, Delhi, or Bombay And the few artistswho resettled m the West had little opportunity todevelop their skills.By the late 1980s, when conditions for Tibetanrefugees had become more stable, new effortswere undertaken to provide support for artists.Expenence had shown that mere training was notsufficient; artists required a healthy context mwhich to work, proper remuneration had to begiven, and the craft masters had to commandpublic respect.Since 1988, the Norbulingka Institute mDharamsala has sought to reverse the early down-ward trend, recognizing the dangers that thedecrease in quality posed for cultural survival.The institute began as a center to train artists instatue making, thangka painting and applique,and woodcarving. The institute building itself wasintended to inspire the artists who worked andtrained within it. It combines modem and tradi-tional Tibetan architecture with a design based onthe iconographic outline of Avalokiteshvara(Chenrezig in Tibetan) ? the Buddha of compas-sion, the patron deity of Tibet ? and has pools.
tfi
lush gardens, and a breathtaking view of theDhauladhar mountain range of the WesternHimalayas.The system of training at Norbulingka is basedon that which prevailed in pre-1959 Tibet.Apprentices work under the guidance of their sen-ior and junior masters in six- to twelve-year train-ing courses. The apprentices receive food, lodging,and a basic stipend which increases in proportionto their participation in the work undertaken bythe master and his senior apprentices. By the timetrainees complete the course, they have the optionof leaving and establishing themselves, workingfor other patrons, or simply rising to the rank of
"worker" or "junior master" and continuing toserve at Norbulingka itself. The intention has beento set up a supportive, free environment so thatartists may concentrate on their work and take
whatever time is required to produce the exquisitereligious statues, thangkas, carved furniture, andso on that have so distinguished Tibet's uniqueartistic tradition in the past.In order for an artistic tradition to survive, itmust be viable and self-sufficient. It must beappreciated and supported by people belongingto the culture in which it originated. These are thetasks that the Norbulingka Institute has set foritself. The first step was to obtain funds to buildadequate workshops for the artists. The nextwas to ensure that the masters felt comfortableteaching their apprentices the way they had beentrained themselves, specifically that they did notfeel under any pressure to take shortcuts. Thethird and most challenging task was to accustomthe local public ? Indians, Tibetans, and touristsalike ? to fine quality and to raise their standardsof appreciation. The mastersset the cost of their productsbased on the useof the best materials, andresulting orders showedthat there was indeed anaudience for qualityproducts. Norbulingka isconfident that the Tibetanpublic have not forgotten themeaning of quality and thatthey sufficiently appreciatetheir past to support theefforts of their artists.Presently, three-quarters of
Kalsang Ladoe measures the heightof an unfinished Buddha statue inDharamsala, India.Photo ? Sonam Zoksang 55
all orders at Norbulmgka onginaie from theTibetan community. Revenue generated from thiswork allows the institute to pay adequate salariesand offer a range of benefits sufficiently attractivethat most Norbulingka trainees wish to remain tocomplete their apprenticeship.Training at NorbulingkaStatue MakingIt takes 12 years to train a statue maker. Themaster seeks young, bright apprentices ideally nomore than 13 or 14 years old. They are firsttaught to draw and then begin to interpret theirdrawings m copper, hammered into wax. Onlywhen they have mastered this technique will theymove on to participate in the work of the studio.In their eighth or ninth year, they begin to makestatues of deities, after they have studied all theproportional iconographic grids particular to eachone. These works, made from copper plates thatare later gilded and assembled, can measure up to20 ft. and involve a team of artists workingtogether. Though a fully trained artist may be ableto complete the work on a small metal-cast statueby himself, only a team can tackle the uniquerequirements of larger works. At present, theNorbulingka studio, working under the highlyqualified master and Festival participant, PembaDorjee, is the only team dnw.? ^^'vrh wi^rl-
Thangka PaintingThangka painters train for six years. Dependingon their ability they will begin to participate in thework of the studio vathin two to three years afterhaving studied the proportional grids of all theclasses of deities in the Tibetan Buddhist pan-theon. The Norbulingka studio receives numerousorders which are executed by the masters and themore advanced apprentices. Apprentices maywork on sections of thangkas corresponding totheir ability Some thangkas are commissioned andhave to be created from scratch; the master has todo the preparatory research specific to the subjectportrayed in the thangka by consulting ancientreligious texts and the masters of the particularspiritual lineage. Thus, as was done m EuropeanRenaissance studios, a number of painters maycontribute to a thangka working at different levels,with the master supervising the project and con-tributing the final touches.On completing a six-year apprenticeship, thenewly qualified painter may be able to paint athangka from start to finish, but he may still notbe able to accomplish the research required forspecial commissions. This is a skill acquired withfurther experience. So far, most of theNorbulingka graduates have opted to remain inthe studio taking on increasingly challenging tasksand training new students themselves.
Left: Choe Puntsok, the senior instructorat Norbulingka Institute, who is participat-ing in the Folklife Festival, demonstratestechniques of woodcarvmg.Photo by Jamphel LhundupOpposite page: A young Tibetan trainsin drawing the strict iconographic forms ofthe Buddhist deities of traditionalthangka paintings. Photo by Jamphel Lhundup
r
WOODCARVINGA woodcarver's training also takes six years andlike the painters' and statue-makers' course beginswith drawing. The next task is to create a set oftools and to begin to carve. Talented trainees maybe able to participate in the work of the studiowithin two years, but until they reach that stage,they practice on their own pieces, to be sold bythe institute as "trainees' work." In the process,they learn the rules of Tibetan furniture makingand the skills to produce altars, tables, thrones,headboards, and chests.
Through well-trained artists whose work ismade available to a v^dder public outside India,Tibetan art should not only survive withm its owncommunity, but also gain recognition as a livingpractice that can take its place among the world'sgreat artistic traditions. It is to be hoped that theNorbulingka Institute and similar organizationssuch as the Shechen Institute of TraditionalTibetan Arts in Nepal will produce enough highlyqualified artists so that Tibetan works of art willnot only become more readily available but alsoregain their position as a source of pride andopportunity among the Tibetan community
Suggested ReadingBeer, Robert. 1999. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbolsand Motifs. New York: Shambhala.Jackson, David & Janice. 1988. Tibetan ThangkaPainting: Methods and Materials. New York;Snow Lion.Norbulingka Institute <http://www.norbuIingka.com>.Shechen Monastery <http://shechen.12pt.com/finley03.html>.Kahang Ycshi was born in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1941 and joinedDrepung Monasteiy when he was 15 years old. He left Tibetwith the 100,000 Tibetan refugees whofollowed the DalaiLama into exile. Kahang received an acharya degree (M.A.equivalent) in 1972 and trawled to the United States to teachat the Universities of Pennsylvania and Virffniaforfive years.In 1979, he married, returned to India to serve as a ministerand cabinet member in the Tibetan goveinment-in-exile, andinitiated what is now the Norbulingka Institute. He is currentlyDirector of Norbulingka.Kim Yeshi was raised and educated in France. She studiedanthropology at Vassar College and received an M.A. inBuddhist studies from the University of Virginia. Kim marriedKalsang Yeshi in 1979. She began the Losel Doll project in1983 to raise funds for Drepung Monastery, relocated in SouthIndia. Through the Losel dolls, more than 1 75 traditionalTibetan costumes were researched and documented. In 1988,she helped establish Norbulingka Institute and in 1995 becameManaff.ng Director
57
RethinkingTibetan Identity
by Losang C. RahgeyIn Tibetan refugee settlements in rural SouthIndia, we drove for what seemed a shorteternity past scattered clusters of whitewashedmud-brick bungalows covered with clay tiles andvast stretches of cleared farmland, ready for plant-ing. Along the roadside, wild flowers, red, orange,yellow, grew in profusion. Finally, we turned andsped past an elderly woman in a thick black chuha(Tibetan dress) standing placidly under a bananatree. Although I only glimpsed her for a moment,I am sure I'll never forget the sight. I had neverbefore seen a Tibetan in a tropical environment.The scene was perfect. How jarring was thisimage of an elderly highlander woman standing ina heavy woollen dress in the unkind heat ofIndia's summer plains? At that moment I began tolet go of an earlier need to know the "real" past, toknow one truth. I began to shift my gaze to thedialectic of our people's strategies, adaptations,and creativities. 1 began, in a sense, to searchmore for the spirit of a people than for a solidifiedhistorical lineage.The Tibetan identity I so eagerly sought to quan-tify had just flashed by me in an instant. Far awayand below the pastures and peaks of Tibet, it wasthere in a dignified old woman's pacific momentin the shade of a banana tree. A piece of thepuzzle. My own concerns with diasporic identitiesdid not disappear, but they landed on earth. Thepieces were falling together? our story hasturned a page to a daring new chapter, fraughtwith challenge, danger, and hope. And much ofthe story is still in our hands.
DiasporaIt is not possible m the space of a few pagesto describe fully the tremendous shifts Tibetans inthe diaspora have experienced in over 40 yearsof exile. In that time we have willingly, andsometimes rather unwillingly, opened our eyesto a plethora of places, peoples, issues, and waysof life.What makes us a diaspora now and not simplya people in exile? It is m part, 1 would argue, ourvery diversity Undoubtedly we were a diversepeople before China occupied Tibet. About thesize of Western Europe, Tibet's difficult terrain onthe plateau resulted in a nation wth a variety ofdialects and customs. But our current diversity oflanguages spoken, cities lived in, professionspursued, and ideas thought is unprecedented mour 2,000 years of history.For the first brief decade in India, we tmly wererefugees in exile. Literally uprooted and trans-planted overnight into a new world, the displace-ment was felt most strongly by the adults of thatgeneration. My generation, those in our twentiesand thirties, stands as a group on their strong,broad, and chuba-clad shoulders.ChangesOne of the fundamental teachings of Buddhismcenters around mithakpa ? impermanence orchange. After centuries of studying this concept,and to a large extent suppressing it in our secularworld, change is now the one constant in Tibetansociety, both inside and outside Tibet.58
A Tibetan woman dressed in a chuba returns from amilk cooperative among the palm trees of South India.Tibetan refugees have had to adjust to the hot, humidenvironment of the Indian subcontinent.Photo by Losang Rabgey
In response to a variety of political forces, wehave altered our social order, governmental struc-ture, gender relations, even our spoken language.Ordinary Tibetans from all corners of Tibet havenever had so much direct contact with each other.The linguistic mix of Tibetan, Hindi, and Englishis something I like to call "Thinglish": untradition-al, but it works. This is a key to Tibetan survivalbeyond the land of snows? we approach what isaround us and combine it with what we need andknow to define a space uniquely ours. Todaythere are many Tibetan identities coexisting, allrelated yet different. If we can reconcile the gapsin this diversity, we can only benefit from thestrength of a variety of knowledge, experiences,and outlooks.
My StoryMy own story is a diasporic one throughout: Myparents fled from Tibet, I was bom in India, Igrew up in Canada, and was educated in England.What has this patchwork past taught me? I amamazed, again and again, at how much Tibetanshave had to absorb and adapt, and how quicklyand efficiently we have done so in a few shortdecades. The Tibet before the Chinese invasion isno more. There is a new sun that lights our days,no longer solely a Tibetan sun, but one that reach-es all the different spaces we now call home ?India, Nepal, Burma, Brazil, South Africa, Prague,Holland, Japan, the United States, Canada,Taiwan, Australia, Switzerland, even Beijing andChengdu. The list goes on. Those dearest to us arescattered around the world, making our commu-nity a xillage on a global scale.Growing up in Lindsay, a small town inOntario, Canada, certainly presented challenges inthe 1970s, when tolerance of diversity was not aswidely accepted. It was a struggle to maintain asense of identity that made sense in two worlds,one that engulfed us and one located on theopposite side of the world. It was a struggle tocompete with legions of peers who had the cul-tural and economic capital to succeed.But like immigrants everywhere, there is thewill to move beyond the confines of a blue-collarexistence. Education has been a vital avenue forthe new generation. Young women and men areencouraged by parents to learn. While our parentsare factory workers, janitors, and short-ordercooks standing behind us, we are now lawyers,architects, investment bankers, doctors, profes-sors, and writers. In my case, my parents clearlyemphasized the need to balance independencewith work that positively impacts societyChallengesFor each new group of Tibetans that arrives inIndia or the West, once they begin to stand ontheir own feet economically, I think the questionquickly arises? what does it mean to be a 59
Tibetan now? What is my relation to my home-land and culture? What are my responsibilities?What are my joys and privileges? How will mychildren identify as Tibetans? How much will itmatter to them?As a Tibetan of the diaspora, I can attest to thefact that most young Tibetans at some point devel-op a strong desire to connect with their culturalheritage. One of the most precious gifts my par-ents have given my sister, brother, and me is thelanguage. Through our native tongue, we havebeen empowered to choose how and when toexplore Tibetan culture. Certainly, much can beunderstood through other languages. But muchmore of the culture can be felt by speaking face toface with knowledge bearers. Thus, the challengelies ahead for current and future parents to some-how ensure that the future generations speak thisancient word.Another question that is often asked of Tibetansin the diaspora is whether we would return to a
"free" Tibet. Each person has, of course, her/his
own reasoning and response. But instead of focus-ing on this answer, perhaps what we can doinstead is to shift to a more pertinent question. Weare just about f 40,000 in the diaspora. There areseveral million Tibetans inside Tibet. A crucialchallenge we now collectively face is this: Withour hard-won experience and knowledge from thediaspora, what can we offer and what can we dofor our sisters and brothers in Tibet? What can wedo for our sisters and brothers in this shrinkingglobal village?
Losang C. Rabgcy is a Ph.D. candidate at the School ojOnental and African Studies, University' oj London, England,where she specializes in gender anthropology and the Tibetandiaspora. Herjieldwork has focused on oral life histories ofTibetan women in India and the West.After her parents fled Tibet in 1959, Losang was born ina refugee settlement in northern India. Herfamily soonemigrated to Canada and, by the late 1970s, founded thePotala Tibetan Performance Arts group. In 1987, Losangtraveled with her family to Tibet and her father's village inKham.
60
Tibetan Nomads
by Daniel J. MillerNomadic pastoralism represents one of thegreat advances in the evolution of humancivilization. Originating about 9,000years ago, with the domestication of sheep andgoats in what is now northern Iran, it is a special-ized type of agricultural production in rangelandareas where extensive animal husbandry is moresupportive of human culture than cultivatedcrops. People who specialize in raising livestockrequiring frequent movements are known asnomadic pastoralists, or nomads.The Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas, encompass-ing parts of China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan,constitute a vast rangeland area where nomadicpastoralism is still widely practiced. Here, in whatis undoubtedly the harshest pastoral area on earth
? the Tibetan steppe ? nomads still thrive,maintaining a pastoral legacy that is thousands ofyears old. The survival of Tibetan nomads in thishigh-elevation landscape provides examples ofnomadic practices that were once widespreadthroughout the pastoral world, but are nowincreasingly hard to find. Tibetan nomads thusoffer an exceptional opportunity to learn moreabout a way of life that is quickly vanishing fromthe face of the earth.A Distinct Nomadic CultureTibetan nomadic pastoralism is distinct ecologi-cally from pastorahsm in most other regionswhere nomads are found. The key factors thatdistinguish Tibetan nomadic pastoraj areas fromcultivated agricultural areas are altitude and
temperature, in contrast to mostother pastoral areas of the worldwhere the key factor is usuallythe lack of water. Tibetan nomadsprosper at altitudes of 11,000 to 17,000feet m environments too cold for cropcultivation. Yet at these high elevations thereis still extensive and productive grazing land thatprovides nutritious forage for nomads' herds.Tibetan nomadic pastoralism is also characterizedby a unique animal, the yak (Bos grunniens), whichis superbly adapted to the high-altitude, coldenvironment. The wild yak is the progenitor of alldomestic yak populations. The domestication ofthe wild yak, about 4,000 years ago, was animportant factor in the evolution of Tibetancivilization.Tibetan nomads raise yaks, yak-cattle hybrids,sheep, goats, and horses. Yaks provide nomadswith milk, meat, hair, wool, and hides. Yaks arealso used as pack animals and for riding. Driedyak dung is an important source of fuel in a landwhere firewood is not available. The yak makeslife possible for people across much of theTibetan steppe. Tibetans place so much value onthe yak that the Tibetan term for a family's groupof yaks, nor, can be translated as "wealth." Yaksalso play an important part in many pastoralntuals and religious festivals. Events such as yakdances and yak races signify the vital role thatyaks have in Tibetan society not only as a meansof daily sustenance, but also for their cultural andspiritual value. 61
Sheep and goats are also miponam animals,especially in western Tibet where it is more and,and provide nomads with wool, milk, meat, andhides. The wool from Tibetan sheep ranks amongthe best carpet wool in the world, and Tibetangoat hair produces one of the finest cashmeres.Tibetan nomads use horses for riding and fortransporting supplies, but horses are not milked,nor is their meat eaten.Tibetan nomads' herds usually contain a mix ofanimal species. Each one has its own specific char-acteristics and adaptations to the environment,and the multi-species grazing system enables moreefficient use of rangeland vegetation. Maintainingdiverse herd compositions also minimizes the riskof total livestock loss from disease or snowstorms.In addition to taking care of animals, Tibetannomads have specialized skills in spinning andweaving. Nomads fashion highly functional tents,clothing, blankets, ropes, pack bags, and saddleblankets from the wool and hair of their animals.Trade and links with agricultural communitieshave always been important features of nomadicsocieties in the Himalayas and on the TibetanPlateau. Trade represents an essential element mthe pastoral economy of most areas, as nomadsdepend on bartering their livestock products forgrain and other supplies they cannot producethemselves. In recent decades, patterns of resetde-ment and border closings have altered thenomadic economy; however, trade remains criticalto their livelihood.Herds on the MoveMobility is a central charactenstic of Tibetannomadic pastoralism, but nomads do not wanderfreely across the steppe. Rather, their movementsare usually well prescribed by a complex socialorganization. Rotation of livestock betweendifferent pastures maintains animal productivityand helps to conserve the grass. Herd movementsalso take advantage of topography and climaticfactors to make the best use of pastures at differentseasons.
The Tibetan steppeis distinguished byhighly unpredictableenvironmentaldisturbances such asperiods of droughtthat wither the grassand severe snow-storms that candevastate nomads'herds. The organiza-tional flexibility oftraditional Tibetannomadic pastoral-ism, which empha-sizes mobility of the multi-species herds, devel-oped as a rational response to the unpredictabilityof the ecosystem. In terms of the livestock species'mix and herd structure, the Tibetan pastoral sys-tem shows sophisticated adaptive responses by thenomads to the environment in which they live andthe resources available to them and their animals.Yak-hair tents are a prime example of Tibetans'skill m adapting to a nomadic life on the Tibetansteppe. Made from the long, coarse hair of the yak,the tents can be easily taken down and packed onyaks when moving camp. Staked out with yak-hairropes, the tents have been perfected to stand up inthe fierce winds that whip across the Tibetanplains in the winter.Almost all nomads have a home base, usuallythe traditional winter area, and make establishedmoves with their livestock from there to distantpastures throughout the year The traditional yak-hair tent is still in common use, although manynomads spend an increasing amount of time, espe-cially in the winter, in their more comfortablehouses, which have been constructed in the lastcouple of decades across most of the TibetanPlateau.Survival of a Nomadic Way of LifeAn estimated two million Tibetan nomads nowinhabit the Tibetan steppe in Tibet, China, Nepal,62
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and India. Andnearby, inLadakh, India,where thenomad partici-pants in thisyears Festivalhve, generationsof nomads con-tinue to movetheir animalsthrough thevalleys andmountains of theHimalayas. Onereason why Tibetan pastoralism has flounshed tothis day on the Tibetan steppe as well as theborder areas such as Ladakh is that there has beenlittle encroachment into the nomadic areas byfarmers trying to plow up the grass and plantcrops. In addition, the indigenous nomadicpastoral systems developed by Tibetans were asuccessful evolutionary adaptation to life in oneof the most inhospitable places on earth. Overcenturies, Tibetan nomads have acquired complexknowledge about the environment in which theylived and upon which their lives depended,enabling them to develop a vibrant nomadicculture, of which, unfortunately, so little has beenknown to outsiders.In recent years, the complexity and ecologicaland economic efficacy of many aspects of Tibetannomadic pastoralism have begun to be recognized.While this is encouraging, current Chinese stateprograms to settle nomads forceably and toprivatize and fence the grasslands jeopardize manyworthy aspects of Tibetan nomadic culture. Theincreased tendency towards year-round grazing oflivestock around settlements could also lead tofurther rangeland degradation. Because of thenomads' vast wealth of indigenous knowledgeabout their animals and the environment they livein, it is hoped they wall be better consulted in theplanning and implementation of more appropriate
development interventions for Tibetan pastoralareas in the future.Tibetan nomads face many challenges adjustingto the modernization process that is sweepingacross the steppes now. However, they have pre-vailed under forbidding circumstances ever sincethey first ventured onto the steppes with their ani-mals and, despite new pressures in the last 50years, their pastoral system has proven to be sur-pnsingly stable. Since much of the Tibetan PlateauIS only suitable for grazing, nomadic pastoralismshould continue to thrive in the future, even asincreased numbers of nomads settle and pursueother opportunities. As long as there are grass andyaks, Tibetan nomads should maintain theirnomadic culture, and the world vidll be healthierfor it.Suggested ReadingBarfield, Thomas. 1993. The Nomadic Alten^ative.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.Goldstein, Melvyn, and Cynthia Beall. 1990. Nomadsoj Western Tibet: The Survival of a Way ojLiJe.Berkeley: University of California Press.Jones, Schuyler. 1996. Tibetan Nomads: Environment,Pastoral Economy, and Mateiial Culture. London:Thames and Hudson.Miller, Daniel. 1998. Fields of Grass: Portraits oJ thePastoral Landscape and Nomads of the TibetanPlateau and Himalayas. Kathmandu: InternationalCentre for Integrated Mountain Development.Namkhai Norbu. 1997. Journey among the TibetanNomads. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works andArchives.Schaller, George. 1997. Tibet's Hidden Wilderness:Wildlife and Nomads of the Chang Tang Reserve.New York: Heniy H. Abrams.
Daniel Miller is a range ecolo^st and first worked withTihctan-speaking nomads in Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteerin the 1970s. For the last 17 years he has been involved in pas-toral development and wildlife conseryation programs withnomads in Bhutan, Nepal, and throughout the Tibetan areas ofpresent-day China, Mongolia, and Pakistan. He has publishednumerous articles and books about Tibetan pastoralism andcurrently resides in Washington, D.C.
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El Rio:Culture and Environmentin the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basini I by Olivia Cadaval and Cynthia VidauiiiFrom the mountains ofColorado, through the iTiggedlandscapes of New Mexicoand Texas, to the fragile semi-desert ofnorthern Mexico, the Rio Grande/RioBravo is the lifeblood of the ecosystemsand cultures of the region. The river hasalways invited settlement, agriculture,industiy, commerce, and recreation. Onits banks. Native Americans and later theSpanish established tov^ns that continueto thrive. So much water is diverted fromthe river for agriculture that little flowsfrom Its headwaters into the Gulf ofMexico. Fish are taken from it for human
survival and sport. Rafts and canoes bobon its waters when they rise in the64
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spring. Ii IS both a source of human life and a siteof industrial contamination. It flows throughmany jurisdictions and cultural and geographicregions and provides an international boundaryand commercial gateway between the UnitedStates and Mexico. The river determines humanactivity, and human activity defines the river.The river is the backbone of a larger natural sys-tem, the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. Its primar)'source is in the forested mountains of San Juan inColorado and the Sierra Madre in northernMexico. Snow-melts start as runs, rivulets, andcreeks flowing into streams, which empty intorivers. All eventually dram into the Rio Grande, asit is called m the United States, and the Rio Bravo,as it IS known in Mexico. The nver traverses deepcanyons in northern New Mexico and Big BendNational Park in Texas. It continues throughrolling hills and flatlands before meeting the semi-tropical region of the Lower Rio Grande Valleyand draining into the Gulf of Mexico belowBrownsville, Texas. As a whole, the basin is aharsh desert land, which may rapidly shift fromperiods of drought to flood. This program pres-ents communities that dwell in this river basin.The cultures of these communities can show ussome of the ways people have developed to live mthis ecology, how they shape it, and how they areshaped by it. How they and others treat the rn-eraffects land and life beyond the riverbanksthroughout the basin.People cannot always control natural forces.Rivers may shift and re-forai and alter the soci-eties built around them. For example, theConchos river system in Chihuahua joined theupper Rio Grande/Rio Bravo fairly recently in geo-logical terms. A shift in the rivers course createdinternational concern because it resulted in
Previous page; The river runs between IVIexico and the UnitedStates, near Presidio, Texas, and Ojinaga, Chihuahua. Theview is majestic.Donde el rio corre entre Mexico y los Estados Unidos, cercade Ojmaga, Chihuahua, y Presidio, Texas, la vista esmajeStUOSa. Photo by/folo de David Bosserman
Mexico's losing land to the United States. The landwas eventually deeded back to Mexico, but eventhough it was not a large amount of land?unimportant in terms of natural resources orstrategic position ? it became a symbol of nation-al sovereignty This episode illustrates PaulMorgan's observation in Great River: The RioGrande in North American History: "The mainphysical circumstances of the Rio Grande . . .assume meaning only in terms of people whocame to the river" (Morgan 1984:7).Technology can affect the river's course. TheU.S. Corps of Engineers built dams and reservoirsin the 1950s and 1960s to "better manage" thewater In Cochiti Pueblo, the dam physicallydestroyed agricultural fields and, with them, farm-ing as a way of life. But the Pueblo found ways tosustain their ritual Corn Dance even as residentssought jobs outside the Pueblo.Living on the land and water nurtures knowl-edge and values, whose application, in turn,shapes the water and land. Antonio Manzanares ofLos Ojos, New Mexico, maintains sheep-herdingpractices adapted to the arid region that date backto the first Spanish settlements here. These prac-tices, which are based in values of land steward-ship rather than land ovwiership, depend on rota-tion of pastures and communal land use. Today,this requires collaboration between the local resi-dents and national institutions like the U.S. ForestService.River and people have limits in what they cansustain. New populations, new technologies, andnew demands for housing, industry, and recre-ation threaten to bring natural and cultural ero-sion. The Albuquerque-Bernalillo corridor in NewMexico has become the hub of a computer indus-try that offers employment to rapidly growingnumbers of people from outside the area. Itsexpanding suburbs encroach on the PetroglyphNational Monument, a site the Pueblo Nation con-siders sacred.Natural forces sometimes reverse these incur-sions. Maria Elena Russom, a weaver with Tierra66
Wools in Los Ojos, New Mexico, explained, "It'sbeautiful, up in the mountains, the closest place toheaven that you can get. Tourists come and theywant to live here. They buy land, but when wehave one of our real winters, they leave and don'tcome back. It's a good thing because when itsnows, we have water m our rivers, and that'swhat we need."We asked several broad questions about thedynamic interplay between culture and environ-ment in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. First,how does traditional knowledge developed overgenerations contribute to managing land andwater resources? Second, in what ways does theenvironment shape a community's cultural identi-ty? And third, how can local knowledge and cul-tural practices contribute to sustainable develop-ment and provide the basis for successful econom-ic enterprise?The geographic expanse of the basin and its cul-tural diversity posed a challenge for our researchthat we met with the help of colleagues and insti-tutions in the region. Together we developed ananthology of case studies that tell compeUing sto-ries of the interconnectedness of culture and envi-ronment in the basin's complex landscape. "Wegrouped the case studies according to our researchquestions, and they comprise these three programareas at the Festival.Traditional Knowledge andManagement of the EnvironmentShrimpers, ranchers, vaquews, blacksmiths,barbacoa (barbecue) cooks, and artisans who usedesert fibers all have different work, but all rely ontraditional local knowledge and on their ownexperience with the fragile natural resources ofthis desert environment. Centenary ranchers inNew Mexico maintain the ancient acequia (irriga-tion ditch) system to sustain their ethical valuesand natural ecosystem with community participa-tion. As new people move into the area, conflictsarise over different values placed on cost-efficienttechnologies. Festival participants will address
how they combine knowledge and technologyfrom many sources and, as importantly, how theyestablish dialogue with newcomers about traditionand the quality of life.Landscape and Cultural IdentityFor the Pueblo, water rights govern ritual prac-tices as much as irrigation. As Regis Pecos ofCochiti Pueblo explains, "Our kind of agricultureis not just a food source ? it is intimately con-nected to who we are." When new residents moveinto an area, different forms of land ownershipand use may challenge existing arrangements.Long ago, Spanish settlers in New Mexico causedgreat conflict and change, but Pueblo traditionshave persisted, and in some cases, Pueblo andHispano communities have developed shared cul-tural forms, such as matachin dancing.Some of the Raramun, a Native American com-munity indigenous to Chihuahua and known byoutsiders as Tarahumara, have recently migratedfrom their rural environment to Ciudad Juarez.Their dance, craft, and foodways traditions helpthem sustain their cultural identity in an urbanenvironment. Other such expressions featured inthis program are Chicano murals, which illustratethe interconnectedness of belief, history, and cul-tural identity; and South Texas conjunto, northernMexico norteno, and New Mexico ranchcra music,which illustrate the same thematic connections intheir music and words.Local Culture and SustainableDevelopmentGuided by the values shared in local cultures,successful, sustainable, producer-owned business-es combine both traditional and new skills andtechnology. These enterprises develop collabora-tive networks through participation in formal andinformal economies, selling their products in com-munity markets, flea markets, tourist shops,through craft catalogs and Internet Web sites, andin other domestic and international markets. Craftenterprises to be featured include a weaving coop- 67
erative, cottage-industry pifiata making, glassetching, furniture caning, and retablo (sacredimage) painting. Building arts include buildingwith adobe, ornainental stone carving, brick mak-ing, and self-help home building. All illustrate thecreative use of traditional knowledge, availableresources, and innovative exchange strategies.We in\ate you to talk with the residents of thebasin at the Festival this year, who can speakdirectly to you from their own experience, values,and traditions. After the Festival, we will developa traveling exhibition that will open at theSmithsonian Institution and then tour to severalsites in the basin.
Olivia Cadaval received her Ph.D. m Ameiican studies atGeorge Washington University. Cynthia Vidaurii received hermasters in sociology at Texas A & I University and has tau^tChicano and borderlands studies at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. They are founders of the Latino Cultural ResourceNetwork at the CenterJar FolUife and Cultural Heritage andare co-curators oj the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin program.
This program is produced in collabor-wion with theSmithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives. Majorsupport is provided by the State of New Mexico,Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Fund, U.S.Department of Agriculture, and Housing AssistanceCouncil. Additional support is provided by ElConsejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, TexasCommission on the Arts, El Consejo para ia CulturaDE NuEvo LeOn, Instituto Tamaulipeco para laCultura y las Artes, DirecciOn General de EcologlaDEL Estado de Coahuila, Programa de MuseosComunitarios en el Estado de Chihuahua, andNational Museum of American History's ENCUEN-TROS: Latino America at the Smithsonian. In-kindcontributors include Cambridge International;Colorado College; Cultura Fronteriza, A.C;Desarrollo Integral de la Famill\ del Municipio deSaltillo, Coahuila; El Colegio de la FronteraNorte; Garden City; Mexican Cultural Institute,Washington, D.C; Friefert Mfg.; Southwest Centerfor Environmental Research and Policy; Universityof New Mexico: Southv^tst Hispanic ResearchInstitute; and University of Texas-Pan American.
Proyecto Azteca, a self-helphousing organization in San Juan,Texas, offers migrant workersconstruction training and affordablematerials for building their ownhouses in colonias (unplannedneighborhoods) of the Texas LowerRio Grande Valley. The projectbuilds on the traditional knowledge,organizational skills, and self-determination that migrants bringto the region, and it creates partnerships between community-ba:organ!.
El Rio:La cultura y el medio ambiente en lacuenca del Rio Bravo/Rio Grande
por Olivia Cadaval y Cynthia VidauniDesde las montanas de Colorado y a lolargo de Nuevo Mexico, Texas y el nortede Mexico, el Rio Bravo/Rio Grande es lamedula de los ecosisiemas y las culturas de laregion. El no siempre ha sido una invitacion tantopara asentamientos como para agricultura, indus-tria, comercio y recreacion. Es fuente de vidahumana pero tambien un foco de contaminacionindustrial. Fluye por varias jurisdicciones yregiones geograficas y culturales proporcionandouna frontera intemacional y una puerta comercialentre los Estados Unidos y Mexico. El no deter-mina la actividad humana y esta define el rio.El rio es la columna vertebral de un gran sis-tema natural, la cuenca del Rio Bravo/Rio Grande.Sus principales fuentes viene de la sierra de SanJuan en Colorado y de la Sierra Madre en el nortede Mexico. De la nieve derretida se formanarroyos y riachuelos acabando en rios.Eventualmente, desembocan en el Rio Grande,como es Uamado en los Estados Unidos, o RioBravo, como es conocido en Mexico. El rioatraviesa caiiones profundos en el norte de NuevoMexico y el Parque Nacional Big Bend en Texas.Continua a traves de colinas y planicies antes deUegar a la region semi-tropical en el valle de Texaspara desembocar en el Golfo de Mexico. En con-junto, la cuenca es un desierto que sufre cambiosbruscos entre periodos de sequia e inundacion.Este programa presenta comunidades que residenen la cuenca del rio. Las culturas de estas comu-nidades nos muestran algunas de las formas que
El maestro Arnold Herrera del Pueblo Cochiti talla tamboresde alamo que acompanan las danzas en las fiestas Pueblo.Explica su signlficado: "Las danzas que hacemos durante elano tienen que ver con lo que nos rodea ? los animales, lascriaturas de la tierra. En la primavera bailamos despues de lasiembra para que llueva y para prevenir clgarras".Cochiti Pueblo educator Arnold Herrera carves drums fromlocal Cottonwood that accompany the dancing in Pueblofiestas. He explains their meaning: "The dances we dothroughout the year have to do with what's around us ?animals, creatures within the earth. In the spring, we havedances after the planting, for rain and to prevent locusts."Foto de/pholo by Enrique Lamadnd
la gente ha desarrollado para vivir con estaecologia, como la configuran y como ellos sonconfigurados por ella. La forma en que estas yotras comunidades tratan el rio afecta la tiena y lavida mas alia de sus riberas. 69
En la frontera Mexico-Estados UnidiTamaulipas, Rita Morales Alvarez ens ,corredizas en la planta maquiladora CambridgeOn the U.S. -Mexico border in Matamoros, Tamaullpas,Mexico, Rita Morales Alvarez assembles steel belts at theCambridge maquiladora (assembly plant).Foto de/photo by Oliuia Cadaval
El programa propone tres preguntas sobre lainteraccion dinamica entre la cultura y el medioambiente en la cuenca: DiCbmo contribuye elconocimiento tradicional en el manejo del agua ytierra como recursos? 2)^De que maneras influyeel medio ambiente sobre la identidad cultural?3)iC6mo contribuyen el conocimiento local y lascostumbres en el desarrollo sostenible y que basebrindan para el exito de empresas economicas?Estas preguntas forman la base de las tres areasdel programa.El conocimiento tradicional y elmanejo del medio ambienteLos oficios de los camaroneros, rancheros,vaqueros, herreros, cocineros de barbacoa yjarcieros son todos diferentes, pero todos depen-den del conocimiento local tradicional y de suspropias experiencias con los fragiles recursos na-turales del desierto. A medida que nueva genteingresa en la region, surgen conflictos entre va-lores diferentes sobre la definicion de las mas efi-cientes tecnologias economicas. Los participantesrepresentaran su manera de combinar elconocimiento y la tecnologia de muchas fuentcs yla forma en que establecen un dialogo con losrecien llegados sobre tradicion y calidad de vidaen sus comunidades.
La IDENTIDAD CULTURAL Y EL MEDIOAMBIENTEPara los Pueblo, los derechos sobre el aguago-bieman las practicas ntuales tanto como lairngacion. Cuando nuevos residentes llegan alarea, diferentes conceptos de propiedad amenazanel orden presente. Tiempos atras, los colonizadoresespafioles en Nuevo Mexico causaron grandes con-flictos y cambios, pero las tradiciones Pueblo per-sistieron y, en algunos casos, comunidades Puebloe hispanas ban desarroUado formas culturalescompartidas, tal como la danza de los tnatachines.Algunos Raramuri, un grupo indigena deChihuahua y tambien conocido como Tarahumara,han emigrado recientemente de la sierra a CiudadJuarez. Sus bailes, artesania y tradiciones alimenti-cias les ayudan a mantener su identidad culturalen el ambiente urbano. Otras expresiones repre-sentadas en este programa incluyen murales chi-canes que ilustran la interconexibn entre creen-cias, histona e identidad cultural, asi como miisicanortefia, de conjunto del sur de Texas y rancherade Nuevo Mexico, que reflejan las mismas conex-iones tematicas en su miisica y letra.La CULTURA Y EL DESARROLLO LOCALSOSTENIBLEOrientados por valores compartidos en lacomunidad, exitosos negocios locales combinan lotradicional con nuevas practicas y tecnologia. Estasempresas desarroUan redes de colaboracion queparticipan en la economla formal e informal, yvenden sus productos en todo tipo de mercados.Las industrias artesanales que seran representadasincluyen una cooperativa de tejido y empresasfamiliares de pitiatas, grabado de vidrio, mueblesde mimbre y retablos. En arquitectura y diseno seincluye la construccibn de adobe, el tallado depiedra, la produccion de ladrillo y la construccionde \a\ienda por las propias familias. Todo estoilustra como los conocimientos tradicionales, losrecursos disponibles y las inventivas estrategias demercadeo son utilizados creativamente.
Traducidfl por Edme Pernki and Heana C. Adanx
Traditional Knowledgein the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin
by Victor HernandezFrom the headwaters to the mouth of theRio Grande/Rio Bravo, the nver basin'sdiverse environmental zones pose uniquechallenges in land and water management.Long-term experience of, and adaptation to, theriver's various habitats have created a traditional knowledge base with which local people effective-ly manage and maximize the regions naturalresources. Time-tested traditional techniquescombine with non-traditional approaches toprovide basin residents with an effective waterand land management repertoire.
The Rfo Grande/Rio Bravo empties into theGulf of Mexico. Whatever happens upstreameventually affects these waters. "With the cre-ation of Falcon and Amistad dams, the whiteshrimp species were replaced by the brown,"remembers Cajun shrimper Julius Collins.Collins brings generations of shrimping tradi-tions from Louisiana to this region.El Rio Bravo/Rio Grande sale al Golfo deMexico. Todo lo que pasa rio arriba eventual-mente afecta estas aguas. "Con la creacion delas presas Falcon y Amistad, la especie decamardn bianco fue reemplazada por la colorcafe", recuerda el camaronero cajiin JuliusCollins. Collins trae generaciones de tradi-ciones camaroneras de la Luisiana a la region..Photo by/foto de Cynth
71
The Embudo Valley of northern New Mexico ishome to centenary ranches (land owmed by thesame family for at least 100 years) created bylands deeded under the Spanish Land Grant ordi-nances. They are managed in riparian (river-bank)lots, 50 to 500 feet wide and 1 to 20 miles long.Introduced in the mid- 1800s, this riparian systemis designed to benefit from the different micro-environments of the region. The approach pro-motes practices which maximize the limited natu-ral resources, and it adapts to what is sustainablein the diverse ecosystems found on any givenranch.Accquias, or gravity-driven earthen-work irriga-tion ditches, effectively manage limited water sup-plies, and, beyond their functional value, theyreinforce community identity and community col-laboration. The spring cleaning of acequias is afunctional and social task in which everyone isobligated to participate in order to maintain thisresource. In many New Mexico communities, thefirst water flow of the year is celebrated with ablessing and a procession in honor of San IsidroLabrador, patron saint of agriculture. Today, thesecenturies-old Native American and Hispano ace-quias are combined with 20th-century irrigationsystems to manage the regions precious watersupplyPrivate cattle ranching dates back to the 1750son the open-plains ranches of South Texas. Thisisolated and arid land lent itself to very litde else.Early settlers brought with them a knowledge forworking cattle that had been evolving in Spainand Mexico for seven centuries. Here rancherosutilize land and livestock management knowledgeand technic[ues developed over generations of trialand error, a vernacular form of scientific method-ology, as well as strategies taught in universities.During periods of extreme drought, vaquerosemploy a technique called "chamusqucaf" ? burn-ing off needles of the abundant nopal cactus andfeeding it to cattle to provide a much-neededsource of water and protein.Rancher Lauro Gutierrez uses modern watering72
Rodeos are an opportunity for South Texas vaqueros totione ttieir ranctiing skills and to pass them on to theyounger generation.Los rodeos dan a los vaqueros del sur de Texas laoportunidad de perfeccionar sus habilidades con elganado y de pasarlas a la generacion mas joven.Photo by/foto de Javie( Salazar
systems in conjunction with a hand-dug, turn-of-the-century presa (dam) to water the Uvestock atRancho Nino Feliz. Rancheros incorporate newtechnology that eases the work, but not all mod-ern improvements have worked as well as expect-ed. The helicopter allowed for faster, more effi-cient roundups, but some ranchers have reportedthat the livestock soon became used to the heli-copter and could no longer be herded by it.Consequently some retired vaqueros have beencalled upon as consultants to work with helicop-ter pilots in search of wild catde that evade theroundup. The vaqueros' extensive knowledge ofthe land and of animal psychology could not bereplaced by technological advances.Along the banks of the Rio Conchos in commu-nities like Valle de Zaragoza, Chihuahua, rancherosmaximize the regions ephemeral resources. Inaddition to raising cattle, they have developed anintemiittent, river-bank farming method that takesadvantage of seasonal changes in the rivers level.When the river recedes, it leaves behind rich sedi-ment that forms natural lahores (fields) on itsbanks. These fertile fields are ideal for raisingwatermelon, chiles, tomatoes, and beans. There isalways a risk that the fields may be inundatedduring heavy rains or flash floods. Over time,rancheros have: learned to gauge the rivers ebbsand flows well enough to decide when to plantalong its banks.In the harsh and delicate environment of theChihuahuan Desert, cultural knowledge is pre-served through local crafts. The Department ofEcology of the State of Coahuila has partneredwith local residents in an approach that utilizesthe deserts natural resources, rescues a weavingtradition, discourages the use of polluting plasticshopping bags, and provides economic benefits.Traditional artists use the fibrous raw materialsprovided by desert plants such as the lechuguillaand palma mandioca to produce shopping bags,scrub brushes, place mats, and other items. Waxfrom the candehUa plant is processed and eventu-ally finds Its way to cosmetics and foodstuffs. 73
The mouth of the river is home to the country'slargest shrimping basin, which was developedduring the 1950s by Louisiana Cajuns whomigrated to South Texas. This occupational groupfeels the impact of what has been done along theentire length of the river. The damming of theriver has caused salinity changes in the Gulf ofMexico that have affected the shrimp living there.Today, shrimpers employ a variety of electronictechnology for navigating and for detectingschools of shrimp, but the underlying organiza-tional principles of running a shrimp boat are stillthose used in the earliest days of this occupation.Managing the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basinsnatural resources involves constantly respondingto environmental changes. The lesson is thattechnological advancements do not necessarilyequate vidth more effective practices or animproved quality of life. Effective managementrequires that we maintain a variety of options atour disposal; the loss of traditional knowledgemeans diminished options. As Arnold Herrera ofCochiti Pueblo says, "Traditional people haveimportant lessons to offer industrial andpost-industrial societies." There are lifetimes ofknowledge out there that can be incorporatedinto public policy and practice.
Thirty-six agricultural communities in the state of Coahuila,Mexico, harvest the new growth of the wild lechuguilla, anabundant, fibrous desert plant. Mrs. Martinez dries theprocessed fiber in the patio of her house.Treinta y seis comunidades agricolas en el estado deCoahuila, Mexico, cosechan el brote nuevo de la lechuguilla,una planta fibrosa que abunda en el desierto. La Sra.Martinez recoge la fibra de lechuguilla en el patio de secadoque tiene en su casa.Photo by/foto de Imelda Castro SantillSn
Victor Hernandez is a Housing Specialist at the HousingAssistance Council in Washington, D.C. A native oj SouthTexas, he has worked in the field oJ community and economicdevelopment at a local, regional, and national level. He is agraduate oj Cornell University.
El Conocimientotradicional en la cuencadel Rio Grande/Rio Bravo
por Victor HcmdndczDe la cabecera a la boca del Rio Grande/RioBravo, la diversidad medio ambiental de lacuenca desafia metodos convencionales dela administracion de la tierra y el agua. Alios deexperiencia y adaptacion en cada region del no bancreado una base de conocimientos tradicionales quele sirven a la gente local para manejar con eficaciay aprovechar al maximo sus recursos naturales.Combinando tecnicas tradicionales con modos detrabajo no-tradicionales, los residentes de la cuencadesarrollan sus propias formas para administrar elagua y la tierra eficazmente.En el none de Nuevo Mexico se encuentran losranchos centenaries creados por las mercedesespafiolas. Son lotes angostos que se extienden dela ribera del no y pueden llegar a medir hasta 40kilometros de largo. Introducido a mitades del sigloXIX, este sistema riberefio aprovecha las diferentesmicro-ecologias de la region. Un sistema de ace-quias abastece eficazmente el agua del no a lasdiferentes areas de los ranchos y sirve para reforzarla identidad y colaboracion comunal. Durante lalimpieza de acequias en la primavera, todos partici-pan. En muchas comunidades, las primeras aguasse celebran con una bendicion y una procesion enhonor de San Isidro Labrador, santo patron de laagricultura. Hoy en dia, estas acequias de origenindigena e hispano se combinan con sistemas deirngacion contemporaneos para manejar el abastec-imiento de la escasa agua de la region. 75
La ganaderia en las llanuras del sur de Texasempieza aproximadamente en 1750. Esta lierraaislada y arida se presta para muy poco mas. Losprimeros colonizadores trajeron un conocimientode ganaderia que habia estado evolucionando enEspana y Mexico durante siete siglos. Aquirancheros usan tecnicas iradicionales que hanside puestas a prueba a traves de los anos, untipo de metodologia cientifica vernacular, yestrategias enseiiadas en universidades.Rancheros incorporan tecnologias nuevas parasimplificar el trabajo, pero no todas las mejoriasmodemas han funcionado como esperado. Elhelicoptero es mas eficiente que el vaquero parajuntar el ganado pero una vez que las vacas seacostumbran al helicoptero lo evaden.Consecuentemente, los rancheros contratan avaqueros jubilados para acompanar a los pilotosy ayudarlos a encontrar las vacas perdidas. Elconocimiento extenso del vaquero de la tierra yde la psicologia del ganado no se puede reem-plazar con avances tecnologicos.En la cuenca del rio Conchos ademas de la criade ganado, los rancheros aprovechan las tempo-radas de Uuvia para cultivar sandia, chile, jitomateentre otros vegetales a las orillas del rio. Siemprehay riesgo de inundacion, pero con el tiempo losrancheros han aprendido a medir el rio paracalcular cuando conviene sembrar.En el fragil Desierto de Chihuahua, elconocimiento tradicional se preserva a traves dela artesania local. La Direccion de Ecologia delEstado de Coahuila esta colaborando con resi-dentes locales en proyectos que aprovechan losrecursos naturales del desierto, rescatando tradi-ciones de jarceria que protegen el medio ambientea la vez que proporcionan beneficios economicos.En la boca del rio se encuentra el estanquecamaronero mas grande del pais, desarrolladoalrededor de 1950 por los Cajunes de Luisianaque emigraron al sur de Texas. Hoy en dia, loscamaroneros usan la tecnologia electronica paranavegar y para detectar escuelas de camaron, perolos principios basicos de la industria contmuan
La acequia, portadora de agua en arabe, forma parte de unsistema de irrlgacion de compuertas y canales que trajeronlos espanoles a Nuevo Mexico. Los miembros de la comu-nidad se organizan cada ano para limpiarlas. Esta actlvidadgeneralmente es acompafiada por una ceremonia de la ben-dicion de las aguas.The acequia, or "water carrier" in Arabic, forms part of anirrigation system of locks and canals brought by the Spanishto New Mexico. Community members organize themselvesevery year to clean out these earth-banked ditches. Theactivity IS often accompanied by a water-blessing ceremony.Foto de/photo by Charles Weber
siendo aquellos que perduran desde los primerosafios de este oficio.Manejar los recursos naturales de la cuenca delRio Grande/Rio Bravo implica una constanterespuesta a los cambios del medio ambiente. Losavances tecnologicos no resultan necesariamenteen practicas mas eficaces, ni en una mejor calidadde vida. Una administracion efectiva requiere quemantengamos una variedad de opciones y laperdida de conocimientos tradicionales significasu disminucion. Arnold Herrera del PuebloCochiti observa, "Las personas tradicionales lienenlecciones importantes que ofrecer a las sociedadesindustrializadas".Tmducido por Edmc Pc nd Ikana C. Adam76
The Spirit of theRio Grande/Rio Bravo:Land, Water, and Cultural Identity
by Emiqut' R. LamadndIn an arid land, home is always by the water.In Colorado, New Mexico, South Texas, andthe northern fringe of the Mexican borderstates of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, andTamaulipas, home in the most primordial sense isthe valley of a bounteous river that cuts an 1 ,800-
mile course through the largest desert in NorthAmerica. A dozen cultures and languages over thecenturies have named it: Po'soge ? the "bigriver"; Rio Grande ? the "great river"; Rio Bravo
? the "wild and brave river" To the most ancientmhabitants of the watershed, the nver was a li\nng
New Mexico matachinesperform for numerousreligious events, Includ-ing the blessing of anacequia (irrigationditch), saints' days, and,occasionally, funerals.Los matachines deNuevo Mexico se presen-tan en numerosos even-tos religiosos, incluyen-
! la bendicion de la
.]:equla, los dias de lossantos y, en ocasiones,en funerales.Pluilo by/foto de Peter Garcia 77
being, a life-giving serpent, sometimes quickand transparent, sometimes letiiargic and the colorof clay.Since all human beings need to be by the water,the banks of this river are by definition a contest-ed space. The espaholes mexicanos or SpanishMexicans, as they called themselves, arnved in the16th century with all the fury and repressed desireof the Spanish peasant to possess the land. Theprice of arrogance was paid in blood in 1 680when the Rio Grande Pueblo Indians arose andreclaimed their spiritual heritage. Afterwards, mthe space of a few generations, the newcomerswho sought title to the land were instead pos-sessed by the land. As they mbced culture andblood with the natives, they too became indige-nous to this place. The boundaries of the CampoSanto, their Sacred Ground, spread past the nar-row churchyards and the bones of the deadtowards valleys, plains, and mountains beyond.The greatest Native contnbution to Mestizo ormixed-culture belief systems is their expansivesense of sacred space, that the earth itself is holyIn the center of this sacred landscape are theNative and Mestizo peoples who have survived therigors of the northern desert and the cost of eachothers desire. They are dancing. The matachines'dance drama portrays the cultural and spiritualstruggle between Spanish and Native cultures andis the prime example of Indo-Hispanic culturalsynthesis in the entire region. The ritual dancedrama is staged on key feast days in all seasons. Itis often performed along the river itself and thebanks of the acequias, or irrigation canals, whichcarry its life-giving water. In all probability thedance was brought to the northern borderlands bythe Tlaxcalan Indians who accompanied theSpanish Mexican colonists on their tnp north. It isperformed throughout the region todayFrom Taos to El Paso, from the mountains ofChihuahua to the plains of Laredo, the matachinesstep in unison to the insistent but gentle music ofdrums and rattles, guitars and violins. The flutter-ing ribbons that hang from their crowns and
shoulders are the colors of the rainbow. In proudformation, they do battle against chaos and re-enact the temis of their own capitulation. Thelow, a small boy dressed as a bull, runs wildthrough their lines. With three-pronged-lightningswords they carve the wind m symmetricalarabesques.Christian souls or Aztec spirits, they dance ingraceful reconciliation, now in crosses, now inlines. In their midst a great king receives thecounsel of a Httle girl. She is Malmche. Elsewhereher name is synonymous with betrayal, but she isno traitor here. At the edges of the fray theabudos, or grotesque grandfathers, guard thedancers, make fun of the people, and ridicule thenew order. These old men of the mountains tauntand overpower the toro. They kill and castrate theloro. They cast its seed to the |oyful crowd. Havethey vanquished evil, as the people say or has thesavage bull of European empire met its consum-mation? Gracias a Dios, thank God, it is a mystery,we all agree. Legend says that long agoMoctezuma himself flew north in the form of abird with bad news and good advice. He warnedthat bearded foreigners were on their way north,but if the people mastered this dance, thestrangers would learn to respect them, would jointhe dance, and come to be just like them. A hard-won cultural tolerance and understanding are thegreatest blessings of the people of the RioGrande/Rio Bravo.The greatest blessings of the land itself are rainand river water. The desert environment shapesthe faith of its inhabitants. In the Pueblo world,clouds are the kachina spirits of ancestors return-ing and are always welcome since they bring rainand snow. Petitions for rain were prayed and sungto Christian saints like San Isidro (Saint Isidorethe Husbandman), San Juan Bautista (Saint Johnthe Baptist), and the Holy Child. Like the makersof kachina images, the santeros or saint makersstill carve their holy images from the root of theCottonwood, a holy tree revered for its associationwith water.78
When water blessed the fields, another culturalsynthesis took place in the valleys. NativeAmerican corn, beans, and squash held theirground beside the wheat, legumes, and fruit treesintroduced by the Europeans. The chiles andtomatoes of central Mexico found their way northas well to add their piquant flavors to the localdiet. The most famous staple of the northlands isas hybrid as its peoples? the fluffy wheat tortillagives a New World shape and texture to an OldWorld grain. Of all the elements of humanculture, food is the first to be shared across cultur-al and ethnic boundaries.By far the greatest changes on the land werewrought by the domestic animals that came northwith the colonists. Horses, cows, pigs, goats, andsheep quickly became emblems of Europeanculture, and missionaries used them to upset thepower of Native hunting societies and theirpriests. Besides mobility and meat, the otheranimal products like wool and weaving technolo-gy brought revolutionary change to Nativelifestyles.The horse, which made exploration and tradepossible, also upset the political balance in thenorthlands. When nomadic Native tribes such asApaches and Comanches acquired horses, theirpedestrian hunting and gathering ways changedforever. With horses they mobilized, refined thearts of equestrian warfare, and became a force tobe reckoned with.The lush mesquite forests of the lower RioGrande/Rio Bravo were the perfect environment tosupport large numbers of wild cattle. The firstphase of the development of ranching was cattlehunting. Whenever meat was needed, hunters sal-lied out on horseback with reatas, or lariats, andmedia lunas, or pole-mounted hocking blades, toimmobilize and slaughter their prey. Only whenthe population grew did the concept of cattleownership develop, along with the culture of thevaquero or Mexican cowboy, fully equipped withthe knowledge and technology of large-scale stockmanagement. The ecosystems of the upper Rio
Amadeo Flores, a conjunto musician from South Texas,started playing accordion in 1947. "We used to play aroundthe neighborhood," he remembers. German immigrants intro-duced the accordion to northern Mexico and South Texassometime in the 1860s or 1870s, and mexicano musiciansused it to create related but distinctive musics, conjunto inSouth Texas and norteno in Mexico.Amadeo Flores, mijsico de conjunto del sur de Texas,empezo a tocar el acordeon en 1947. "Acostumbrabamostocar en el vecindario," recuerda. Inmigrantes alemanesintrodujeron el acordeon al norte de Mexico y al sur de Texasentrel850 y 1870, y los musicos mexicanos lo usaron paracrear su propia musica, conocida como "nortena" en Mexicoy "conjunto" en el sur de Texas. Photo by/Foto de cymtiia vidaum
Grande/Rio Bravo were more fragile, and fourcenturies of grazing resulted in desertification,degradation of grasslands, and the loss of severalfeet of topsoil. Fortunately, the introduction ofalfalfa helped offset this damage and fertilizethe fields.There is, in the valleys of the Rio Grande/RioBravo, a highly developed sense of place andcultural identity that the people themselvesdescribe as "querenda" a folk term from theSpanish verb querer, to want or desire. Querenda 79
is a deep, personal, even spiniual allachmeni loplace which collectively defines a homeland.Although in 1848 a national border was imposedalong the lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, the senseoi querenaa is intact. Far from the centers ofnational power, this bio-region developed its owiiunique culture. As the pressures of urbanizationand international commerce strain the ecologicalresources of the valley, some important lessons canbe learned from the Native and Mestizo communi-ties, who know how to survive in the desert. Theircultural and environmental knowledge can helpmeet the challenges of the future.
The history and environment of the Rio Conchos, the maintributary of the Rfo Grande/Rio Bravo, which flows throughthe desert in the IVIexican state of Chihuahua, is captured bymuralist Luis Roman. The mural illustrates how the spirit ofthe people who have lived on this frontier has made it bloom.La historia y el medio ambiente del Rio Conchos, el tribu-tario principal del Rio Bravo/Rio Grande que corre a travesdel desierto de Chihuahua, son captados por el muralistaLuis Roman. El mural ilustra el espiritu de la gente de estafrontera que la ha echo florecer. Phoio by/ioto de oiivia cadavai
Ennc(iif R. Lamadtid is Professor in ihc Department of Spanish& Portuguese oj the University ojNew Mexico, and a ResearchAssociate of the Museum of International Folk Art.
80
El Espiritu del RioGrande/Rio Bravo:Tierra, Agua e Identidad Cultural
por Enrique R. LamadiidEn una tierra arida, el hogar siempre se situacerca del agua. En Colorado, NuevoMexico, el sur de Texas y la franja norte delos estados fronterizos de Chihuahua, Coahuila,Nuevo Leon y Tamaulipas, el hogar en su sentidomas primordial es el valle de un caudaloso no querecorre 2.898 kilometros a traves del desierto masgrande de Norte America. Para los primeros habi-tantes de la cuenca, el no era un ser viviente, unaserpiente dadora de vida; a veces rapida y trans-parente, y otras veces letargica y color de arcilla.Como todos los seres humanos necesitan estarcerca del agua, las orillas de este no son pordefinicion un espacio disputado. Los espanolesmexicanos, como se nombraban ellos mismos,Uegaron en el siglo XVI con toda la furia y deseosreprimidos del campesino espanol de poseerlierras. El precio de su arrogancia fue pagado consangre en 1680 cuando los indigenas Pueblo selevantaron y reclamaron su herencia espiritual.A medida que su cultura y su sangre se mezclabancon los indigenas, los espanoles mexicanostambien se convirtieron en natives en este lugar.La mayor contribucion de los indigenas a losmestizos ha sido su sentido expansive del espaciosagrado; la tierra misma es sagrada.Al centro de este espacio sagrado estan losindigenas y los mestizos que han sobrevivido losrigores del desierto y el precio de sus deseos.Estan bailando. La danza ritual de los matachinespresenta la batalla cultural y espiritual entre la
cultura espafiola y la indigena, y es el ejemploprincipal de la sintesis cultural indo-hispana de laregion. De Taos a El Paso, de las montanas deChihuahua a las planicies de Laredo, los mat-achines danzan al insistente pero suave compas detambores y guajes, guitarras y violines. La leyendacuenta que hace mucho tiempo Moctezuma voloal norte en forma de pajaro con malas noticias ybuenos consejos. Advlrtio que unos extranjerosbarbudos venian en el camino al norte, pero si lagente dominaba esta danza, los extranjeros apren-derian a respetarlos, se unirian al baile y Uegariana ser como ellos. El entendimiento y toleranciacultural son las mayores bendiciones de la gentedel Rio Grande/Rio Bravo.Las mayores bendiciones de la tierra misma sonla lluvia y el agua del no. El desierto determina lafe de sus habitantes. En el mundo Pueblo, lasnubes son los espiritus kachina de los ancestrosque regresan y son siempre bienvenidos, ya quetraen lluvia y nieve. Se cantaban y recitabanpeticiones de lluvia a santos cristianos como SanIsidro, San Juan Bautista y el Santo Nino. Comolos talladores de kachinas, los santeros tambientallan las imagenes sagradas de la raiz del alamo,un arbol sagrado venerado por su asociacion conel agua.En los valles del Rio Grande/Rio Bravo hay ungran sentido de lugar y de identidad cultural quela gente misma describe como "querencia". Laquerencia es una profunda conexion personal y 81
espintual con el lermno, el hogar que colectiva-mente se define como patria chica. Aunque en1848 una frontera nacional fue impuesta a lo largode la parte sur del Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, el senli-do de querencia quedo intacto. Lejos de los cen-tres nacionales de poder, esta bio-region desarrollouna cultura propia y linica. Mientras las presionesde urbanizacion y comercio intemacional agotanlos recursos ecologicos del valle, algunas leccionesimportantes se pueden aprender de las comu-nidades indigenas y mestizas que han aprendido asobrevivir en el desierto. Su conocimiento culturaly ambienlal puede ayudar a enfrentar los desafiosdel futuro.
La educacion bilingue raramuri-espanol sirve de apoyo a laIdentidad cultural del los Raramuri ? un grupo indigena delestado de Chihuahua tambien conocido como Tarahumara ?que han migrado del la sierra a Ciudad Juarez.Bilingual Raramuri-Spanish education helps support thecultural identity of the Raramuri ? a group native to theMexican state of Chihuahua and also known as Tarahumara
? who have migrated from their mountain homes to theborder city of Ciudad Juarez. Foto de/pholo by Genevieve Mooser
Traducio por d autor
82
Maclovia Zamora collects many ofthe herbs she sells In herhierberia, or medicinal herb store,m Albuquerque, New Mexico.Maclovia Zamora recolecta ellamisma muchas de las hierbas quevende en su hierberia enAlbuquerque, Nuevo Mexico.Pholo by/folo de Molly Timko
Marta Cruz Moreno embroiderskitchen towels with Raramuri designsfor the tourist trade in Ciudad Juarez,Chihuahua. The Raramuri are a nativegroup in Chihuahua living in theSierra Madre Mountains. Many havebeen forced to migrate to urban areasin order to earn a living.Marta Cruz Moreno borda unos pariosde cocina con disefios raramuri paravender a los turistas en CiudadJuarez, Chihuahua. Los Raramuri sonun grupo indigena en Chihuahua quevive en la Sierra Madre. Muchos haiisido obligados a emigrar a zona-urbanas para ganarse la vidaPhoto by/foto de Cynthia VkIhui.
Making a Living in theRio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin
by Erin Martin RossFrom street-food vendors to internationalcollaboratives, border businesses oftensucceed by incorporating elements of theirregional culture into the commercial process. JuanCaudillo, who comes from generations of pifiatamakers, runs his business from his home inNuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; Jesusita ValenzuelaRamirez de Jimenez builds homes with adobe inthe Big Bend region of Texas; while the TierraWools weaving cooperative uses wool from thechurro sheep originally brought to New Mexico bythe Spanish settlers. All of these enterprises relyon regional traditions, knowledge, and experi-ence. They incorporate regional culture into theprocesses, materials, and forms of organization,which work well for their businesses and fit com-fortably within their communities. The strongsense of confidence and self-reliance in thesecommunities enables local small businesses tointegrate new materials and technologies withoutlosing their sense of place and value. Many ofthese enterprises are "sustainable," showing prom-ise that they can be maintained over a long periodof time without degrading the social and naturalenvironments. The family-owned brick-makingbusinesses of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, are aninteresting example of this kind of local business,especially as they manage their collaboration withthe Southwest Center for Environmental Researchand Policy a binational research organization try-ing to develop and maintain environmentallyfriendly economic enterprises.On any given day in Ciudad Juarez you can see
dark clouds rising like steam from the city'sdirt-encrusted brickyards. These are the cloudsof smoke that billow upward from the tops ofmore than 400 family-owned kilns, the sootymanifestation of an age-old craft that todaymaintains the industrial momentum of a modernborder city Ciudad Juarez, a metropolis of 1.7million people, is known for its bustlingmaquiladoras, the enormous manufacturing plantsthat employ more than 550,000 people inlabor-intensive assembly operations. Themaquiladora industry has grown in Juarez andwith it, the need for commercial bricks.By most standards, Juarez bricks are light incolor and porous to moisture. Their touch iscoarse and sandy A Juarez brick is not like thesmooth red bricks of the Northeast, the yellowbricks of the Rocky Mountains, or even theunfired adobes of the American Southwest.A Juarez brick is produced expressly for theclimate and building conditions of the U.S.-Mexican border.For obvious reasons, the thermal properties ofborder bricks must meet the practical needs of aborder lifestyle. A good brick must be porousenough to slow the transfer of heal during theintensely hot summer months yet capture andretain internal heat during the winter. A goodbrick must be heavy, but need not support morethan a two-story structure, as tall buildings areincompatible with the warm border climate.Ideally a good brick represents a perfect adapta-tion for a sustainable border lifestyle. It is an ideal
IM'M
material for both the long, low walls of manufac-turing plants and the shady patios and heat-resistant walls of Juarez homes.As a rule, Juarez bricks are used to build walls
? long or short in length, tall or short in height.Bricks are rarely used for corner support or forstructural foundations, where other materials arebelieved to be better suited. The brick walls ofJuarez are often erected using a mixture of mortarand sand. Typically, a coat of stucco is applied tobrick work for aesthetic reasons.Brick makers, or ladrillews as they are known inthe border region, produce bricks chiefly in twosizes: tahiques, or large ten-pound bricks, are pro-duced for larger, commercial structures; ladrillos,or small five-pound bricks, are designed for con-structing smaller structures.Juarez bncks come in varying shades of color?
Founded as a cooperative In 1983 with a philosophy of localcontrol of land and resources, Tierra Wools has revived theregion's weaving traditions, rescued the almost extinct chumsheep, and provided jobs to local residents.Fundada en 1983, con la filosofia de control local de tierrasy recursos, Tierra Wools ha revivido la tradicion de tejido de laregion, ha rescatado la casi extinta oveja churro y propor-cionado trabajo para residentes locales.Photo by/foto de Olivia Cadaval
often a light pink or pale yellow? according tothe sand and clay used in their manufacture.Although these bricks have slightly different struc-tural properties, the color of the brick chosen fora particular building is more often than not deter-mined by the aesthetic preference of the brickbuyer.Brick making is a significant cultural and eco-nomic activity in the border region of the RioGrande/Rio Bravo Basin. In Juarez alone, munici- 85
lUtMUiiJJiliill ^UMtui^iillii iiiisr^"''M -
In the border city of Juarez, over 450 family-owned kilns firebricks commercially. A typical family-owned brickyardcontains a small family home, a kiln, and a large open areafor drying bricks in the sun.En Ciudad Juarez, mas de 450 familias tienen hornos paracocer ladrillos comerciales. Una ladrillera tipica de unafamilia consiste en una pequena casa, un horno y un espaciogrande para secar los ladrillos al sol.Photo by/toto de Michael Kiernan/MKimages, courtesy Southwest Center for
pal officials estimate that more than 450 familiesown and operate commercial kilns, each produc-ing an average of 10,000 bricks per week.As with many commercial operations, there isan art to the process. Determining the temperatureof the flames, assessing the moisture content ofthe bricks, discovering the length of time for dry-ing a pile of bricks? all these require a sensitivityto process, place, and aesthetics. Underlying theart is the economics of brick making: cracked andugly bricks don't sell.When you enter a Juarez brickyard, the smokemay appear dirty and the brick makers sooty orcovered in dust. But make no mistake; there ispride and satisfaction among those who practicethis craft. The regional business of firing a mixture
of sand, clay, and water to produce a useful andsound construction material for sale is gratif)angto the brick maker and his familyThe ancient craft of brick making precedes writ-ten history, and today, it supports many families ofthe Third World. In the U.S.-Mexican borderregion brick making is a revealing "way-in" to theregional culture, in which we see evidence of thedynamism, spirit, and pragmatism of the people ofthe Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin. Making bricks isa lesson in regional culture and economics.
Erin Martin Ross is ChauM/oman of the Southwest Center forEnvironmental Researeh and Pohcv.
86
Ganandose la vidaen la cuenca delRio Bravo/Rio Grande
poi' Erin Martin RossDe vendedores ambulantes de comida acooperativas intemacionales, las empre-sas de la frontera generalmeme tienenexito cuando incorporan elementos de su culturaregional al proceso comercial. Juan Caudillo, queviene de generaciones de pinateros, maneja sunegocio desde su casa en Nuevo Laredo,Tamaulipas; Jesusita Valenzuela Ramirez deJimenez construye casas de adobe en la region deBig Bend en Texas; mientras que la cooperativaTierra Wools usa la lana del borrego churro queUego a Nuevo Mexico traido por los espanoles.Cada una de estas empresas depende de las tradi-ciones, conocimientos y experiencias regionales.Incorporan la cultura regional al proceso de traba-jo, a los materiales y a las formas de organizacionde tal manera que beneficien sus negocios yarmonizen con sus comunidades. El sentido deconfianza y auto-dependencia en estas comu-nidades hacen posible que los pequenos negociosintegren nuevos materiales y tecnologias sin
perder su sentido de lugar y etica. Muchas deestas empresas se pueden considerar "sostenibles"o sea que prometen mantenerse a traves del tiem-po sin degradar el medio ambiente social y natu-ral. Las ladrilleras de Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,negocio de familia, son un ejemplo de este tipo deempresa local, particularmente por la manera enque colaboran con el Centro del Suroeste paraPolitica e Investigacion Ambiental, una organi-
Angel Medina Tobias tiene su propio negocio de vidriograbado a mano en Bustamente, Nuevo Leon, en IVIexico.A pesar de varios tropiezos economicos, ha persistidoen su propio negocio. Nos explica que "a uno se lehace facil pero sobre la marciia se va aprendiendo".Angel Medina Tobias runs his small, hand-etchedglass business in Bustamente, Nuevo Leon, MexicHe has persisted through many economic setbackand explains that although one may think owningone's own business is easy, "you learn by doing it."
En Presidio, Texas, y alrededores, JesusitaValenzuela Ramirez construye cases deadobe. Ha aprendido la tecnica del maestroarquitecto egipcio Hassan Fathy para hacertechos abovedados que no requleren vigasde madera.Adobe maker Jesusita Valenzuela Ramirezbuilds houses in Presidio, Texas, and in thesurrounding communities. She has learnedto build with the domed-roof techniques ofthe Egyptian adobe master architectHassan Fathy, which require no woodenbeams.Foto cortesia/photo courtesy Jes
zacion binacionalde investigacionque esta tratandode desarrollar ymantener indus-tnas favorables almedio ambiente.Cualquier diaen Ciudad Juarezuno puede vernubes oscurasque surgen comovapor sobre lospolvosos patiosladnlleros. Estasson las nubes dehumo que flotansobre mas de 400chimeneas de lasempresasladrilleraspertenecientesa familias y quecon su hollinmamfiesian unoficio cenienarioque hoy en diamantiene elImpetu industnal de una ciudad moderna en lafrontera. Ciudad Juarez, una metropolis de 1.7millon de gente, se conoce por sus maquiladoras,enormes fabricas que emplean mas de 555.000gente en trabajo intensivo de ensamblaje depiezas. La industria maquiladora ha crecido enJuarez y con ella la demanda de ladrillo comercial.Las propiedades termicas del ladrillo en la fron-tera responden a las necesidades practicas de vidade la region. Un buen ladrillo tiene que ser losuficientemente poroso para transferir el calordurante los meses intensamente calurosos del ve-rano pero tambien poder absorber y mantener elcalor durante el invierno. Un buen ladrillo debeser pesado pero sin tener que aguantar una estruc-tura de mas de dos pisos ya que los edificios altos
no son compatibles con el clima caliente de lafrontera. Un buen ladrillo representa la adaptacionperfecta a un estilo de vida sostenible en la fron-tera. Es un material ideal tanto para los extensosmuros bajos de las fabricas como para los patiossombreados y muros resistentes al calor de lascasas de Juarez.Las ladrilleras represenlan un importante oficiocultural y economico en la region fronteriza de lacuenca del Rio Bravo/Rio Grande. Solamente enJuarez, el municipio calcula que hay mas de 450familias que son duenas de y operan homos com-erciales, cada uno produciendo un promedio de10.000 ladrillos a la semana.Como en muchas operaciones comerciales, elproceso es un arte. Hay que determinar la temper-atura de la flama, asesorar el contenido dehumedad del ladrillo, descubrir el tiempo parasecar una cantidad de ladrillo ? todo estorequiere sensibilidad al proceso, al espacio y a laestetica. Dentro del arte se encuentra la economiadel oficio ya que ladrillos cuarteados y de aspectofeo no se venden.Cuando uno entra a una ladnllera en Juarez elhumo puede parecer sucio y los ladrillerospolvosos y cubiertos de hollin. Pero hay un granorguUo y satisfaccion para los que practican esteoficio. En esta region, el trabajo consiste en elhomeado de arena, lodo y agua y la produccionde materiales de construccion de calidad para laventa que son de gran satisfaccion para elladrillero y su familia.La fabricacion de ladrillo es un oficio anliguo.Su practica precede la historia escrita. Hoy en dia,se practica en casi todos los rincones del mundo yprovee una fuente economica a muchas familiasdel tercer mundo. Las ladrilleras ofrecen unpuente de entrada a la cultura regional donde seve la evidencia del dinamismo, del espiritu y delpragmatismo de la gente de la cuenca del RioBravo/Rio Grande. El proceso de hacer ladrillos esuna leccion en la cultura regional y economica.
Tiaducido par Edmc Pernia and Ilcana C. Adam
Suggested ReadingCampa, Arthur L. 1979. Hispanic Culture in theSouthwest. Norman: Oklahoma University Press.Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. 1998.Rio Bravo: Encuentros y desencuentros. Mexico,D.F.: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes.Graham, Joe S., ed. 1991. Hecho en Tejas:Texas-Mexican Folk Arts and Crafts. Denton,Texas: University of North Texas Press.Gutierrez, Ramon. 1991. When Jesus Came,the Com Mothers Went Away. Stanford: StanfordUniversity Press.Morgan, Paul. 1984. Great River: The Rio Grande inNorth American Histoiy. Hanover, N.H.: UniversityPress of New England for Wesleyan UniversityPress.Lamadrid, Enrique R. 1993. "Entre Cibolos Cnado:Images of Native Americans in the Popular Cultureof Colonial New Mexico." In Reconstructing aChicano/a Literary Heritage: Hispanic ColonialLiterature of the Southwest, edited by MaraHerrera-Sobek. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.Merrill, William L. 1995. Rardmuri Souk; Knowledgeand Social Process in Northern Mexico.Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press.
For many South Texans, ranching is both an economicenterprise and a valued lifestyle. Ranctieros blend traditionaland modern knowledge, techniques, and equipment as theystrive to keep a balance between financial profit and ways oflife that have satisfied human needs for centuries.Para muchos del sur de Texas, el rancho es una empresaeconomica y tambien un estilo de vida. Los rancheroscombinan el conocimiento tradicional y moderno, tecnicasy equipo para lograr un equilibrio entre la ganancia y unmodo de vida que ha satisfecho las necesidades humanaspor SiglOS. Photo by/foto de Javier Salazaf
Poniatowska, Elena. 1997. Guerrero Viejo. Houston:Anchorage Press.Rodriguez, Sylvia. 1996. The Matachines Dance:Ritual Symbolism and Interethnic Relations in theUpper Rio Grande Valley. Albuquerque: Universityof New Mexico Press.Weigle, Marta, and Peter White. 1988. The Lore ofNew Mexico. Albuquerque: University of NewMexico Press.Weisman, Alan. 1986. La Frontera: The United StatesBorder with Mexico. Tucson: University of ArizonaPress.
89
Sixth Annual RalphRinzler Memorial ConcertRalph Riiizler (1934-94), foundingdirector of the Smithsonian FolklifeFestival, worked over the years withmany gifted musicians and folk artists, doingfieldwork, issuing recordings, and producingconcerts. This concert series honors the work ofRalph and his colleagues in conser\ang, andextending the audience for, traditional expressiveculture.This years concert is curated by Peggy SeegerIn the essay that follows, Peggy offers a briefautobiographical sketch and a description ofhow she conceives of the concert.Ralph first met Peggy at the SwarthmoreCollege Folk Festival in 1954 when he was afreshman at the college. Simultaneously, he heardPeggy's older brother Pete in concert. Ralph waselectrified by Petes banjo playing and by his spir-ited editorializing. But his imagination was tailycaptivated by Peggy and her older brother Mike,who played at informal hooienannies. Here werepeers, one year his junior and one year his senior,whose vocal and instrumental artistry greatlyimpressed him. Peggy soon sent Ralph Petesbanjo manual, and he was launched, learningsongs and copying banjo styling from HarrySmith's recently released Anthology oj AmericanFolk Music. In the ensuing years, Ralph and Peggywere frequent companions, and Ralph was pro-foundly influenced by her, by the people he met
Mike, Peggy, and Pete Seeger, 1993. Photo by Dave Gahr
through her? Peggy's father Charles Seeger,A.L. (Burt) Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, Alan Lomax,and others? and by the British folk revival.Peggy's work as a singer-songwriter was distinc-tively different from Ralph's work. Ralph neverwrote a single song and gravitated from the life ofa professional musician towards one m which hebuilt a wider intellectual base for traditionalmusic. And yet 1 believe much of his practice wasinspired by the passion of the folk revivals.
? Kate Rinzler
90 Kate Rinzler is d Research Associate at
the Center [or Folkhjeand Cultural Heritage and coordinates the annual concertsheld in honor oJ her late husband.
A Singer for My Timeby Peggy SccgcrBiographyPrefaceI could lay out the chronological bones of mylife here, but I won't. I would get too literal andprobably begin way before my beginning (1935),include everything, and proceed a la Proustthrough the years with the speed of geologicaltime. Instead, I'll offer a few isolated anecdotesand snippets offered up by Memory, that wonder-ful fishing line with which we troll the past,catching and feeding upon the events that areinsistent or foolish enough to be caught.Chapter OneI was lucky right from the start. My mother andfather (both musicians) came together m love,stayed in love, and had enough money and par-enting skills to bring up four children in a lovingmusical home. As a girl who was encouraged (in1950s suburban Washington, D.C.) to wear jeans,climb trees, improvise on the Bach Inventions,take a paper route, play the banjo while stampingher feet? I could have gone wild but didn't. 1was a good girl, most of the time. I did well in
school and went off to Radcliffe College where Ispent most of my time singing and playing anddancing and socializing. I was part of a rovingcrowd of lively insomniacs who on weekendsdarted down to Yale or whizzed out to Cape Cod.In the spnng of 1954, a gang of us traveled toPhiladelphia in a souped-up hearse to theSwarthmore Folk Festival, where I met the first(and best) man-friend of my life, Ralph Rinzler.We hung out together, and with my brother Mike,for most of the festival. We kept in touch and metoften. Ralph was cheerful, enthusiastic, caring,and (very important) non-predatory. We playedmusic together and took occasional trips lookingfor more music. In the autumn of 1955, I went tolive in Holland with my older brother Charles andhis family At the University of Leiden, in Dutch, Istudied Russian. I joined a coven of young femaleDutch students who stayed up all night overweekends drinking milky coffee and philosophiz-ing. I hitchhiked throughout the Netherlands andbehaved irresponsibly This was the first year of alifetime sabbatical.Chapter TwoFrom 1955 to 1959, I was foot-loose, mostly in the United States,Europe, Russia, and China. It wasn'teasy travelling with a knapsack, aguitar, and a long-necked banjo. Ikept personal care and wardrobe tosuch a minimum that when AlanLomax summoned me from aCopenhagen youth hostel to takepart in a London television play, hispartner? fashion model Susan
Ruth Crawford Seeger, Mike, Peggy, andCharles Seeger, 1937. PHoto courtesy Peggy Secger
^PECIAL;a^i(:i:;urs
Mills? took one look and one sniff, thenstripped me to the buff and shoved me into theshower. She subjected me to a completemakeover. I mean subjected, and 1 mean complete,from head to toe and from just under my skinoutwards. She scrubbed me clean, gave me thefirst manicure of my life, and decorated me like 2Christmas tree with earrings, bracelets, and necklace. She washed, untangled, tnmmed, and back-combed my long,long hair, putting ..rlit up into one of ' 'those 1950s bouf-fant concoctions.At her dressingtable she sat medown and expert-ly slapped on meone of those facesthat cosmeticcompanies use toprove that alltheir productscan be used atonce. Saying,
"Breathe in andhold your breath,"she zipped me intoa low-necked,wasp-waisted,1956-feminine creation, then perched me onthree-inch heels and nudged me compassionatelyinto the little room where the audition committeewas waiting. Their attention followed me like aspotlight as I wobbled to the high stool that seemsto be forever de rigueur for folk singers. Battlingcigarette smoke and the wasp-waist in a search foroxygen, I launched into my comfort song, "TheHouse Carpenter" (a la Texas Gladden) with a fastbanjo accompaniment (a la Hobart Smith). Themusic plus the appearance? An audio-visual oxy-moron. But Ewan MacColl ? dramatist, singer,songwriter, author, and 20 years my senior? satthere transfixed, a cigarette burning his fingers,
Above: Peggy, son iNeiii, andhusband Ewan MacColl, 1959.Photo by Bill CunninghamRight: Irene Scott, 1999.Photo by Peggy Seeger
irretrievably plunged into the first stages of thelove that would lead him to write "The First TimeEver I Saw Your Face" for me a year later (Ah,but his face was a picture when I appeared in myjeans and sneakers the next day at rehearsal. . ..)Ewan was married. I went on the road again.Ralph and I had kept in touch. He turned upoccasionally in England during those kaleido-scope days. We played together in clubs and onrecordings and horsed around as was ourwont. At one point we drove a gloriousBentley from London to Florence, deliveringIt to Its rich American owner in what wethought was perfect condition. We look ourlime: ten days, three of which were spentplaying music for money at the Domodossolatourist trap. England kept calling me back.Chapter Three,ABOUT 30 YearsLong1 stayed m England,where I gained aEuropean perspective onpolitics, music, language,md humor. Ewan and Icame together in love,stayed in love, andbrought up three chil-dren in a loving musicalhoine. He was the third of the four people whowere most instrumental in making me want tosing and keep singing, my mother Ruth CrawfordSeeger, the Composer, and my brother Pete, theFolk Singer, being the first two. I cannot thankthem enough. Nothing will ever be enough.Lucky, lucky, lucky I bless them every day fortheir care and patience and consider it a labor oflove and duty to carry forth what they havetaught me into the next generation. Ruth, Pete,and Ewan ? so different from one another but allnatural teachers and all bound to me by love andmusic.
92
Chapter FourEwan died in 1989. Irene Scott, whohad been my friend since 1965, fishedme out of a maelstrom of terminal grief,hugged me, dusted me off, kissed me,planted an earthquake in my head andheart, and sent me off in a new direc-tion. She is a natural mover-and-shaker,and I was moved and shaken. Irene: thefourth "wind beneath my wings." Welove each other.CodaTime marched on with hobnailedboots, and 1 tiptoed into my sixties hop-ing that Mother Nature wouldn't notice.I moved back to the States, to Asheville,North Carolina. Once again, as in 1959,I am a cultural misfit. I fulfill my grand-mothering duty by taking one Englishgrandchild out at a time (I have seven)into the North American summer for afortnight in my small motor home. I canget up and go when 1 wish. I behaveirresponsibly, and I love it. I've never shakenoff that touring bug? musical workaholismhas invaded ever)' pore of my body, despite Irenesattempts to slow me down. I'll shift into under-drive one of these days, yes 1 will. But not tonightand probably not tomorrow or the next day Toomany songs to sing, friendships to tend, places togo, people to meet, days to enjoy, problems tosolve, pleasures to indulge. As the song says, "I'llstick around to see what happens next." That's thetrouble with life and love and music. You getattached to them, and you stick around out ofcuriosity and habit. These are my lucky-me days.The Concert ProgramComments from the Gallery;"Why do you write new songs? Aren't the oldones good enough?"
"I don't like that song. It's like a political speechset to music."
Seeger and Ralph RInzler, 1957. Photo by loshi seege
"I get an idea for a song and then can't go anyfurther."
"Which do you write first, the words or thetune?"
"I'd love to write songs but I'm hopeless."
"I'd write songs if I had the time."
"Where do you get your ideas?"The ways in which songs are written are almostas varied as the songs themselves. All song makershope we can find a way to make our song catchon? and the catch is to make a song that otherpeople want to sing. If enough people sing it, thenIt starts its journey through succeeding genera-tions, and, if we're lucky, our great-great-great-grandchildren will be singing it without evenknowing that we created it. It will have become afolk song or an old favorite. What an honor tocreate such a piece! Only one of my songs has 93
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achieved this status, "The Ballad of Spnnghill." Buimy role in the making of "Gonna Be an Engineer'is well on its way to being forgotten, too.I was brought up on a healthy mixture of classi-cal and Anglo-American folk music. The songs Imake reflect both disciplines. Folk songs have lasted a long time. It seems to me that one way toensure your new song endures is to use some ofthe features found in traditional songs. ManyNorth American songwriters have done this.Woody Guthrie is a prime example, as are many ofthe protest song makers of the 1930s and 1940s.Ewan MacColl often wrote this way? his "Shoalsof Herring" is so well known that it is often credit-ed as traditional and has been reported m Irelandas "The Shores of Erin." Other songs of his havebeen retitled and recorded as traditional pieces.Writing "like" the folk song makers doesn't meanjust putting new words to an old tune or parody-ing the old words? making "fakesongs," asGershon Legman wrote in the 1960s. It meansnoticing the tune styles, the kinds of words, therhyming schemes, the relationship between wordsand melody. It means careful choice of style ofsinging and accompaniment. It involves themaker's intent, choice of subject, and attitudetowards that subject. It correlates with the ways inwhich the maker seeks the attention and involve-ment of the listener, often limiting, defining, andidentifying oneself musically textually politicallyand socially So many variables go into creating anew song! And there are so many good song mak-ers: Aunt Molly Jackson, Sara Ogan Gunning,T-Bone Slim, Hazel Dickens, Si Kahn, Don Lange,Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Larry Penn? to namebut a few.I've heard it said that one test of a good songis that it can be sung in different styles. I wouldadd that if your song can be sung by manydifferent people, it probably has a better chanceof survival. These premises inform my choice ofcomrade singers for this Festival program. I haveasked each to choose one of my songs and sing itin his or her own style. I am most interested to
Peggy Seeger, clay digger, 1993. Photo courtesy Kentish Timeshear what they do.The evening will be dmded into three sections,with an intermission halfway through the second.
I. 1940s and 1950s: family and traditionalmusicWe made music all through my childhood. Wehad weekly family singsongs. My brother Mikeand I sang in concerts as teenagers. My brotherPete visited often, bringing new songs and instm-mental styles. My children Neill, Calum, and Kittysang with Ewan and me at home and in concert.My sister Penny's daughter Sonya sang with herparents and continues with her daughter My part-ner Irene sang traditional Irish songs with friendsand comrades right through her teenage years.Ralph should have been here tonight as part of thisgathering, for this is the music he loved best andspent so much of his life playing and promoting.
II. 1959-89: political and agitational musicwith a principal focus on left-wing politicsThe issues of the Movement have traditionallybeen homocentric, concerned with the welfare ofmankind and our attempts to smooth the flawedfacets of the human diamond: human rights, jobs,wages, class antagonism, racism, war and peace.
and gender struggles. My partner, both m workand play, was Ewan MacCoU, and this era wasdominated by making a family, creating the RadioBallads, running the Critics Group and the record-ing projects, and exploring songwriting as a musi-cal, dramatic, and socially responsible discipline.Many of the songs were dogmatic and, with hind-sight, somewhat tunnel-visioned, but this was avery exciting era. It gave rise to many of the OldGreats in singing and song making. Our work inleft-wing politics and my work with the New CitySongster brought us into contact with many of thesingers and song makers throughout the English-speaking world. That's how I came in contact withLarry Penn, several of whose songs were pub-lished in the Songster.Irene Scott and I met for the first time in themid-1960s in Belfast at a benefit concert for DaveKitson, who was imprisoned for political activityin South Africa. My sons accompanied Ewan andme to strike meetings and benefit concerts, and onall those demonstrations against MargaretThatcher's government, the poll tax, the rise of fas-cism, and violence against women. I sang andwrote songs for the Movement. 1 am not a prolificsongwriter? my songbook only has 150 songs init? but I was part of the groundswell of songmaking that became a tidal wave.
III. 1990 to the present: feminism and ecology
? a two-pronged attempt to move the humanrace into a world perspective in which the welfareand future of ALL of earth's flora and fauna aremajor concerns.
"We are on the brink of a monumental change inthe way humanity perceives itself. To the dignityof man has been added the dignity of woman,along with the dignity of those whose nationalitycolor, religion, age, and mental and physical abili-ty have meant multiple disadvantages. 1 had writ-ten "Gonna Be an Engineer" in 1971 and followedit with many feminist songs in the ensuing twodecades. But my work and partnership with Irenemade me see the similanty between the way
human females are treated and the way nature istreated. In the 1990s 1 established and re-estab-lished many friendships with women, amongthem Ethel Raim and Catherine Foster. I am nowaware of the power and companionship of olderwomen. 1 am ever impressed with the number andvariety of new songs that are pouring out.These are heady days for music makers andsongwriters. The new technologies are creatingnew types of musicians, people who can sculpt asong, mix sounds as a painter mixes colors. Athome we can burn our own CDs, create and printthe sleeves and covers, advertise and sell on the
"Web ? in short, set up an entire recording opera-tion ourselves (as, for instance, Ani di Franco hasdone).And yet ... and yet, we still hanker to sit downwith a guitar, a drum, a banjo, a friend and makehands-on, spontaneous music. It's not that wehave come back to the fireside ? we never reallyleft it. That's where music started, that's where itlives, and that's where it will end up il/when thelights go out. We are born with a desire to singand make music, and we may not realize it, butpart of us starves when we don't. Music makes usvibrate with the rest of the world. When 1 don'tplay my guitar for a week or two, it doesn'trespond when I first pick it up again. It needs tovibrate constandy It needs to know that it exists.Our new songs are a declaration of existence.They say, "We were here during our time, and thisis how we felt about it."
"Why do you write new songs? Aren't the old onesgood enough?"
I am trying to speak for my time as the oldsongs spoke for theirs.
"1 don't like that song. It's like a political speechset to music."It's just one type of song. I'l! have anothersoon. Think about its effectiveness. 95
"1 get an idea for a song and then can't go anyfurther."Try making a very short song to start with,just one verse that pleases you.
"Which do you write first, the words orthe tune?"Sometimes the words, sometimes the tune.Sometimes both together.
"I'd love to write songs but I'm hopeless."Try working with friends. Don't take it tooseriously. Have fun.
"I'd write songs but I don't have the time."If you really want to, you will find the time.
"Where do you get your ideas?"
I just got one ? from talking with you.Suggested ListeningThe Folkways Years (CD only)A comprehensive look at 40 years of recording con-tains traditional songs, her own compositions, and afew songs by other writers; accompanied on banjo,guitar, auloharp, and Appalachian dulcimer, withoccasional vocal and instrumental support by familyand friends. (21 songs. Folkways SF 40048)Almost Commercially Viable (cassette and CD)One of Peggy's favorites? love songs (lots) and polit-ical songs (a few). It is easy listening, wath accompa-niments by her sons and many other excellent musi-cians. Peggy is joined by singer Irene Scott, who pro-duced the album and helped write some of the songs.Together they form the duo No Spring Chickens. (17songs. Sliced Bread SB71204 and Fellside FECD 130)An Odd Collection (CD only)An intriguing collection, all written by Peggy (some-times solo and sometimes with her friend Irene Scott).Songs about love, loss, violence against women, hor-mones, housework, unions, smoking, abortion, ecolo-gy, old friends, weddings, nuclear pollution, womenin the pulpit, bodily dimensions, and the female vote.Instmmentation is simple and effective ? arrange-
ments have been done m conjunction wnth Pegg)-'sson Calum, who also produced the recordings in thestudio. (19 songs. Rounder 4031)
Period Pieces (CD only)An unusual personal selection of women's songs from1963 to 1994. Songs about violence, marriage,children, unions, the penis, love, rape, birth control,war and peace, women m the pulpit, women at work,women in wheelchairs, and so on. (17 songs.Tradition TCD 1078)Love Will Lmger On (CD only)Romantic love songs with romantic accompaniments.Produced and directed chiefly by Peggy's son Calum,with her son Neill as second-in-command. Breakingnew ground here in instrumentation and composi-tion. (Appleseed APR1039)
Parsley, Sage and Polilics (boxed set of three cassetteswith notes)The lives and music of Peggy Seeger and EwanMacColl. Made up of interviews and music, thisunusual project was conceived in the Radio Balladstyle and produced in the 1980s by Mary Orr andMichael O'Rourke. A unique production, unavailableexcept from its producers and from Peggy.Suggested ReadingThe Peggy Seeger Songbook ? Wims and AllThe definitive collection of Peggy's songs, completewith extensive biography two chapters on song mak-ing, music notations and notes for each song, glossarydiscography and the usual indexes. Charmingly illus-trated by Jackie Fleming. A must for anyone interest-ed in feminism, songwriting, or Pegg}''s work. (OakPublications, New York, 1998)The Essential Ewan MacColl SongbookStill in production at time of writing. Two hundred ofMacColl's songs with notes, musical notauons, discog-raphy, bibliography, introduction, and photographs.(Oak Publications, New York, autumn 2000)
For information: www.pegseegercomThis program is supported by The RecordingIndustries Music Performance Trust Funds.96
Piano Traditions
by Howard BassThe invention of the piano was firstdocumented in the court of the Medicifamily in Florence in the year 1700.Bartolomeo Cristofori, a native of Padua, invented anew type of action using hammers that struck thestrings (rather than plucking them, as the harpsi-chord did) and was capable of playing soft and loud(piano e forte). Throughout the first century and ahalf of its existence the piano was used primarilyfor chamber and orchestral music. In time thepiano overtook the harpsichord in popularity;pianos became larger, more durable, and louder,with a range of expressiveness and power perfectlysuited for Classical- and Romantic-era sensibilities.Piano virtuosi, from Mozart to Lizst, were the heroesof the concert hall.By the mid- 19th century, the adaptability of thepiano and the development of smaller square grandsand especially the upright piano, which were moreportable and eventually less expensive, broadened theinstruments appeal. By the end of the century, pianoshad become standard fixtures in venues as diverse asthe barroom, the brothel, the church, and the parlor.As pianos became more accessible and affordable,they increasingly began to appear in solo and sup-porting roles in American music of all kinds. ScottJoplin's rags. Jelly Roll Morton's stride and boogiestyle, and the gospel of Thomas A. Dorsey testify tothe pianos importance in African-American tradi-tions. In dance music imported from the British Isles,the importance of the piano has grown exponentiallysince the early 20th century, providing a steady, per-cussive, and harmonic backup to the fiddle and flutesthat customarily cany the tunes. Today, the piano is amainstay at contra dances throughout the UnitedStates. Likewise, in rock, blues, and Latin music, to
name but a few genres, the piano, both acoustic andelectnc, xies with the guitar as the instrument ofchoice for accompaniment and solo performance.All these styles? gospel, Irish, blues. Latino,American traditional, roots rock, and boogie? wallbe on display in "Piano Traditions." The program alsoincludes a set featuring the pianos precursor, thehammered dulcimer, which remains popular in cul-tures throughout the world. The performers on thisprogram demonstrate the strength and diversity ofthe piano's role in community-based musics: gospelby Ethel Caffie-Austin; Irish jigs, reels, and airs byDonna Long, of Cherish the Ladies, with fiddlerJames Kelly; blues, honky-tonk, and more withBluesWorks; the hammered dulcimer playing of ScottReiss, with Hesperus; American contra dance tunesfrom Laura and the Lava Lamps, featuring DaveWiesler on piano; traditional and original Latinomusic from Remy Rodriguez; and the roots rock,boogie, and blues ofJohnnie Johnson, called bysome the "father of rock and roll piano."This concert is being held in conjunction with theexhibition Piano 300: Celebrating Three Hundred Yearsof People and Pianos, organized by the NationalMuseum of American History and presented at theSmithsonian International Gallery, S. Dillon RipleyCenter, through March 4, 2001.
This program is supported by a grant from theEducational Outreach Fund, administered by theSmithsonian Office of Education, and by the JohnHammond Fund for the Performance of AmericanMusic, vvith additional support from the YamahaCorporation of America.Howard Bass is Program Producer, Division of Culuual Histoiy,National Museum oj American History. 97
SPECIAL:ONCf:RTSEar to the Ground:A Centenary Tribute to Malvina Reynolds
by Anthony SccgcrFolkways Records, founded by Moses Aschin 1948 and acquired by the Smithsonianin 1987, published more songs aboutcurrent events than any other record label in theworld. Even though their ideas might be radical,their songs angry, and their music quite differentfrom the popular music of the day Asch thoughtthe artists on Folkways should have something tosay? and they did, from Woody Guthne, LeadBelly and Pete Seeger in the 1940s to PeteLaFarge, Bernice Johnson Reagon, MalvinaReynolds, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColI, and theBroadside recordings in the 1960s, to BarryO'Brien, Toshi Reagon, and Larry Long todayIn this Folkways concert a group of artists whofirst appeared on Folkways Records gather tocelebrate one of the great songwriters of the 20thcentury, Malvina Reynolds, whose first recordingappeared on Folkways in 1960. Tom Paxtonssongs for the Broadside Records series, BerniceJohnson Reagons first recordings of FreedomSongs, Peggy Seegers first recordings of Christmasand animal songs with her father and sister, andRosalie Sorrels's songs from her native Idaho allappeared on Folkways. The performers share notonly a history vdth Folkways, but also an admira-tion for Malvina's songs and a devotion to many ofthe causes she held dear. They carry them on intothe new century.Born Malvina Midler in 1900 in San Francisco,of Jewish socialist immigrant parents, Malvina wasrefused her high school diploma because her par-ents were opposed to U.S. participation in WorldWar 1. In spite of this she later obtained a Ph.D.
from the University of California at Berkeley ButIt was the middle of the Depression, and as a Jew,a socialist, and a woman, Malvina never found ateaching position. In 1935 she married William
"Bud" Reynolds, a carpenter and labor organizer,and they had one daughter, Nancy She met EarlyRobinson, Pete Seeger, and other songwriters inthe 1940s and began writing songs herself. Shewas supportive of many younger songwTiters,helped found the underground topical song maga-zine Broadside in 1963, and moved audiences athundreds of concerts. Malvina brought to hersongwriting a keen mind, a socialist, feminist, andenvironmentalist perspective, a deep sympathy foryouth, a sense of humor, and a keen appreciationof the way individual actions and global processesare interrelated. She used these to turn contempo-rary events into a wonderful array of memorablesongs, among them "Little Boxes," "What HaveThey Done to the Ram," and "We Don't Need theMen." Her songs were admired and sung by per-fomiers as diverse as Joan Baez, Judy Collins,Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, and the perfonnersat this Folkways concert. She died m 1978.Smithsonian Folkways has just released MalvinaReynolds, Ear to the Ground (SEW 40124) and willrelease a five-CD boxed set. Best of Broadside:Anthems of the American Undergroundfrom thePages of Broadside Magazine, in August. A com-plete catalog is available at the Marketplace tent,and also on line at http://www.si.edu/folkways.Anthony Sccgcr is Curator and Director oj SmithsonianFolkways Recordings.
Woody Guthrie'sSongs for Children
by Howard Bass and Anthony SeegerIC C T ^^^"^ ^^ ^^^ y'-"-' J?'^ right in, do whatyour kids do. Let your kids teach you how.to play and how to act these songs out.Get your whole family into the fun. You'll behealthier. You'll feel wealthier. You'll talk wiser.You'll go higher, do better, and live longer hereamongst us if you'll jus...do like the kids do. Idon't want kids to be grownup, I want to see thegrown folks be kids."
? Woody Guthrie, 1956(from liner notes to SFW 45035 and SFW 45036)Woody Guthne (1912-67) is best known as theauthor of hundreds of topical songs, and for "ThisLand Is Your Land." But he was also an enthusias-tic father who wrote songs for children. They aresingable, danceable, and memorable. Songs like
"Put Your Finger in the Air," "Car Song," "Don'tPush Me Down," and "Why Oh Why?" touch onshared experiences in children's lives and havebecome part of the repertoire of children's singerseverywhere. Guthrie's children's recordings wereoriginally issued on Folkways Records, and havebeen reissued on Smithsonian FolkwaysRecordings.This concert, sponsored by the NationalMuseum of American History and SmithsonianFolkways Recordings, features contemporary per-formers who have for years known and sung someof Woody Guthrie's children's songs. Ella Jenkins, aleading recording artist for Folkways for over 40years, is one of the best-known and best-lovedchildren's performers in the country. She has beenteaching and inspiring children with songs from
the world over. Tom Paxton has been an integralpart of the folk music and songwriting scene sincethe early 1960s, with many contemporary folkclassics to his credit. His adolescence in Oklahomagives him a special affinity for Woody's songs, andlike Woody he has been devoted to getting chil-dren to sing. Recently, he has written a number ofbooks for children.Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer have perfonnedover 10,000 concerts in their career together since1984. Prolific recording artists, they have alsoproduced many albums by leading folk musicians,and this year were nominated for a Grammy Awardm the Children's Recordings category for producingDinorock. Magpie, the duo of Terry Leonino andGreg Artzner, is now in its 27th year and goingstrong. They are committed to children's and familyprograms and to environmental causes, which theypromote in their concerts and recordings.The concert is part of a series of events celebrat-ing the remarkable singer, songwriter, and bookauthor, whose life is featured in a traveling exhibi-tion at the National Museum of American Historythrough August 13, 2000. The exhibition wasorganized by the Smithsonian Institution TravelingExhibition Service and the Woody GuthrieArchives in association with the SmithsonianCenter for FolkUfe and Cultural Heritage, andmade possible through the generous support ofNissan North America.
This program is supported by the Folklore Society ofGreater Washington and Smithsonl\n FolkwaysRecordings. 99

General Festival Ineormation
ContentsSermces and Hours 103Festival Participants

Services and Hours
Festival HoursThe Opening Ceremony for the Festival takesplace at the Washington, D.C., program SacredMusic Stage at 11 a.m., Friday, June 23.Thereafter, Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30p.m. daily, with evening events to 9 p.m. (8 p.m.on July 4).Festival SalesTraditional D.C., Tibetan, and Rio food is sold.See the site map on page 144 for locations.
Lost & Found/Lost PeopleLost items may be turned in or retrieved at theVolunteer Tent near the Administration area at12th Street near Madison Drive. Lost familymembers may be claimed at the Volunteer Tent.Metro StationsMetro trains will be running every day of theFestival. The Festival site is easily accessible fromthe Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations onthe Blue and Orange Lines.A variety of crafts, books, and SmithsonianFolkways recordings related to the 2000 Festivalare sold in the Festival Marketplace on theMall-side lawn of the National Museum ofAmerican History.PressVisiting members of the press should register atthe Press Tent on the Mall near Madison Driveand 12th Street.First AidA first aid station is located near theAdministration area on the Mall at MadisonDrive and 12th Street.Restrooms & TelephonesThere are outdoor facilities for the public andvisitors with disabilities located near all of theprogram areas on the Mall. Additional restroomfacihties are available in each of the museumbuildings during visiting hours.Public telephones are available on the site,opposite the National Museums of AmericanHistory and Natural History, and inside themuseums.
Services for Visitors v^th DisabilitiesTo make the Festival more accessible to visitorswho are deaf or hard of hearing, audio loops areinstalled in the main music tent in each programarea. Sign-language interpreters are on site everyday of the Festival. Check the printed scheduleand signs for interpreted programs. Specialrequests for interpreters should be made at theVolunteer Tent. Service animals are welcome.Oral interpreters are available for individuals if arequest is made three full days in advance.Call 202.287.1729 (TTY) or 202.287.3449(voice).
Large-print copies of the daily schedule andaudio-cassette versions of the program book areavailable at Festival infonnation kiosks and theVolunteer Tent.A limited number of wheelchairs are available atthe Volunteer Tent. Volunteers are on call toassist wheelchair users and to guide visitors withvisual impairments. There are a few designatedparking spaces for visitors with disabilities alongboth Mall drives. These spaces have three-hourtime restrictions.
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Festival Participants
Washington, D.C.:It's Our HomeCraft TraditionsJames Brown, fiber artistDaughters of DorcasViola Canady, quilterRaymond Dobard, quilterVeronica DeNegri,arpilleras makerVidelbina Flores-Fitch,pinata makerCarlos Gomez,benmbau makerlola Hall, basket weaverBrian Hamilton, stainedglass makerAlfredo Herrera, woodcarverLafayette ElementarySchool QuiltersJory BaroneKathy ByrdEdith JicklmgJane MclntyrePatrick Plunkett, stone carverVilma Quintanilla,quincenera dress makerFrancisco Rigores,drum makerAndy Seferlis, stone carverConstantine Seferlis,stone carverIVIamo Tessema, potterRome Yetbarek,basket weaverDance TraditonsAfncan HeritageDrummers and DancersAndrew Cacho AfricanDrummers and DancersInternational CapoeiraAngola FoundationSheryll AldredChandra BrownSkher BrownHahnhuynh Armando DrakeCarlos GomezKojo JohnsonGabriela MandolesiCobra Mansa
Saadika MooreFrancisco Bermudez MoralesGege PoggiSylvia RobinsonAmina Malik SantemuKevin WilsonAyende YoumansPoetry m MotionLarry BarronCharles BrownLevet Brown, Jr.Antonio F BrutonSarah L. CrawleyRenee FinkleyGloria GoodeClinton J. GreenGary HolmesMary D. HopkinsGrace Little, vocalsJames OnqueCrystal P ThompsonMell L. WalkerWarren E. WashingtonAnthony YanceyKanKouranWest AfricanDance CompanySmooth & E-ZHand DancingMichael AshtonKermit BanksLawrence BradfordLarry BrownNovella CampbellKathi DavisVictor HowardJoy HunterVirginia IrbyMary JohnsonB.J. JonesLawrence LindseyDelores MavritteRonald MooreJoseph NelsonGregory OwensCarlyle PrinceCynthia SpignerGerald WoodforkStep Afnka!Darrius GourdineGenia MorganDavid MyersKirsten SmithBrian WilliamsPaul Woodruff
Secular Ml'sicTraditonsArchie Edwards BluesHeritage FoundationMichael E. Baytop,guitar/harmonica/vocalsNapoleon Brundage,harmonicaEleanor Ellis, guitar/vocalsResa Gibbs, vocalsJeff Glassey, harmonicaNeal Harpe, guitar/vocalsDavid Jackson,guitar/bass/vocalsNeal Johnson, guitar/vocalsSteve Levme, harmonicaThorin O'Neil, guitarJesse Palidofsky, keyboardMiles Spicer,guitar/drums/vocalsRichard "Mr. Bones"Thomas, bonesDion Thompson, guitarJoe Wabon, guitar/vocalsN.J. Warren, guitar/vocalsMichelle Banks, QuiqueAviles, and Fnendsthe blueshoundsChris Dean, bassBarbara Jackson, lead vocalsNick Martin, keyboardsTony Rakusin, guitarBarry Turner, drumsBig Hillbilly BluegrassMike Marceau, bassTad Marks, fiddleBob Perilla, guitar/vocalsDick Smith, banjo/mandolinChuck Brown and theSoul SearchersChuck Brown, guitar/vocalsBrad Clement, trumpetGlen Ellis, bassRobert Green, congasJuJu House, drumsBrian Mills, saxophoneSherrie Mitchell, keyboardD.C's FinestAvon Barbour, vocalsRichard Collins, vocalsJoe Herndon, vocalsDeane Larkins, vocalsReamer Shedrick, vocals
Davey Yarborough BandFugaziBrendan Canty, drumsJoe Lally, bassIan MacKaye, guitar/vocalsGuy Picciotto, guitar/vocalsNicki Gonzalez BandMarc Capponi, pianoIra Gonzalez, bassNicki Gonzalez, vocalsSrdjan Kolacevich, guitarJay Tobey, drumsImage BandPeter Aimable, tromboneJohn Georges, trumpetEric Hamm, lead vocalsDarryle Jones, saxophoneAdrian Laldee, bassMarge Lawrence, lead vocalsJoe Louis, guitarClaude Richards, trumpetLoughton Sargeant,keyboard/vocalsIn Process,,.Tia Ade, vocalsNketia Agyeman, vocalsPaula Free, vocalsPamela Rogers, vocalsLajazzBob Balthis, tromboneBhagwan, bassCliff Bigoney, trumpetPaul Hawkins, percussionDon Junker, trumpetTom Monroe, alto and tenorsaxophone/fluteRudy Morales, bongosDarius Scott, pianoSam Turner, percussionLesbian and Gay Chonisof Washington, DC.Ray Killian, music directorJill Strachan,general managerLucl Murphy and FnendsDarnell Bell, percussionSteve Jones, guitar/pianoLuci Murphy, vocalsRoger St. Vincent,electric bass/vocals104
Memphis GoldTony Fraizo, rhythm guitarMorris Freeman, drumsMemphis Gold, guitar/vocalsLorenzo Johnson, congasCharhe Sayles, harmonicaRobert Seymore, keyboardCharles Soleman, bassRare EssenceMichael Baker, bassEric Butcher, percussionDonnell G. Floyd, Sr.,rap/saxophoneAdebayo A. Folarin, vocalsDamn Frazier, keyboardMilton Freeman, percussionKimberly Graham, vocalsByron Jackson, keyboardAnthony Johnson, lead guitarDerek Paige, trumpetMichael Smith, drumsKent Wood, keyboardRumisonkoCarlos Arrien, kenalzamponalcharango/\ioca\sMariano Arrien,kena/zamponaRene Dehega, guitar/vocalsAlberto Lora, kena/zamponaSin MiedoAnna Mercedes Castrello,lead vocalsBrad Clements, trumpetRalph Eskenazi, timbalesSamuel Mungia, bassPatrick Noel, bongosDidler Prossaird, pianoGary Sosias, congasSweet Honey InThe RockYsaye Maria Barnv?/ell, vocalsNitaniu Bolade Casel, vocalsAisha Kahlil, vocalsCarol Maillard, vocalsBernice Johnson Reagon,vocalsShirley Childress Saxton,ASL interpreterNap TurnerYouth Steel BandD.C. DivasJulia NixonJulia Nixon, vocalsDavid Ylvisaker, piano
Bernice andToshi ReagonMichelle Lanchester, vocalsBernice Reagon, vocalsToshi Reagon, vocals/guitarYasmeen, vocalsSacred MusicTraditionsBarbara GaskinsRoyce Bouknight, bassDeborah Delgado, vocalsBarbara Roy Gaskins,vocals/lead andrhythm guitarCharles Marvary, drumsKim Watson, vocalsB'nai Shalom Adult andYouth ChoirCambodian NetworkCouncil ?Cambodian Arts ProjectNatalie Chhuan,cymbals/dancerPhavann ChhuanRithy Chhuan, dancerThyda Chhuan, dancerBonnary Lek, dancerAmarind Sam, dancerChanmoly Sam, dancerLaksmi Sam, dancerMalene Sam, dancerCardozo High SchoolConcert ChoirCarlton Burgess &rFriendsComplete PraiseRev. James Flowersand the Flowers FamilySingersTommy Crosby, guitarReverand James N. Flowers,Jr., vocalsLizzy Flowers, vocalsMargaret L. Flowers, vocalsYolanda Flowers, vocalsMarie Hickson, vocalsDorothy McDowell, vocalsJerry Parker, keyboardsMargie Pickett, vocalsErma Reed-Flowers, vocalsMildred Scruggs, vocalsGeorge White, drumsTommy White, bass
Foundation KhadimouRossoul, North AmencaRape DiengCheikh KebeMassaer SambKhidim SeekRape SeekAbdoulaye TambaEl Had] ThiamMourtala ThiamThe Four EchoesGeorge G. Blake, tenorWilliam Evans, lead vocalsJames Stein, baritoneGlen Taylor, leadguitar/vocalsHoly Comforter?St. Cyprian CatholicChurch Gospel ChoirKenneth Louis,music directorKings of Harmony?United House of Prayerfor All PeoplesKeshet Choraleof the D.C, JewishCommunity CenterCantor Aaron MarcusReverbMike Brisco, vocalsChistopher Hunter, vocalsRussell Jeter III, vocalsSteve Langley, vocalsR. Bruce O'Neal, vocalsVictor Pinkney, vocalsSeven SonsJenny Andrews, vocalsLee Haley drumsRev. James Hardy, vocalsNathan Jones, vocalsThomas Peterson, vocalsWarden Rogers, lead guitarGregory Young, bassWashington Toho KotoSocietyClaudia Clark, kotoYuriko Gandol, kotoShuho Ishii, st)akutiachiVera Land, kotoKyoko Okamoto, kotoRobert Preston, shakutiachiSachiko Smith,shamisenlkotoJohn Welsh, shakuhachi
The Wright SingersPatricia Bryant, vocalsElizabeth Hunter-Williams,vocalsLaShawn Rembert, vocalsJaqueline Richardson, vocalsEureka Robinson, vocalsFannie White, vocalsLeavia Wright, vocalsFooDWAYS TraditionsRoberta Baietti,Northern Italian cookingEdith Ballou,African-American cookingDiana Celarosi,Central/SouthernItalian cookingLiberata Ehimba,Senegalese cookingPatricia Giles,African-American cookingRabbi Hayyim,Sephardic cookingColumbus Jones, fish fryJodie Kassoria,Sephardic cookingLillia Knight,Panamanian cookingHenry Lieu, Chinese cookingHala Maksoud,Arab-American cookingAlpheus Mathis,African-American cookingEster Muhammad,African-American cookingRashida Muhammad,African-American cookingJoan Nathan, Jewish cookingHal Nguyen,Vietnamese cookingMildred Palm,African-American cookingCharles Reindorf,Ghanaian cookingDwane Ricketts,Jamaican cookingYvonne St. Hill,Panamanian cookingMaria Luisa Sylos-Labini,Northern Italian cookingSing Tam, Chinese cookingEster Trevino,Salvadoran cookingTaye Wogederes,Ethiopian cookingDorothy Young,African-American cookingBruno Zara,Central Italian cookingChristina Zara,Central Italian cooking
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GardeningTraditionsDiane DalePatricia GilesPride HeittColumbus JonesFrieda MurrayJudy TigerSocial JusticeTraditionsJudith BauerDorothy BrizillCarl ColeSandy DangLori DodsonAlfred DudleyBernice FonteneauPat HawkinsGeorge LaRocheJulius LoftonIgnatius MasonPhil OgilvieMark RichardsMaurice ShorterKathryn SinzingerLarry SmithJohn C. SnipesIvan WalkKaren ZacharySpokenAVritten/Rhythmic WordTraditionsD.C. National Teen SlamTeamHenry ArangoKenneth CarrollIsaac ColonJabari ExumOkechukwu IwealaLarry RobertsonLauren WyattJane AlberdestonQuique AvilesRacquel BrownGrace CavalieriKyra GarrettInlmile LoopChi GardenHeadyBrandon JohnsonKamaylaErnesto MercerE. Ethelbert MillerTerrance NicholsonOpus AkobenBlack IndianKokayiSub-Z
OrphyxLisa PegramTiffany ThompsonPo-EmceesDarrell PerryPatrick WashingtonDJ RenegadeRhyme DeferredPsalmayene 24Silvana StrawHenry TaylorEleanor TraylorLaurie TsangFong Sai UUnspoken HeardMichael AbbottAsheruBlue BlackRahman BranchSport and GameTradititonsJoe Lewis AbneyWil AtkinsJim "Bad News" BarnesBobby BennettTheo BrooksPhil ChenierMark ChisolmBetty CleegAndrew DyerRichard EvansSteve FrancisBarbara GarciaSonny HillSaleem HyltonBrenda JacksonRoy JeffersonAndrew JohnsonGeorge JohnsonSam JonesAndre JordanLament JordanCarver LeechDr. George Logan-ElButch McAdamsBill McCaffreyJimmy McLainThurston McLainMike McLeeseLenny MooreGeorge NockWanda DatesSoya ProctorMichael SmithBetsy StockardMarty TapscottTony WatkinsChristie Winters
Willie WoodJimmy WrightWaterwaysTraditionsAnacostia Watershed SocietySheila BrennanRoger Legerwood,boatbuilderBob Martin, boatbuilderTibetan CultureBeyond the Landof SnowsCraft TraditionsMohammed Yusuf Bhutia,traditional hat maker;Kalimpong, IndiaTashi Dolma,traditional apron weaver;Dharamsala, IndiaSamdup Dhargyal, carpetweaver; New YorkAwang Doriee, stone carver;Dharamsala, IndiaKelsang Dorjee,sculptor/maskmaker/painter;Dharmasala, IndiaPenpa Dorjee,sculptor/metal worker;Dharamsala, IndiaVen. Yeshi Dorjee,thangka painter;Rowland Heights, CAVen. Sangey Hishey,thankga painter;Dharamsala, IndiaVen. Samten Jigme, dollmaker; Dharamsala, IndiaSamten Lama, paper maker;Kathmandu, NepalChhiring Yuden Lamini,traditional weaver;Kathmandu, NepalNorbu, woodcarver;Dharamsala, IndiaTsering Norbu, incensemaker; Panipat, IndiaPekar, sculptor/painter;Dharamsala, IndiaChoe Phuntsok,sculptor/woodcarver;Dharamsala, IndiaNimto Sherpa, paper makerKathmandu, NepalSoga, craftsman/religiousimplements; Dehra Dun,IndiaThanley, tailor; Dharamsala,India
Ven. Hishey Thomey, tailor;Dharamsala, IndiaTopey, nomadicskills/craftsperson;Ladakh, IndiaLekshek Tsering,printer/wood-blockcarver; Tashijong, IndiaPenpa Tsering, sculptor/metal worker;Dharamsala, IndiaVen. Phuntsok Tsering,applique thangka \.a\\or;Dharamsala, IndiaTsering Tsomo, nomadicskills/craftsperson;Ladakh, IndiaLobsang Yarphel, carpetweaver/yarn maker;Kathmandu, NepalFooDWAYS TraditionsPema Rabgey, traditionalTibetan cook; Seattle, WAOccupationalTraditionsDawa Dolma, Doctor ofTibetan Medicine,Dharamsala, IndiaJhurme, religious storyteller;Dehra Dun, IndiaTashi Lhamo, Doctor ofTibetan Medicine;Dharamsala, IndiaPhurbu Tsering, traditionalTibetan astrologer;Dharamsala, IndiaNgawang Choedak Zingshuk,calligrapher; BylakuppeTibetan Settlement, IndiaPerforming ArtsTraditionsLoten Namling, musician/singer; Utzigen,SwitzerlandBylakuppe Lhamo(Opera) Troupe,Bylakuppe TibetanSettlement, IndiaThinlay GonpoNamgyal ChonzomLobsang GyatsoLhagoeNamdolNgudupThupten PemaLhakpa SichoeSonam TenzinThuptenSonam TopgyalDawa Tsamchoe106
Namgyal TsetenNamgyal YangzomPema Chodon ZomkeyChaksampaTashi Dhondup; Pacifica, CATenzin Gonpo; Paris, FranceNyima Gyalpo; Berkeley, CATsenng Topgyal;Dharamsala, IndiaTenzin Wangdak;Brooklyn, NYTibetan Insutute ofPerforming Arts,Dfiamaasafa, IndiaTenzin ChoedonLobsang ChoephelTashi DhargyalSamten DhondupTasfil DhondupTseten DolkerNamgyal DolmaPhuntsok DolmaGombo DorjeeTsering DorjeePassang LhamoTseten LhundupTsering LodoeTenzin NgedhenTenzin NgawangTsering PaldonNgodup PaljorLobsang SamtenTsewangRitual ArtTraditionsH.H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche,Lobsang Nylma, Buddhistteacher; DrepungMonastery, IndiaVen. Khenpo KonchogGyaltsen, Buddhistteacher; Frederick, MDSogyal Rinpoche, Buddhistteacher; FranceVen. Lama Pema Wangdak,Buddhist teacher;Cressklll, NJNamgyaf Monastery,Dharamsafa, IndiaVen. Tenzin KalsangVen. Tenzin KunchokVen. Tenzin LegmonVen. Tenzin NorbuVen. Tenzin NorgyalVen. Tenzin PhuntsokVen. Tenzin SamtenVen. Ngawang TashiVen. Tenzin ThapkheyVan. Ngawang TsunduVen. Tenzin Wangchuk
Ven. Thupten WoesarDrepung LosefingMonastery, Atfanta, GAand Mungod, IndiaVen. Zangra TuikuVen. Lathing TuIkuVen. Gangkar TuIkuVen. Geshe Tsepak DorjeVen. Geshe Pema NorbuVen. Geshe Sonam DhondupVen. Geshe Yeshe ChodupVen. Geshe Dakpa KelsangVen. Geshe Thubten WangyalVen. Ngawang Tashi BapuVen. Geshe Thubten DorjeVen. Yeshe SherabVen. Geshe Dakpa TenzinVen. Geshe ThubtenJamyangVen. Geshe Takpa JigmedVen. Geshe Thupten ChoejorVen. Agha Tenzin LegdupVen. Lobsang TsultrimVen. Tenzin LegdenVen. Lobsang TenzinVen. Phuntsok TsonduVen. Ngawang TsultrimVen. Thupten LobsangVen. Pema WangdenVen. Wangden TashiVen. Dondup TenzinVen. Kelsang DorjeVen. Lobsang PhurbuVen. Passang GeiekPaf Shenten MenriLing Bon MonasteryVen. Samdrup Dorjl;Solan, IndiaChongtuI Rinpoche;Solan, IndiaTibetan Nuns Project/Sfiugsep NunneryVen. Ogyen Tsundu;Dharamsala, IndiaVen. Ogyen Dolma;Dharamsala, India
EI RioTraditionalKnowledge andManagement of theEnvironmentOccupationaf TraditionsJulius Collins, shrimper;Brownsville, TXHildebrando Lopez,metalsmlth;San Isidro, TX
Ruben Hmojosa, vaquerolleather worker;Edinburg, TXJuan Luis Longoria, vaquerolcaporal; San Isidro, TXMelecio Longoria, vaquero;San Isidro, TXGulllermo "Willie" Mancha,Sr,, barbecue cook;Eagle Pass, TXGulllermo "Willie" Mancha,Jr., barbecue cook;Eagle Pass, TXAntonio Manzanares,co-founder Ganados delValle/sheep rancher;Los Ojos, NMReynaldo Marrufo Franco,vaquero; Alvaro Obregon,Chihuahua, MexicoCarlos Leonel OrnelasMiranda, vaquero; EjidoBenito Juarez, MunlclpioNaniquipa, Chihuahua,MexicoJoaquin Peha, vaquerolhorseshoe artisan;McAllen, TXClemente Zamarrlpa,i/aquero/horsehair braider;Santa Elena, TXCraft TraditionsLorenza Marquez de Quiroz,(xf/e weaver; Saltillo,Coahuila, MexicoAntonio Cortes Quiroz, ixtleweaver/hammock maker;Saltillo, Coahuila, MexicoJose Isabel Quiroz,lechuguilla processor//xf/e weaver; Saltillo,Coahuila, MexicoJose Isaac Quiroz,lechuguilla processor/ixtle weaver; Saltillo,Coahuila, MexicoLandscape andCultural IdentityCochiti Puebfo,New MexicoArnold Herrera,drum maker/drummer/silversmith/educatorCarlos R. Herrera,drum maker/dancer/slngerThomas Herrera,bead worker/drummaker/dancer/singer/silversmlth/beadworkerTim A. Herrera, drum maker/dancer/singer/costumeand moccasin maker
Mary Martin, elder/potter/dancerAntoinette Sulna,potter/dancerSamuel Suina, dancer/composer/singerBernalilfo, New MexicoFelipe Lopez, sanfo carverLos Matachmes deSan Lorenzo, Bernalilfo,New MexicoCharles Agullar, musician/farmer/fiesta organizerJames Baca.matachin dancerBryan Dominguez,matachin dancerSamantha Dominguez,matachin MalincheCandy Lopez,matachin guitar playerGilbert Sanchez,matachin MonarcaRaramuri in CiudadJuarez, Chiftuafiua,MexicoJose Guadalupe A. Bautlsta,musician/dancer/woodcarver/bl lingualteacher/runnerLorena Cano, dancer/seamstressJose Indalecio Castillo,dancerRaul Cornello, dancerMarta Cruz Moreno, dancer/basket weaver/seamstressMarcelina Refugia RayoOrtiz, dancer/basketweaverEdcouch-Efsa HigliSchool Conjunto, TexasJavier del Toro,bajo sexto playerJavier Gonzalez,accordion playerSelvin Guevara,bass guitar playerPaul Anthony Layton,drummerLos Fantasmas del ValfeHector Barron, bass guitarplayer; Mercedes, TXJulio Figueroa, bajo sextoplayer; Mercedes, TXCruz Gonzalez, drummer;Mercedes, TX
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Rodney Rodriguez,accordion player;Rio Grande City, TXLos CanariesCirilo Gauna Saucedo,accordion player/stringinstrument maker;Santa Catarina,Nuevo Leon, IVIexicoRamon GonzalezMandujano, accordionand bajo sexto player;Santa Catarina,Nuevo Leon, MexicoTrio Tamaulipeco, CiudadVictoria, Tamaulipas,MexicoAlvaro Cardona Perez,accordion playerPedro Rodriguez Torres,tololoche playerConstancio Ruiz Cardona,bajo sexto playerLos Folklonstas de NuevoMexicoLorenzo Gonzalez, guitar andrequlnto player; Abiquiu,NMCipriano F. Vigil, violinplayer/composer;El Rito, NMCipriano P. Vigil, Jr., guitarand requmto player;El Rito, NMFelicita Vigil, guitar andrequmto player; El Rito,NMLocal Culture andSustainableDevelopmentTierra Wools,Los Ojos, New MexicoHelen Manzanares, weaverLara Manzanares, weaverMolly Manzanares, weaverCambridge MaquxladovaJuan Diego Dominguez,maquiladora worker;Matamoros, Tamaulipas,MexicoRita Morales Alvarez,maquiladora worker/cook;Matamoros, Tamaulipas,Mexico
Family EnterprisesAmalia Castillo Gonzalez,palmito fiber artisan;Bustamante,Nuevo Leon, MexicoRosa Maria CastilloGonzalez, pa/m/fo fiberartisan; Bustamante,Nuevo Leon, MexicoAngela Caudillo, piinatamaker; Nuevo Laredo,Tamaulipas, MexicoJuan Caudillo, pifiata maker;Nuevo Laredo,Tamaulipas, MexicoLeopoldo Marin Leal,tambora maker/clarinetplayer; Linares, NuevoLeon, MexicoBuilding ArtsMaria Jesus Jimenez, adobebuilder; Presidio, TXAlejandro Jimenez, adobebuilder; Presidio, TXGerardo Luis CaballeroRealivasquez, brickmaker; Ciudad Juarez,Chihuahua, MexicoEnrique Chavez Ramirez,brick maker;Ciudad Juarez,Chihuahua, MexicoRaul Ramirez-Sandoval,brick maker;Ciudad Juarez,Chihuahua, MexicoMartin Villa Guevara,stonecutter; 0]inaga,Chihuahua, MexicoFrancisco Javier Villa Reyes,stonecutter; Ojinaga,Chihuahua, MexicoProyecto Azteca/United Fann WorkersMaricela Castillo, housebuilder; San Juan, TXMaria Gomez, United FarmWorkers/house builder;San Juan, TXJaime Morales, housebuilder; San Juan, TXAristeo Orta, house builder;San Juan, TXJuan Salinas,construction supervisor;San Juan, TX
Special ConcertsRalph RinzlerMemorl\l ConcertSonya Cohen,vocals/instrumentalist;Takoma Park, MDCatherine Foster,vocals/instrumentalist;New York, NYCalum MacColl,vocals/instrumentalist;Surrey, EnglandNeill MacColl,vocals/instrumentalist;London, EnglandLarry Penn,vocals/instrumentalist;Milwaukee, WlEthel Raim, vocals;New York, NYIrene Scott, vocals/instrumentalist;Asheville, NCMike Seeger, vocals/instrumentalist;Lexington, VAPeggy Seeger, vocals/instrumentalist;Asheville, NCPl\no TraditionsConcertEthel Caffie-Austin,piano/vocals;Rockville, MDDave Chappel, electricguitar; Columbia, MDRalph Gordon, bass;Charles Town, WVJohnnie Johnson, piano/vocals; St. Louis, MOJames Kelly, fiddle;Miami Springs, FLDonna Long, piano;Baltimore, MDAdolph Wright, drums;Silver Spring, MDBluesWorks;Hyattsville, MarylandJudy Luis-Watson,keyboard/vocalsMark Puryear, guitar/vocalsPaul Watson, mandolin/harmonica/vocals
Hcsperas,Arlington, VirginiaTina Chancey, bowed stringsBruce Hutton,plucked stringsBruce Molsky, fiddleScott Reiss,hammered dulcimerRemy Rodriguez y AziicarLiza Albright, bassJeanie Dawson,saxophone/fluteAlfredo Mojica, percussionRemy Rodriguez, keyboardDavid Wiesler/Laura andthe Lava Lamps,Charlottesville, VirginiaRalph Gordon, bassLaura Lengnick, fiddleDavid Wiesler, pianoEar TO THE Ground:A Centenary Tributeto Malvina ReynoldsTom Paxton, vocals/instrumentalist;Alexandria, VABernice Johnson Reagon,vocals/instrumentalist;Washington, DCPeggy Seeger, vocals/instrumentalist;Asheville, NCRosalie Sorrels, vocals/instrumentalist; Boise, IDWoody Guthrie'sSongs for ChildrenCathy Fink and MarcyMarxer, vocals/instrumentalists;Takoma Park, MDElla Jenkins, vocals/instrumentalist;Chicago, ILTom Paxton, vocals/instrumentalist;Alexandria, VAMagpie,Takoma Park, MarylandGreg Artzner,vocals/instrumentalistTerry Leon i no,vocals/instrumentalist
108
Evening Programs and Special Events
Friday, June 23D.C. Jazz, 5:30-7 p.m., concertfeaturing D.C. jazz musicians.Sin Miedo, 7-9 p.m., concert anddance party featuring Latin music.Saturday, June 24EI Rio Dance Party, 5:30-9 p.m.Sunday, June 25D.C. Concert, 5:30-7 p.m.Blue D.C, 7:30-9 p.m., concertfeaturing blues performers IVIemphisGold and the blueshound.Monday, June 26Back in the Day, 5:30-7 p.m.,oldies dance party tiosted by DJCaptain Fly, moderated by BeverlyLindsay.It Started Right Here!, 7-9 p.m.,go-go concert with Chuck Brownand the Soul Searchers, andRare Essence.Tuesday, June 27Fugazi, 5:30-7:30 p.m. This localband brings their talent home to theNational Mall.Image Band, 7:30-9 p.m.,performing Caribbean music.Friday, June 30Piano Traditions, 5:30-9 p.m.,featuring gospel, Irish, blues. Latino,American traditional, and boogiepiano styles. This program is held inconjunction with the exhibition Piano300, at the Smithsonian InternationalGallery, S. Dillon Ripley Center,through March 4, 2001, and is orga-nized by the National Museum ofAmerican History.
Saturday, July 1Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert:A Singer for Her Time,5:30-9 p.m. This sixth annual RalphRinzler Memorial Concert, honoringthe achievements of the longtimeFestival director Ralph Rinzler,features the life and work of PeggySeeger. Close friend of Ralph's,Peggy blended a career in musicwith social activism, performingprotest, political, feminist, andenvironmental songs. Family, friends,and collaborators join Peggy.Tibetan-American DayCelebration, 5:30-9 p.m.Celebrate Tibetan-American Day withTibetan Americans from across theUnited States.Sunday, July 2Ear to the Ground: A CentenaryTribute to Malvina Reynolds,5:30-9 p.m. This concert celebratesthe release of a new SmithsonianFolkways recording. Ear to theGround, which features studio andlive performances from the 1960sand 1970s by Malvina Reynolds.Songs written by the late MalvinaReynolds, with lyrics reflecting thesocial justice and environmentalissues of her day, are performed byRosalie Sorrels, Tom Paxton, BerniceJohnson Reagon, and Peggy Seeger.
Monday, July 3Woody Guthrie's Songs forChildren, 5:30-7:30 p.m.Ella Jenkins, Tom Paxton, Cathy Fink,Marcy Marxer, and Magpie jointogether to perform Woody Guthrie'ssongs for children. This program ispresented in conjunction with theexhibition Ttils Land Is Your Land:Ttie Life and Legacy of WoodyGuthrie, which is on view at theNational Museum of American Historyto November 19, 2000. The exhibitionwas organized by the SmithsonianInstitution Traveling Exhibition Serviceand the Woody Guthrie Archives inassociation with the Center for Folklifeand Cultural Heritage.D.C. Divas, 7:30-9:30 p.m.This concert celebrates some of thehardest-working and best femalevocal performers from the D.C. area:Julia Nixon, Bernice Johnson Reagon,Toshi Reagon, Michelle Lanchester,and Yasmeen.Tuesday, July 4Faithful Fourth, noon-8 p.m.This all-day sacred music celebrationprovides a cross-cultural forum whereFestival visitors can listen to gospeland community-based song fromWashington, D.C, alongside sacredsong from Tibetan culture and the RioGrande/Rio Bravo Basin.
All Evening Programs are Sign Interpreted. 109
FridayJune Washington, D.C.D.C. MusicStage
Tibetan Culture El RioGonpa Tsok Khang La tiendita La plaza Sonidosdel rio
SaturdayJune Washington, D.C.D.C. MusicStage
Tibetan Culture El RioLhamo Gonpa TsokKhang M ^^^^^.^^Stage Monastery Gathering House H
Traditional Songand Dance: TibetanInstitute ofPerforming Artsm
Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred Music D.C.Stage Stage Foodways
Afro-BrazilianMusic: Origem
Tibetan Culture El Rio
MondayJune Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred MusicStage Stage D.C.Foodwavs
Stepping: StepAfrika!
Tibetan Culture El RioLhamo Gonpa Tsok KhangStage Mon -? ^..t^-.-, La tiendita La plaza Sonidosdel rio
Tibetan Opera:Bylakuppe LhamoTroupe
TuesdayJune Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred Music D.C.Stage Stage FoodwaysiSSa.
Tibetan Culture El RioGonpa Tsok Khang La tiendita La plaza Sonidosdel Ho
Traditional andContemporarySons and Dance:Chaksampa mTibetan Opera:Bylakuppe LhamoTroupe
Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred MusicStage Stage DC.Foodwavs
Folk: Luci Murphyand Friends
Tibetan Culture El Rio
Washington, D.C.D.C, Music Sacred Music D.C.Stage Stage Foodways D.C. Cafe
Doo-wop:DCs Finest 9
Tibetan Culture El RioGonpa Tsok Khang La tiendita La plaza Sonidosdel rio
Tibetan Folk Songs:Loten Namling
I SundayJuly2 Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred MusicStage Stage D.CFoodwavs
Tibetan Culture El Rio
Tsofe KhangGathering House La plaza Sonidosdel rio
His Holiness the Dalai Lamaand monks from Drepung Loselmgand Namgyal MonasteryMonlam Chenmo (Great Prayer Festival)and Public Talk, 8:30 -12 noon.Lawn seating. Etuer near 7th Street and Madison Dnve
MondayJuly3 Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred Music D.C.Stage Stage Foodways
Doo-wop:DCs Finest
Tibetan Culture El RioLhamo Gonpa Tsok KhangStage Mon?* - -. . La tiendita La plaza Sonidosdel Ho
Tibetan Opera:Bylakuppe LhamoTroupe
Washington, D.C.D.C. Music Sacred MlStage Stage D.C.Foodwavs
African Drummersand Dancers
Tibetan Culture El RioLhanw Gonpa TsokKhang ^^^^^^^^Stage Monastery Gathering House Laplivza Sonidosdelrio
Traditional andContemporatySong and Dance:Chaksampa
Related EventsThis Land Is Your Land:The Life and Legacy ofWoody GuthrieRw 27 - August 13, 2000National Museum of Amencan HistoryThis exhibition follows folk singer Woody Guthne's(1912-1967) life through his personal history andartistic development. The exhibition also explores how heinfused in his music the tragedies and hard times of thecommon man, which gave his music purpose and sparkeda life-long dedication to social activism. The conclusionfeatures such contemporary artists as Bob Dylan,Bruce Spnngsteen, and Billy Bragg, who have beeninfluenced by his work.Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling ExhibitionService and the Woody Guthne Archives in association wiih theCenter for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.Piano 300:Celebrating Three Centuriesof People and PianosMarch 9, 2000 - March 4, 2001S. Dillon Ripley Center, International GalleryThis exhibition commemorates the 300th anniversaryof the piano, invented circa 1700 by BartolomeoCristofori. On view are almost two dozen instruments fromthe National Museum of American History's collection;manuscripts by such composers as Mozart, Chopin, Liszt,Gershwin, and Ellington; tools; photographs; play bills;sheet music; and other memorabilia.Organized by the National Museum of .^nienc.m Hislor\'Artifacts from the Silk RoadArtifacts from the Silk Road, an exhibition organized byPaper Road/Tibet, will be on display June 22-July 16at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Theexhibition consists of over 40 objects? book covers,printing blocks, printed book pages, calligraphy andprayer flags. The unique Tibetan/Himalayan method ofpaper making which leaves the paper to dry on a mould,can be seen at the Folklife Festival.The Spirit of Tibet:Portrait of a Culture in ExileCC^T^he Spirit of Tibet; Portrait of a Culture in Exile," a
-L slide show organized by documentary photographerAlison Wnght, will be presented at the Meyer Auditorium ofthe Freer Galleiy at 1 p.m , July 2.
D.C. Neighborhood EventsSuND.AY, June 25 6-7 pmOrigemKennedy Center, Millennium StageConcert featunng Brazilian |az;Wednesday, June 28 7-9 p mDance Journey: Exploring Dance in DCLisner Auditorium at George Washington UniversityFeaturing Mam Montero Dance Company Moving ForwardContemporary Asian Dance Company, Smooth & E-Z HandDance Troupe, The Dance Troupe of the Cambodian NetworkCouncil, Andrew Cacho African Drummers & Dancers, StepAfnka!, Devi Dance Theater, The Washington Ballet, andKanKouran West African Dance CompanyWednesd.-w, June 28 6 pmPremiere of "Symphony of DC Citypiece"Kennedy Center, Millennium StagePresented by The Kreeger Museum in collaboration v.qth theNational Symphony Orchestra, National Public Radio, and theKennedy CenterFriday, June 30 6:30-9:30 p mDC Swings!Washington Harbor Place (location unconfirmed)Outdoor event featunng swing dance and music.Friday, June 30 6-9 p mSouthwest Jazz JamWestminister Presbyterian Church. 400 1 Street S.W.Fish fry and concert featunng jazz performances byAntonio Parker, Zach Graddy, Michael Thomas, Wes Biles,Bill Washburn, Cheryl AUeyne, and Arnold Sterling.Saturday, July 1 6-9 p.m.Cahente!Marie H. Reed Community Center,2200 Champlain Street N.WOutdoor Latin music and dance concert featunngLos Funcionanos, Havana Select, Ceniza and Peligro.Sund.ay, July 2 7-9 pmJoyful DC! A Gospel CelebrationLincoln Theater, 1215 U Street N.W.Performances by The Union Temple Youth Choir, The FourEchoes, Nolan Williams, Jr. & The Psalmists, Reverb, RevJames N. Flowers, Jr & The Flower Family Singers, Sounds ofSymmetr); Kings of Harmony The Curenton FamilyWashington Performing Ans Societys Men & Women of theGospel Mass Choir, and more.
All events are free and open to the public. For funher information callthe D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities at 202.724.5614.
130
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Photo cojrtesy Conserv Tibetan Art and Culture
;C^'
Festival Sponsors and Special Thanks
Festival SupportSmithsonian Office and BureauSupportOffice of the Secretary; Office of theInspector General; Office ofMembership and Development; Ofhceof the Under Secretary for AmencanMuseums and National Programs;Office of Communications; PublicAffairs; Visitor Information andAssociates Reception Center; Office ofGovernment Relations; Office ofSpecial Events and ConferenceServices; National Museum ofAmerican History: Directors Office,Division of Cultural History, Office ofPublic Services; Center for LatinoInitiatives; Center for Education andMuseum Studies; Office of the UnderSecretary for Science; Office ofFellowships and Grants; Office ofSponsored Projects; Office of theUnder Secretary for Finance andAdministration; Accessibility Program;Office of the Comptroller; Office ofContracting; Travel Services Office;Office of Equal Employment andMinority Affairs; Office of ExhibitsCentral; Office of the GeneralCounsel; Office of Human Resources;Office of Imaging, Printing andPhotographic Services; Office ofInformation Technolog)'; Office ofInternational Relations; Office ofPlanning, Management and Budget;Office of Risk and Asset Management;Facilities Services Group: Engineenngand Design, EnvironmentManagement and Safety, PhysicalPlant, HorticultureSmithsonian Business VenturesSmithsonian MagazineWashington, D.C:It's Our HomeThis program is produced in collabo-ration with the D.C. Commission onthe Arts and Humanities.Major support is pro\ided by the
Government of the District ofColumbia, The Morris andGwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, TheDC. Sports and EntertainmentCommission, Hilton HotelsCorporation, The Dunn andBradstreet Corporation, The MeyerFoundation, The Washington Post,Chevy Chase Bank, WashingtonMetropolitan Area Transit Authority,IBM, and the Recording IndustnesMusic Performance Trust Funds.Additional support is provided by theDC. Humanities Council; the BlumKovler Foundation; Program inAfrican Amencan Culture, Division ofCultural History, National Museum ofAmerican History; and SPOT ImageCorporation.In-kind contributors:American University; The GeorgeWashington University GelmanLibrary, Special CollectionsDepartment; Howard University;Gallaudet University; and Ron Allen.Advisory Committee:Barb Buscher, Ann Corbett, JamesEarly; Barbara Franco, BrendaGalloway, Sally Gifford, AnthonyGittens, Mary Linger Hickman, RandyHowes, Patricia Pasqual, JenniferCover Payne, Sue Porter, LinnShapiro, Cathy Smith, Melanie Suggs,Evelyn WoolstonSpecial Thanks:Honorable Anthony Williams, Mayor,Distnct of Columbia; Delegate EleanorHolmes Norton, U.S. House ofRepresentatives; Council MemberCharlene Drew Jarvis; DorothyMcSweeny, Chair, D.C. Commissionon the Arts and Humanities;Abdusalam Omer, Chief of Staff,District of Columbia; Anne Allen,Executive Director, The Morris andGwendolyn Cafntz Foundation; JohnL. Richardson, Chair, D.C. Sports andEntertainment Commission; WarrenGraves, Executive Director, D.C,
Sporis and EntertainmentCommission; Katherine T. FreshleyProgram Officer, Eugene and Agnes E.Meyer Foundation; CliffordAlexander, Chairman and ChiefExecutive Officer, The Dunn andBradstreet Corporation; VirginiaRodriguez, Public Relations Director,The Washington Post; Lou Durden,Director of Corporate CommunityRelations, IBM; James Early Centerfor FolkUfe and Cultural Rentage;D.C. Commission on the Arts andHumanities Staff: Shirin Ghareeb, JeanHarrison, Mary Liniger Hickman,Michael Jenkins, Sandra D. Maddox,Kathleen Moran, Sherry Schwechten,Alec Simpson, Lionell Thomas, CeciliaWeeks, Freddye Wiggins; TaniaAbdulahad; Jane Alberdeston;Anacostia Watershed Society; MarkBarber, U.S. Geological Survey; JoanE. Biren; Carol Black, SPOT ImageCorporation; Tom Blagbum; AnitaBrown; lley Brown II; Kate Bucco,Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens; BarbaraBurgur, National Archives; Frank E.Butler; Kenny Carroll; Grace Cavalieri;DJ "Silver"; Dr. Elizabeth Clark-Lewis;Committee to Promote Washington;D.C. Department of Public Works:Nurel Haque, Al Hunter; PradeepDalai; Dr. Ennco Davoli; Alain deKeghel; Harold Dorwin; FotocraftCamera Club; Perry Frank; JonathanFrench; Friends of the Potomac;Ralph Frisbee, Washington AreaMetropolitan Transit Authority;George Washington UniversityGelman Library: Jack Siggins,University Librarian; FrancineHenderson, Special Collections;G. David Anderson; Erica Aungst;La Nina Clayton; Lyle Slovick; AlisaGoetz, Jewish Historical Society;Stephanie E. Gordon; Dr. JamesHorton; Mar)' Ison, Library ofCongress; Andrew Johnson, NationalAir and Space Museum; TheresaJones; Irene C, Kellogg; Max Kidd;Niani Kilkenny Program in AfncanAmencan Culture, National Museum132
of American History; Glona CreechKirk; Pearl Kruger; Raymond Kruger;Roy Lewis; Alpheus L. Mathis; DarrowMontgomery; David Montgomery, TheWashington Post; Askia Muhammed;Sharon Murphy; Maria Naranjo; ClarkNelson, SPOT Image Corporation;Thanh-Thuy Nguyen; Diana Onley-Campbell; Yvonne Payne; GayleRedmann, Histoncal Society ofWashington, DC; Walter A. RobertsIII; Ron St. Clair; Mary Temes, D.C.Public Library; Eugene Townes; NildaVillalta; LaVeme Washington, Rhythm& Blues Foundation; Donna Wells,Howard University; CommunityAdvisory Committee: Kent Amos,Gladys Bray Robert Brown, JesseBrown, Dana Tai Soon Burgess,Andrew Cacho, Kenneth Carroll,Lowell Case, Vilay Chaleunrath,Phavann Chhuan, Kyung Soo Choi,Paul Clark, Laura Cohen, Isaac Colon,John Detaeye, Michael DupigneyMary Fitch, John Fondersmilh,Robert Fry, Thelma Jones, LoriKaplan, Percy Martin, RebeccaMedrano, E. Ethelbert Miller, DominicT. Moulden, Maria Naranjo, EleanorHolmes Norton, Jate Pan, Carla Perio,Harold Recenos, Ron Simmons,Wallace Charies Smith, John C.Suipes, Judy Tiger, Frazier Walton, Jr,Rev Willie Wilson, William WoobyMark ZuverTibetan CultureBeyond theLand of SnowsThis program is produced in collabo-ration with the Conservancy forTibetan Art & Culture and with theassistance of His Holiness the 14thDalai Lama of Tibet and the Tibetangovemment-in-exile.Major support is provided by theInternational Campaign for Tibet,Tibet Fund, Tibet House New York,The Rockefeller Foundation, The GereFoundation, Inner Harmony WellnessCenter/Peter Amato, Steven andBarbara Rockefeller, Edward FNazarko, the Kruglak FamilyTibetan Alliance of Chicago, Inc., TheShelley and Donald Rubin
Foundation, Inc., Utah Tibet SupportGroup, Kazuko Tatsumura Hillyer,and Padma Health Products, Inc.PatronsAsian Cultural Council, TerranceCarison and Jeaneite Leehr, GrantCouch, Brian Kistler, Alex LoweCharitable Foundation, Gaylord NeelyVera Pratt, gYung-Drung Bon TempleFoundationArtist SponsorsLourdes Arguelles and Anne Rivero,Marge CelUni, Young-Hwi Chang,Ling Chen, Ted Lee Fisher, RandallGates, Marge Knutson, Ivan Kruglakand Natacha Kruglak, ElizabethHamlin, Heron Foundation, DrLonanne Masuoka, Myoren LouiseHagihara Dharma Center Bookstore,Stephanie Odegard, Joseph Pattison,Sandra Ross and Martin Resnick, Juliaand John Thornton, TibetanAssociation of New York & NewJersey, Mark Vaughan, Lisa A.YacoubianFestival SupportersWendy Appel; Dianne Armstrong-Delorenzo; Linda Beutner; ElizabethBjorklund; James and RachelBlankenship; John Blaxall; Rose MarshBoyle; Raffi Cavoukian; KathleenCrawford; Michelle De Cou-Landberg;Dianne E Doherty; Patricia Earhart;Laurence Eggers; Robert Farina; SusanGetzendanner; Good WorksFoundation; Dr Robin C. Hyman andDr Christine A. Hyman; Nita Ing;Alexandra Isles; Bryce and Juli Jasmer;Mark Joyce; Susan Lantz; BartLeonard and Barbara Krumsiek; LosAngeles Fnends of Tibet; ToniMcOmber; Dr. Bobbi Nassar; BarbaraNicol; Northwest Tibetan CulturalAssociation; Linda Pessemier; RobertPogue; Regional Tibetan YouthCongress of New York and NewJersey; Marlene Reiss; Stanford andDorothy Ross; Elizabeth Sackler;David and Ellie Sambol; Lyle Sanford;Jesse Sartain; Steven Schwartz; Benand Fredericka Shapiro; GesheLhundup Sopa; Tibetan AmericanFoundation of Minnesota; TibetanAssociation of Boston; Tibetan
Association of Minnesota; TibetanAssociation of Southern California;Tibetan Community of Alberta; AliciaVogel; Barry Wagner; Lucy Weed;Kathleen Sinclair Wood; MargaridaWuThanks to all of those who con-tributed to Tibetan Culture Beyond theLand of Snows after this program wentto print.In-Kind ContributorsArnold & Porter, Washington, DC;Capital Area Tibetan Association,Washington, DC; Roger Craver, FallsChurch, VA; Carol Dean, Washington,DC; Drepung Loseling Institute,Atlanta, GA; Carole Elchert, FindlayOH; Susan England, Washington, DC;Don Farber, Santa Monica, CA; LukeFretwell, Alexandria, VA; Brian Harris,Vancouver, BC; Himalayan ArtProject, New York, NY; Bob King,Boulder, CO; Paul Kloppenburg,Crestone, CO; Mandala, Soquel, CA;Julie Meling, Chilmark, MA; DanielMiller, Washington, DC; MerrickMorton, Los Angeles, CA; NamgyalMonastery, Dharamsala, India; TheNewark Museum, Newark, NJ;Norbulingka Institute, Sidhpur, India;Kalsang Lodoe Oshoe, Springfield,MA; Odegard, Inc., New York, NY;Douglas Pearce, Washington, DC;Losang Rabgey, Washington, DC;Betty Rogers, Washington, DC;Samaya Foundation, New York, NY;SEVA Service Society, Vancouver, BC;Shambhala Sun, Halifax, NS; JohnSimpson, Springfield, MA; Snow LionPublications, Ithaca, NY; PhilipSugden, Findlay OH; University ofMassachusetts at Amherst, Amherst,MA; David Urubshurow, ChevyChase, MD; Wisdom Publications,Somerville, MA; Alison Wright, SanFrancisco, CA; Sonam Zoksang, NewYork, NYSpecial ThanksAll our Festival volunteers; JohnAckerly; Bruce Adams; AmnyeMachen Institute; Conrad Anker; LisaArakaki; Chieko Ariga; Asian ClassicsInstitute; Pamela Atkinson; MojgoneAzemun; Laura Beldiman; HowardBerkes; Bob Bissland; Black Diamond 133
Company; Richard Blum; Gar>' Blythe;David Breashears; Robyn Brentano;Mark Brinkerhoff; Thad BrowTi;Bureau of His Holmess the DalaiLama, New Delhi; Patrick Calderoni;Capital Area Tibetan Association; LisaCaterino; Central TibetanAdministration (CTA); Topjor andPema Chagzoetsang; HannahChismar; Tenzing Choedak; PemaChozom; Conservancy for Tibetan Art& Culture Board of Directors; CecilyCook; Jeff Cox; Mark Croghan;Crossing Over Consortium, Inc. dbaPaper Road/Tibet; Nancy Dadok;Michelle De Cou-Landberg; Deer ParkBuddhist Center & Monaster)-; DekynLarsoe Tibetan Settlement; PhurbuSithar Dekhang; Department ofEducation (CTA); Department ofFinance (CTA); Department of Home(CTA); Department of Informationand International Relations (CTA);Department of Religion and Culture(CTA); Ven. Lobsang Dechen; RinchenDharlo; Dhondenling TibetanSetdement; Tsering Dhondup; TenzinDhongthog; Dickyiling TibetanSettlement; Dr Tenzin Dingyon;Doeguling Tibetan Settlement; PemaDolma; Chodon and Dhondup Dorji;Tsenng Doiji; Drepung LoselingMonastery; Greg Durgin; Dzi TibetCollection; Barbara Falconer; CarolineFinnegan; Foothill Oriental Rug Store;Melissa Mathison and Harrison Ford;Linda Frees; Lesley Fnedell; GelekRmpoche; Richard Gere; Barbara andMichael Goldstein; JenniferGreenfield; Nagdol and TashiGyaltsen; Lodi G. Cyan; Joel Gysan;Paul Hackett; Hampden and WheelerGalleries; Amy Head; John Hocevar;James Hopkins; Jeffrey Hopkins;International Campaign for Tibet;Jewel Heart; The Right ReverendBishop Carolyn Tanner Insh; DrThupten Jinpa; Jeanne Johnson;Nancy Jo Johnson; Kalsang YugialJorkhang; Kashag Office; Vivian Kurz;Lome Ladner; Gabnelle Lafitte; KathyLahitz; Richard and Mary Lamer;Land of Compassion Buddha; MarileeLatta; Steve Lehman; Tenzin Lhakey;Library of Tibetan Works & Archives;Judy Lin; L. T Litho, ColoradoSprings; Little America Hotel;
Jonathan Lower; Lugsung SamduplingTibetan Settlement; Rick Mandhal;Brent Manning; Manning Curtis &Bradshaw Bednar Law Firm; Mary-Beth Markey; Steve Marshall; MelvinMcCloud; Mac McCoy; AmbassadorJohn W McDonald; Tim McNeil;Peter Metcalf; Daniel Miller; JudyMitoma; Sophijoye Mosko; Namg>'alMonastery; Elizabeth Napper;Norbulingka Institute; JamlingNorgay; T N. Norpa; O.C. TannerCompany; Office of His Holiness theDalai Lama; Office of Tibet, NewYork; Ayako Okada; Pal ShentenMenri Ling Monastery, Dolanji; YeshePelgye; Theresa Perrone; TsetenPhanucharas; Sidney Piburn; PotalaTours & Travels; Losang Rabgey; Dr.Ngawang Rabgyal; Rabgyeling TibetanSettlement; The Henry and AnneReich Family Foundation; ValraeReynolds; Matthieu Ricard; RigpaFellowship; Sue Roche; Diana Rose;Debra Ross; Mark Rovner; Katherineand Rob Rowley; Salt Lake EpiscopalDiocese; Arlene Samen; KyleSamperton; Tenzin Thogmey Sampho;Ralph Samuelson; San Diego Friends;Tashi Sangmo; Nina Schroeder; SegoGallery; Jeff Sells; Josh Silver; NinaSmith; Warren Smith; SmithsonianOffice of Horticulture; SmithsonianOffice of Special Events andConference Services; Missy Snelling;Snow Bird Ski Resort; SogyalRinpoche; Bob Spnngmeyer; Larryand Tracy Stevens; Wayne Su; GesheLobsang Tenzin; Kalon T C. Tethong;Tenzin Thongdol; Thubten DhargyeLing; Nena v. S. Thurman; Robert A.F Thurman; Tibet Fund; Tibet HouseNew York; Tibetan Alliance ofChicago, Inc.; Tibetan Association ofUtah; Tibetan Crafts CommunityTashi Jong; Tibetan Institute ofPerforming Arts; Tibetan Medical andAstro Institute; Tibetan Nuns Project;Tibetan Refugee Health Care Project;Tibetan Welfare Office, Simla; KalonSonam Topgyal; Tsa-Tsa Factory;Bhuchung K. Tsering; FormerRepresentative Kasur Dawa Tsering;Lhasang Tsering; Chetue PenpaTsering; Kalon Tempa Tsering; DavidUaibshurow; Elisa Marie VanderhooftVen. Nicky Vreeland; Darrell Weaver;
Eric Wilden; Kathy & Ted Wilson;James W Wohlgemuth; Dr. MarciaWoolf; Leslie Wong; Phil Wykle;xpedx Paper Company; Kim andKalsang Yeshi; Tenzin ZangmaElRioThis program is produced in collabo-ration with the Smithsonian Centerfor Latino Initiatives.Major support is provided by theState of New Mexico, SmithsonianLatino Initiatives Fund, U.S.Department of Agriculture, and theHousing .Assistance Council.Additional support is provided by ElConsejo Nacional para la Cultura y lasArtes, Texas Commission on the Arts,El Consejo para la Cultura de NuevoLeon, Instituto Tamaulipeco para laCultura y las Artes, Direccion Generalde Ecologia del Estado de Coahuila,DesarroUo Integral de la Familia delMunicipio de Sakillo, Coahuila;Programa de Museos Comunitarios enel Estado de Chihuahua, and NationalMuseum of American History'sENCUENTROS: Latino America at theSmithsonian.In-kind Contributors:Cactus Ropes; CambndgeInternational; Colorado College;Continental Airlines; CulturaFronieriza, AC; El Colegio de laFrontera Norte; Fine Fek Farm;Garden City; Glen-Gery Corporation;Hanson Concrete Products; Las IslasRanch; Marint Farm and RanchSupply; McAUen Ranch; MexicanCultural Institute, Washington, DC;Pnefert Mfg.; Southwest Center forEnvironmental Research and Policy;University of New Mexico: SouthwestHispanic Research Institute;University of Texas-Pan Amencan,and Wrangler Western Wear
Special Trwks:Senator Ben D. Altamirano, State ofNew Mexico; Senator Manny Aragon,State of New Mexico; Roland SimonArriola, University of Texas-PanAmerican; Sergio A\nles de la Garza,Director General de Ecologia, Estado134
de Coahuila; Bob Barnes; AllenBlackman, Resources for the Future;David Bosserman; Jim Breedon,Breedon Bag & Burlap Co., Inc.; MikeBrisnahan, Las Islas Ranch; DavidBynum, Priefert Mfg.; DanielCampbell; Jean Carter; Maria CebaduaSerra, El Consejo para la Cultura deNuevo Leon; Octavio E. Chavez; BartChilton; Angela Chittams-Addo;Karen Clark, UPS; Vannie CookFamily, Las Islas Ranch; CoordinacionEstatal de la Tarahumara; JuanitaValdez-Cox, United Farm Workers,San Juan; Surabhi Dabir, HousingAssistance Council; Alejandra de laPaz, El Consejo Nacional para laCultura y las Artes; Linda Femekes;Roel Flores; Eileen Fitzgerald, U.S.Dept. of Agriculture; Crystal WallaceFord, Rural Housing Service, USDA;John A. Garcia, New MexicoEconomic Development Department;Peter Garcia, Continental Airlines;Rodolfo Garza Gutierrez; DanGlickman, Secretary, U.S. Departmentof Agriculture; Felipe B. Gonzales,University of New Mexico, SouthwestHispanic Research Institute; JanetGreen, New Mexico Department ofTourism; Allen Gunn, Glen-GeryCorporation; LaDonna Harris; RicardoHernandez, Texas Commission on theArts; Jose N. Iturriaga de la Fuente, ElConsejo Nacional para la Cultura y lasArtes; Governor Gary E. Johnson,State of New Mexico; James C.Kearney; John W Kent, Garden City,San Benito; Michael Kieman,MKimages; Ken King, SouthernMaryland Tri-County CAC; JoeLeibano, 84 Lumber; Kim Leverage,Cambridge International; MoisesLoza, Housing Assistance Council;Jose Antonio MacGregor, El ConsejoNacional para la Cultura y las Artes;Robert Marquez, New Mexico StateUniversity Dept, of Chemistry &Biochemistry; Daria Martinez; RubenMartinez; Jimmy McAUen, McAUenRanch; Robert McAllen; DaleMcCoUum, Mt. Vernon Mills, Inc.; SrMedrano; Gildardo Montafio Chavez;Maria Teresa Morado de Pimentel,DesarroUo Integral de la Familia delMunicipio de Saltillo, Coahuila; JaimeMorales Gutierrez; Darren Morrow;
Bradley Morrow; Ignacio DiegoMufioz; New Mexico Department ofTourism; New Mexico EconomicDevelopment Department; RichardPayne; Regis Pecos; John Prewit, PortDirector for Immigration; ProyectoAzteca; Leo Quiroga, Proyecto Azteca;Alejandra Rangel, El Consejo para laCultura de Nuevo Leon; EduardoReyes Langagne, El Consejo Nacionalpara la Cultura y las Artes; PrisciRoca, Roca Construction Company;Ricardo Roca, Roca ConstructionCompany; Gladys Rodriguez, U.S.Department of Agriculture; AlvaroRodriguez-Tirado, Cultural Minister,Embassy of Mexico; LaNelda Rolley,Deputy Cabinet Secretary, NewMexico Department of Tourism;Senator Richard M. Romero, State ofNew Mexico; Javier Salazar; JuanManuel Saldlvar-Cantu, MexicanCultural Institute; Roberto Salmon,University of Texas-Pan American;Ra>Tnond Sanchez, Speaker of theHouse, New Mexico House ofRepresentatives; Vicente SanchezAvila, Cambridge International,Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico;Rafael Santin, El Consejo Nationalpara la Cultura y las Artes; Carrie S.Schmidt, U.S. Department ofAgriculture; Teresa Sierra, Universityof New Mexico, Southwest HispanicResearch Institute; Joseph Suina;Simon E. Suma; Rhonda Tall,Cambridge International; JuanAntonio Tapia; Jill Long Thompson,U.S. Department of Agriculture; EliseoTorres, Vice President of StudentAffairs, University of New Mexico;Universidad de Chihuahua: FacultadZootecnia; Father Jesus Vargas; MarkWaver, Hanson Concrete Products;Wendy Wiebe, Fine Felt Farm; T. RoyWnght; Mary Yturria; MacloviaZamoraSI Special Thanks:Meredith Hubel, Manuel Melendez,Ray Seefeldt
Special ConcertsRalph Rinzler MemorialConcertThis program is supported by TheRecording Industries MusicPerformance Trust Funds.Plano TraditionsThis program is supported by a grantfrom the Educational Outreach Fund,administered by the SmithsonianOffice of Education, and by the JohnHammond Fund for the Performanceof American Music, with additionalsupport from the Yamaha Corporationof Amenca.Woody Guthrie's SongsFOR ChildrenThis program is supported by theFolklore Society of GreaterWashington and SmithsonianFolkways Recordings.Faithful FourthThis program is supported by HiltonHotels Corporation.General FestivalIn-Kind ContributorsAshby & Associates ProductionServices, Alexandna, VA; Brass Knob,Washington, DC; Crystal Springs,Lancaster, PA; Circuit City Richmond,VA; FUJIFILM USA, Elmsford, NY;GL Cornell, Gaithersburg, MD;Global Village Productions,Alexandria, VA; Goodmark Foods,Raleigh, NC; M&M Mars,Hackettstown, NJ; Max-wellCorporation of America, Fairlawn, NJ;Media Visions Video Duplications,Springfield, VA; Peirce-Phelps, Inc.AudioA'ideo Productions, Beltsville,MD; Reily Foods Company, NewOrleans, LA; Ricola, Morris Plains, NJ;Sony Electronics, Inc., Teaneck, NJ;Target Distributing, AudioA'ideoDivision, Rockville, MD; TDKElectronics, Port Washington, NY
Our gratitude to all of the volunteerswho make the Festival possible. 135
Staff
SmithsonianInstitutionSecretary: Lawrence M. SmallUnder Secretary for AmericanMuseum Programs and NationalOutreach: Sheila P BurkeCenter for Folklife andCultural HeritageDirector: Richard KunnDeputy Director: Richard KennedyFestival Director: Diana ParkerDirector, Smithsonian FolkwaysRecordings: Anthony SeegerDirector, Cultural HeritagePolicy: James EarlyAdministrative Officer:Barbara StncklandSenior Ethnomusicologist:Thomas Vennum, JrChair, Research & Education:Olivia CadavalAssistant Director, SmithsonianFolkways Recordings:D. A. SonnebomCurators, Folklorists, Education& Cultural Specialists:Betty J. Belanus, Nancy Groce,Majorie Hunt, Diana Baird N'Diaye,Peter Seitel, Cynthia VidaurnProgram/Publications Manager:Carla M. BordenProgram Manager:John W. FranklinDirector of Development:Josh SilverTechnical Director: Rob SchneiderDirector of Design andProduction: Knsten FernekesGraphic Designer:Caroline BrownellArchivist: Jeffrey PlaceAssistant Archivist:Stephanie Smith
Program Specialist:Arlene L. RemigerMedia Specialist: Charlie WeberFiscal Managers:Heather Berthold,Betty Derbyshire, Bill HolmesFolkways Sound ProductionSupervisor: Pete RemigerFolkways Marketing Director:Brenda DunlapFolkways Marketing Assistant:John SmithFolkways ManufacturingCoordinator: Judy BarlasFolkways ProductionCoordinator: Mary MonseurAudio Recording Specialist:Ronnie SimpkmsAssistant Audio RecordingSpecialist: Scott FinholmFolkways Fulfillment Manager:Sharleen KavetskiFolkways Fulfillment Staff:Lee Michael Demsey,Helen Lindsay, Nakieda MooreOffice Manager: Sheila NaylorAdministrative Assistant:Rachelle HardyVolunteers: Dale Dowdal,Ramona DowdalFellows & Research Associates:Zam Abdullah, Stanford Carpenter,Susan T. Chen, Roland Freeman,Dan Goodwin, Todd Harvey AmyHorowitz, Ivan Karp, GuyLogsdon, Alan Lomax, WorthLong, Rene Lopez, Kate Rinzler,Kathenne Skmner, Saul Tobias,Bob WhiteAdvisors: Michael Asch, PhyllisBarney, Jane Beck, Don DeVito, PatJasper, Ella Jenkins, Jon Kertzer,Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett,John Nixdorf, Bernice JohnsonReagon, Gilbert Sprauve, JackTchen, Ricardo TnmiUos
SmithsonianFolklife FestvalDirector, Center for Folklife andCultural Heritage: Richard KunnDeputy Director: Richard KennedyFestival Director: Diana Parker
AdministrativeAND Fiscal SupportAdministrative Officer:Barbara StncklandAdministrative Assistants,Folklife: Linda Benner, BettyDerbyshire, Ramona Dowdal,Rachelle Hardy Bill Holmes, SheilaNaylorAssistant to the Festival Director:Mary LeeParticipant Coordinator:Sambia Shivers-BarclayAssistant ParticipantCoordinators: Jimena Allen,Carolyn Hengst, Pamela Holmes,Joshua WaldmanHousing Coordinator:Leah BassetiSocial Coordinator: Johan RashadComputer Specialist/Assistants:Da\nd Mealo, R.C. ForneyVolunteer Coordinator:Sheila SmythAssistant Volunteer Coordinator:Alicia McCauleyVolunteer Intern: Emily O'DonnellMarketplace Manager:Marlene GravesFolkways Festival Sales Manager:Maiy MonseurConcessions Manager:Eduardo McndozaConsignment Coordinators:Chuck Graves, Bnan Posey
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Foodways Coordinator:Beverly SimonsProgram Book Sales Coordinator:Cara M. GoldsteinTechnical SupportTechnical Director: Rob SchneiderAssistant Technical Directors:Dovid Adler, Beth DellCarpenters: Thomas Lima,Tim Raridon, Jian WuElectrician: U. L. WhitePipefitter: Ray ReedExhibit Workers:Lorenzo Benning, Jr. , AndyBuckman, Delonte Clark, WilliamIverson, Amy Kent, Marc Kinner,Kara Lochridge, Terry Menefield,Erica Newman, Kevin Solomon,Jermam CrawfordSound/Stage Supervisor:Pete ReinigerSpecial Events TechnicalDirector: Jeff AnthonySound/Stage Staff: Saul BroudyPaul Cogan, Henry Cross, ScottFmholm, Licia Gilinsky, GreggLamping, Al McKenney CamillaRestrepo Moreno, Charlie Pilzer,Claudia Telliho, James Welsh,engineers; Jeanette Buck, RachelCross, Paul Douglas McNevitch,Steve Grauberger, Sissie Lang,stage managersSupply Coordinator:Jefferson CuffeyAssistant Supply Coordinator:Many EnnenLogistics Coordinator:Anne MercerDesign & ProductionArt Director: Kristen FemekesSenior Designer:Caroline BrownellDesigner: Lynn MurphyDesign Intern: Krista Sharp
EditingEditor: Carla BordenAssociate Editor: Peter SeitelProofreaders: Kristen Fernekes,Arlene Remiger, Tom VennumDocumentationDocumentation Coordinator:Jeff PlacePhoto DocumentationCoordinatorAVebmaster:Stephanie SmithVideo Documentation:Charlie WeberDocumentation Interns:Jaye Montgomery, Chnstme ParkerChief Volunteer, Documentation:Manlyn GastonEducation and Program SupportEducation Specialists:Marjorie Hunt, Diana Baird N'DiayeIntern Coordinator:Arlene ReinigerEducation Interns:Ulluminair Cordell, Melissa FisherCross-Program Coordinator:Peter SeitelAccessibility Coordinator:Betty BelanusPublic Information: Vicki Moesei,Eden Miller, JoAnn WebbPublic Information Intern:Kern HoltSign-Lanuage Interpreters:Candas Barnes, Martin Hiraga,Diana Mele, Kimberly Underwood,Hank YoungSign Master: Ernie HairstonSpecial Evening ProgramsCurators: Howard Bass,Michael McBnde, Anthony SeegerEvening Programs Coordinator:Mary Lee
Washington, D.C:It's Our HomeCurators: Marianna Blagburn,Michael McBride, Brett Williams,John FranklinProgram Coordinator: Ivy YoungProgram Assistant: Tania TamProgram Interns: Tonika Berkley,Katherine Dargis, Rebecca KallemProgram Area Organizers:Gabnel Benn, spoken word;Tom Blagburn, basketball; SallyGifford, social justice dialogues,Lisa Pegram, spoken word,Lauren Rogers, reunionsResearch Coordinators:Mananna Blagburn, Brett WilliamsResearchers: Lois E. Adams,Diane A. Bacote, Candace Barnes,Sue Barnes, Gabriel C. Benn,Toni Blackman, Tom Blagburn,Iley Brown II, James Brov/Ti, Jr.,R J. Brownlee, Camilla Bryce-Laporte, Anika Collins, EvelynCurenton, Sandy Dang, Anna DeFina, Jane Flegel, ChristopherFlores, Paul GarduUo, LiloGonzales, Alan Hersker, SherriLawson-Clark, William Mabry,Atiba Madyun, Angle Manzano,Susie McFadden-Resper, MelindaMichels, Lisa Pegram, JemimaPierre, Kishanna Poteat, RosePowhatan, Mingo Roberts,Elizabeth Sheehan, DanetteSokocich, Pallavi Thakur, MichaelTwitty, Nilda Villalta, Sheila Wise,Yohannes ZelekePresenters: Gabriel Benn, KaiBlagburn, Rahman Branch, CamillaBryce-Laporte, Kenny Carroll,Anna DeFina, Robert Fry, HowardGassaway, Jordan Graye, MarjorieHunt, Philippa Jackson, Linda Lee,Beverly Lindsay Diana N'Diaye,Lisa Pegram, Mingo Roberts, SheilaRoberts, Ryan Rodriguez, StephenSyphax, Michael Twitty NildaVillalta, David Wang, BnanWilliams
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Tibetan Culture BeyondTHE Land of SnowsCurators: Richard Kennedy,Jamphel LhundupProgram Coordinators:Matthew Pistono (U.S.),Tenpa Samkhar (India)Program Associate: Marni KravitzProgram Assistants:Tashi Choepel (India),Carolyn Hengst (U.S.)Coordinating Committee inIndia: Tenpa Samkhar, KalonTempa Tsering, Kim YeshiInterns: Rebekah Adkisson,Megan BrownPresenters: Tashi Chozom,Dawa Dolma, JamyangDorjee,Choying Drolma, JaneFarmer, Dolma Kyap, DachenKyaping, Losang Rabgey, SonamTashi, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin,Sonam Tenzing, Tenzin Thokme,Penpa Tsering, Topgyal Tsenng,Ganzey Tshenng
ElRioCurators: Olma Cadaval,Cynthia L. VidaurriProgram Coordinator:Arlene RemigerProgram Assistants: Linda Ho,Melissa Morales, Edme PerniaTranslators: Ueana Cadaval Adam,Edme Pernia, Nilda ViUaltaEvening Concert Collaborator:Soledad Campos, NationalMuseum of American History'sENCUENTROS: Latino America atthe SmithsonianPresenters: Charles Aguilar,Norma Cantti, Imelda CastroSantillan, David Champion, JamesEarly, Nancy Groce, MiguelGandert, Juanita Elizondo Garza,Trinidad Gonzales, HectorGuillermo Guerrero Mata, VictorManuel Hernandez, ArnoldHerrera, Jorge Ignacio IbarraIbarra, Enrique Lamadrid, Benigno
Layton, Ramon de Leon, ManoMontano, Genevieve Mooser, ErinRoss, Daniel Sheehy, SocorroTabuenca, Tom VennumFoodways ConcessionConsultants: Carlos Galindo, DoraLuz Mancha, Mario Rosas, EaglePass, TexasResearchers: Amiando Acosta,Charles Aguilar, Estevan Arellano,Gaston Amiendariz Lopez,Alejandro Arrecillas, AngelicaBautista, Mike Blakeman, NonnaCantu, Imelda Castro Santillan,David Champion, Jerry Chapman,Cynthia L. Chavez, Cynthia Cortez,Juanita Elizondo Garza, PatnciaFernandez de Castro, Peter J,Garcia, Gregorio Garza, RodolfoGarza Gutierrez, Barbara Gonzales,Tnmdad Gonzales, HectorGuillemio Guerrero Mata, SteveHarris, Victor Manuel Hernandez,Arnold Herrera, Jorge IgnacioIbarra Ibarra, Alma Jimenez,Ennque Lamadrid, Ramon deLeon, Jose Oscar Leyva Flores,Norma Magallanes Barrera, IrmaDelia Maynes Hernandez, Heidi H.McKinnon, Gildardo MontafioChavez, Mario Montano, GenevieveMooser, Jaime Morales Gutierrez,Marisa Oliva, Francis Ortega,Beverly Ann Ortiz, Cirila Quintero,Marcos Rodriguez, Rose Rodriguez-Rabm, Hector Romero Lecanda,Erin Ross, Ken Rubin, JoannaStewart, John Stockley, SocorroTabuenca, Bob Tenequer, ElaineThatcher, Molly Timko, CurtisTunnell, Ethel Warnor, WilliamWarrior
Ralph RinzlerMemorl\l ConcertCurator: Peggy SeegerProgram Coordinator:Kate Rinzler
National Park ServiceSecretary of Interior:Bmce BabbittDirector, National Park Service:Robert StantonDirector, National CapitalRegion: Terry R. CarlstromChief, United States Park Police:Robert E, LangstonSpecial Events, United StatesPark Police:Roxanne Brown AnkneySuperintendent,National Capital Region-Central:Arnold M. GoldsteinDeputy Superintendent:Vikki KeysChief, Division of Park Programs:Rick MemmanPubhc Affairs Officer:Earle KittlemanChief, Division of VisitorServices: Donna DonaldsonAssociate Superintendent ofMaintenance:William Newman, Jr.Special Assistant forPartnerships: Lisa MendelsonEmployees of the National CapitalArea and the United States ParkPolice
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Educational Offerings
Festival Teacher's SeminarBringing Folklife into the Cl\ssroomAs in previous years, the Center is offering a seminarfor teachers during the Festival. "Bringing Folklifeinto the Classroom" is co-sponsored by theSmithsonian Office of Education. This popular semi-nar, now in its fifth year, attracts Washington-areateachers who obtain hands-on experience in the folk-lorist's methods of learning about culture: observing,documenting, interviewing, and interpreting.Instructors for the course, which meets June 23-27,are Drs. Diana Baird N'Diaye and Marjone Hunt ofthe Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
Festival Teacher's WorkshopCompassion and Cultural SurvivalThe Tibet Education Network of Global SourceEducation is sponsoring a five-day teacher's workshopon Tibetan Culture. "Compassion and CulturalSurvival," organized for 30 K-12 teachers from acrossthe country June 28-July 2, will focus on providingteachers with an understanding of Tibetan culture,history, civilization, Buddhism, and arts, through thediaspora experience.
Global Source Education can be contacted in Seattle at206.706.6204, at infoOGlobalSourceNetworkorg, or iwww.GlobalSourceNetwork.orgCurrent Educational Offeringsfrom the Center for Folklife and Cultural HeritageEari^s CanoeIn a step-by-step construction of the traditional Ojibwebirch-bark canoe, Earl Nyholm and his relatives provide asocial context for this nearly extinct craft in this prize-win-ning video. Suitable for all ages.HOSAY TlNlDADThis 45-minute video explores the complex transformationof the Muslim observance of Muharram from the MiddleEast to Trinidad.
Available from Documentary Educational Resources, 101 Morse St.,Watertown, MA 02472, tel. 617.926,0491, fax 617.926.9519,e-mail docued@der.org, httpV/der.org.docuedWorkers at the White HouseThis half-hour video documentary features theoccupational folklife and oral histories of a broad range ofWhite House workers ? butlers, maids, doormen, chefs,plumbers, and others. Includes 24-page educationalbooklet. Produced in cooperation with the White HouseHistorical Association and the National Archives. Grades6-12. Catalog #SFW48003Borders and Identity'This bilingual education kit explores the complex notionof identity along the United States/Mexico border throughsegments on history, belief, expressive arts, andoccupational traditions. Includes a four-part video, aposter-size cultural map, and a teacher/student guidewith exercises for classroom use. Grades 6-12. Culturalmap sold separately. Catalog #SFW90010
Land and Native American CulturesThis education kit introduces students to the use of landin Native American communities through three case stud-ies: the Hopi of Arizona; the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshianof Alaska; and the Aymara and Quechua of Bolivia andPeru. Includes an extensive teacher/student guide withnarrative, photographs, resource listing, activity questions,and slide set. Grades 9-12. Catalog #SFW90011Wisconsin Powwow/Naamikaaged:Dancer for the PeopleThis two-video set shows how powwows incorporatehistorical traditions and modern innovations, focusingon the Ojibwe people in northern Wisconsin. Includes40-page booklet with historical background, classroomquestions, and suggestions for further reading andlistening. Grades 6-12. Catalog #SFW48004Learning About Folklife:The U.S. Virgin Islands & SenegalThis kit concentrates on the rich folklife of the U.S. VirginIslands and Senegal through a focus on foodways, musicand storytelling, and celebrations. Includes a four-partvideo cassette, two audio cassettes, and a teacher's guidewith maps, photographs, and line illustrations. Grades6-12. Catalog #SFW90012
Available from Smithsonian Folkways Mail Order, 955 LEnfantPlaza, SW Suite 7300. Washington, DC 20560-0953, tel.202.287.7298, fax 202.287.7299. Orders only 800.410.9815All pnces include shipping and handling.Visit the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage onthe Web at <http://www,si.edu/folklife>. 139
Why should the Smithsonian have a record company?It moves people in many ways and is part of a lot of what we do andare. Yet sounds, like aromas, are absent from most museums. The Smithsonian hasunparalleled collections of insects, of gems, of paintings, and many otherthings, so whynot a wonderful collection of sound? ?Anthony Seeger, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
o Smithsonian Folbvays RecordingsExtraordinary recordings of Annerican Indian,Bluegrass, Blues, Children's, Classical, Folk,Jazz, Protest, World Music, SpokenWord andmore available from book and record stores,the internet, and mail order. Free catalogues. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings955 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 7300Washington, DC 20560-0953Phone: 202.287.7298Toll Free: 800.410.9815Fax: 202.287.7266E-mail: folkways@aol.com
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Available from record and book stores, on-line, or mail order.Featured music includes American Indian, Bluegrass, Blues,Children's, Classical. Folk, Jazz, Protest, World, Spoken Word,and more. Free catalogues.800.410.9815, 202.387.7298, folkways@aol.comWWW. si.edu/folkways
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Available from record and book stores, on-line, or mail order.Featured music includes American Indian, Bluegrass, Blues,Children's, Classical, Folk, Jazz, Protest, World, Spoken Word,and more. Free catalogues.800.410.9815. 20:2. ^287.7298. folkways@aol.comWWW. si.edu/folkways
The Smithonian Folklife Festivalon the National Mall, Washington, D.C.
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I Food/Beverages (^ Information [+] First Aid
Festival/Folkways Books and CollectionsThe Lily SpandorfFestival CollectionLily Spandorf, a Washingtonartist who painted cityscapesand documented the Festivalthrough her pen and ink drawingsfor over three decades, passed awayon February 19 at the age of 85.Every summer she came down tothe Mall to draw people, perform-ances, settings, and activities at theFestival. She would pull her cart ofmaterials and supplies around the Festival site andproduce sometimes several drawings a day, despite theheat, dust, and humidity; m all, she completed some700 works.Lily loved the idea of her Festival drawings comingto the Smithsonian, realizing that they both docu-mented and interpreted this summer rite. For her, thedrawings were more collaboration than just her work
? she often got Festival partici-pants to sign her pieces and com-ment on them.The Smithsonian and Lily hadagreed on the basic terms of theacquisition and embarked on acampaign to raise some $50,000 tosupport preser\'ation, acquisition,and catalog publication costs. Onthe day of her memorial service,the Smithsonian Women's Committee sent word thatthey had granted $18,000. Other contributions andcommitments bnng the total up to about $35,000. Weare still seeking donations from friends of the Festival,to preserve the work of an artful Washingtonian whowill leave something of her spirit and work with us. Ifyou'd like information on how you can help, pleasecontact us at 202.287.3210.Smithsonian Folklife Festival:Culture Of, By, and For the Peopleby Richard KunnThis book provides a Festival history, an explanation of how the Festivalis produced, analysis of various programs, and some of the best imagesand quotes about the Festival over the past three decades.184 pages, full color, over 200 photosISBN 0-9665520-0-8Price: $10.00Available at the Festival Marketplace and through mail order: 202.287.7297 or800.410.9815.Add $1 for shipping and handling for mail order.
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Other related books of interest:Making People's Music:Moe Asch and Folkways Recordsby Peter D. Goldsmith (.Smithsonian Institution Press)The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen ofWashington National Cathedralby Marjorie Hunt (Smithsonian Institution Press)
The Trial Lawyer's Artby Sam Schrager (Temple University Press)
Reflections of a Culture Broker:A View from the Smithsonianby Richard Kunn (Smithsonian Institution Press)146


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