A
Man in Nature
 Erika Brincat visits Thailand and talks to Joseph
Xuereb about the creation of an
Eco-friendly Bamboo Plantation.
Thailand is known as the land of smiles and we are
greeted by warm-hearted, friendly people
wherever we go, so it is no surprise
that Joseph has chosen Pattaya’s
outskirts as his second home. The
countryside’s abundant environment is
where the creator of Aw Tribu and
co-director of TipTopCommercial, has
decided to put down his roots,
literally, and be responsible for
the supply of a socially-sensitive raw
material.
We
sit in his living room surrounded by
comfortable bamboo furniture and Joseph
explains why he decided to move to
Thailand in the first place: “The idea sprouted in 1999 during a sky-dive in Australia.
However to start growing bamboo from
scratch in Australia with the wages and
price of property as they are, it would
have been a big financial burden, so I
decided to try things out in Thailand.
While I was here on business I spoke to
a friend who was starting up a real
estate business and after a few weeks, a
raped and desertificated but potential
Garden of Eden was presented to me. The
land is perfect because its less than 10
minutes away from a deep water shipping
harbour and about 15 minutes away from
Pattaya. Nestled between these two
places, the idea of growing bamboo on a
commercial basis took root, to make
Complete Knock Down Furniture
(dismantled) and ship it to Malta where
it would be assembled and finished for
the local market and also for export.”
I
ask him why he has decided to create a
bamboo plantation rather than a resort
and he tells me: “It boils down to my
personal point of view in life which is
not just to make money fast in which
case I would have developed the land and
sold houses, however my intention is to
prove that you needn’t kill the goose
that lays the golden egg. Thailand is a
tropical country with an age-old
culture, which means that all the
necessary wisdom is there. So it is
absolutely mind-boggling that nearly all
the development here is based on the
style of Western houses, with all the
energy consuming gyzmos attached."
"When
one slows down from the frantic pace we
have smothered ourselves with, a
marriage of the old traditions and new
technology can be made and from this
union our lives can make a quantum leap
forward.”
What
does the creation of an Eco-Grove really
mean? “40% of electricity used in the
EU is household electricity. So if one
has his life centred round an area that
does not slowly poison us and the planet
by using oil, than I believe one can
consider it an eco-zone. Being here so
many ideas spring to mind. The plan is
to have the whole place running on
sustainable energy. Even the running
water of a stream can generate power by
using a watermill. The land can be
beautiful, soothing and a joy to live on
as well as provide us with all the
necessities of modern life, and make
money come easily and regularly to the
home-user.”
“Instead
of having a normal house that exudes
carbon, this one will be absorbing it.
Bamboo walls are made from harvested or
live bamboo and they soak up carbon, and
the evaporative affect of water keeps
the house cool so you don’t need AC.
It is a proven fact that the difference
of temperature is 10 degrees just by
planting a small belt of bamboo around
the house. The bamboo itself is a raw
material to be used as one desires. What
more do you need? Power from wind,
water, and solar generation. All this in
itself creates rebates which governments
are being forced to introduce to curb
the dependence on oil and fossil fuels.
The waste of any visitors will also
provide nutrients for the land! It is a
closed loop for the benefit of our
present generation and beyond.”
What
are some of the most fascinating things
bamboo can provide? “70 acres planted
with bamboo can provide 1,000 houses
annually. While for any other
commercially grown wood you need 210
acres in order to produce a 1,000 houses
every 10 years! The most fascinating
thing is you can see the bamboo grow
right before your eyes and experience
God’s benevolence directly because you
see it growing hour by hour. It opens
one’s eyes to the beauty and power of
life. One of the biggest tangible
advantages is that it can replace the
destruction of hard wood forests for
uses such as paper, lovely to touch
utensils, flooring, scaffolding,
baskets. You name it and bamboo can do
it!”
Some
original features which catch my
attention are the oyster-shaped pool
formations with staggered waterfalls and
anaconda-like canals winding their way
through the land, and Joseph explains
the concept behind them: “The land
consists of 25 acres. It gets very hot
here and having a passageway and a chasm
to walk through deep in the heart of the
land, where temperatures can reach 40
degrees, elevates the heat tremendously.
When I first arrived we experienced a
drought for 6 months, which set alarm
bells ringing for me that the wide-scale
construction industry has adversely
affected the local microclimate due to
the wanton destruction of the trees.
This made me realise that before
planting bamboo I would need to have an
adequate supply of water. So I started
making deep wells sculptured naturally
by erosion. When the monsoon comes the
whole canal is filled to the brim.
It is an
excellent form of water storage doubling
up as water for fish rearing, creating a
cooling effect and nurturing and
sustaining the bamboo at the same time.
I find flowing shapes more beautiful, as
in nature you hardly ever find straight
lines.”
“Thanks
to the leaf litter and mulch provided by
the bamboo, we now also have papaya,
mango, coconut, pineapple, and banana
trees growing. We planted many endemic
trees too. Mostly it is a nursery for
bamboo. In one year we have an ongoing
harvest if they are looked after. So I
am also expanding the local availability
of bamboo and helping people to see its
financial benefits. In fact my
neighbours have started growing bamboo
too!”
In
the long run, how do you profit and save
by using alternative energy to run the
place? “The
biggest profit that one can have at the
end of one’s life is that he left his
home more beautiful than he found it.
Self-sufficiency means freedom. Freedom
to enjoy what is really worth enjoying
in life, and freedom from people who are
making decisions that are not in your
best interest and not in the interest of
people who depend on them.”
“My
idea now is to concentrate on growing
bamboo on a large scale, and ship it to
Malta for local craftsmen and
householders and people willing to use
it. Of course it would be even better to
avoid the fuel miles altogether, and
grow it locally in Malta, which is not
impossible since it grows from the
snow-capped mountainous forests of Japan
to some of the driest areas in Peru. Is
there anybody out there? When one
considers that a lot of processed wood
and furniture use resins and treatments,
which emit certain chemicals into the
air it is a health advantage. The big
picture is that by growing and using
bamboo you are cutting out all the
pollution connected with the furniture
industry in general.”
During
the time I spent visiting the plantation
it became evident that Joseph has
discovered the joy of living in balance
with nature by putting down his roots
there, so I wondered whether he would
advise others also to take the leap?
“Everyone
has their own particular way of using
the time we have been given. In my 42
years of living I have never been more
full of energy, humour, and
appreciation. However running around
barefoot in a bush may not be
everyone’s cup of tea! I am here
because growing bamboo on a large-scale
needs space. Yes, I would advise anyone
to take the leap. Life’s too short not
to appreciate our humble beginnings and
when we appreciate our beginnings we
realise how wonderful and rich we really
are just by being connected to nature
and giving back some of our time to
nature. The beauty of seeing something
grow fills you with vigour to witness
this benevolent power everywhere around
us – knowing God without any human
interpreters. I call it D.C. power –
Direct Connection!”
What
is the meaning of success according to
you? “For me success in a few words is
being able to give, not just to take.
During the next five years my plan is to
grow and distribute bamboo continuously.
The price is going to be ridiculously
cheap and hopefully I will also be able
to show all the costings for people
wishing to take a leap of faith and
create a few sparks themselves!”
Bamboo
is already available in Malta, and the
contact point is Lorry Sultana at Aw
Tribu, Tel. 21663725/21809176.
Journey
of the Aborigine
HE Mr Richard Palk, Australian High Commissioner
talks to Erika Brincat about the Maltese
Australian Cultural Week’s programme, including
a spectacular photographic exhibition called
Kickin’ Up Dust and a film festival being held
at St. James Cavalier, and launched today.
The Exhibition’s introduction states that:
“Today indigenous Australia is a thriving
culture, using traditional and contemporary
materials to reiterate their connection to
country and community.”
Does this mean that indigenous communities in
Australia are financially stable and no longer
marginalized by other communities?
“Australia’s indigenous communities are
financially stable and not marginalised; as a
matter of fact an indication that these
communities are well accepted is the fact that
an increasing number of Australians are now
identifying themselves as being of Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islander descent. This year our
total Indigenous population will exceed 500,000.
In the few areas where inequalities still exist
the Government oversees programs and policies to
assist the indigenous communities including
programs to improve health, housing, education
and employment opportunities.”
Are the indigenous peoples’ arts, crafts,
culture, ceremonies and territories, protected
by law in any way?
“Yes, legislation protects the cultural rights
of indigenous artists and a paper entitled “Our
Culture: Our Future: Report on Australian
Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property
Rights” covers many issues
surrounding this topic. In a similar vein
indigenous territory is also protected.”
Do most aborigine people own their own land,
thus allowing their culture and creativity to
truly thrive?
“The Australian Government is committed to
ensuring that opportunities exist for Indigenous
people to access and own land with which that
have an ongoing traditional association or which
can assist with their continued social, cultural
and economic development. Approximately 16
percent of Australia is either owned or
controlled by Indigenous people, predominantly
inland areas.”
The Exhibition’s Foreword also states that:
“Oral histories and spiritual traditions are
handed down through generations, in stories,
songs, dances, and ceremonies both public and
secret. Public performances are more
light-hearted events with the participation of
the audience reinforcing a sense of community.”
Since people from other cultures, including
tourists, are allowed to attend and even
participate in these festivals, are the funds
they contribute pooled directly back into the
resources of the indigenous groups performing?
“Normally the monies earned by indigenous groups
from either their artwork or their festivals are
returned to, or remain within the communities,
which earned the income.”
What is the Australian High Commission’s mission
behind the setting up of such an exhibition?
“The Kickin’ up dust exhibition continues the
Australian Government’s approach of promoting a
positive contemporary image of Australia’s
Indigenous peoples and cultures overseas. There
is strong interest internationally in
Australia’s Aboriginal people but less is known
about the Torres Strait Islander peoples. This
exhibition aims to raise the profile of both
groups.”
Is there an inherent message - perhaps the
promotion of multiculturalism and the acceptance
of diverse cultural communities?
(Multiculturalism is the doctrine that
immigrants can keep their languages, customs and
religions so long as they obey the law and
identify as Australians. It's a policy embraced
by all political parties)
“Like the many nationalities represented in
Australia, Indigenous cultures today are diverse
and a vital part of Australia’s national
identity. Indigenous people contribute
significantly across many fields, including the
arts, media, academia, sport and business.
Displays like this highlight the diversity of
cultures in Australia.”
“Riots reveal the myth of Australia’s ethnic
harmony”: Taipei Times, December 15 2005. What
can you tell us about the recent riots which
occurred in Australia? (A mob of drunken white
youth attacked local Arabs and drove them out of
a resort).
“The incidents referred to here, while
disturbing and unacceptable do not “reveal the
myth of ethnic harmony in Australia”. Almost one
in four of Australia’s population of over 20
million was born overseas, and 43 percent have
one or both parents born overseas - and the vast
majority of these people live together
harmoniously. These incidents were caused by
young people under the influence of alcohol,
acting in a thoughtless and lawless way. Their
behaviour was totally unacceptable and after one
day of trouble the situation was brought under
control and has not been repeated. As a matter
of fact those involved in the incidents have
recognised that their behaviour was not
acceptable and have apologised for their bad
behaviour.”
Is Australia still struggling to keep a sense of
balance amidst a growing multicultural
lifestyle, and daily networking between diverse
ethnic cultures and tribes?
“Australia is not struggling to keep a sense of
balance in a growing multicultural lifestyle.
There are few countries in the world in which
migrants have achieved the economic, political,
social and cultural participation that they have
in Australia. Cultural and linguistic diversity
was a feature of Australian life before European
settlement. It remains a feature of modern
Australian society and continues to give
Australia distinct social cultural and business
advantages.”
Could you tell us in brief what the upcoming
cultural programme is like and what the local
public can expect from Australia Week?
“The ‘Maltese Australian Cultural Week 2006’
will be held principally at St James Cavalier
Centre for Creativity in Valletta, between
Sunday the 22nd January and Saturday
the 28th January 2006. As mentioned
earlier the Australian High Commission has
brought to Malta the photographic exhibition of
Australian Contemporary Indigenous Cultural
Festivals, called “Kickin’ up dust” and this
will feature in the main hall of St James Centre
for Creativity during the Cultural Week and
until 11th February.
The Australian High Commission will also be
providing exhibitions on Melbourne’s
Commonwealth Games 2006 and a display on
Australia’s response to the Tsunami disaster in
2005. There will be a display on the television
program ‘Waltzing Matilda’ by Josephine and
Harry Zammit Cordina together with a photo
exhibition by the Emigrants Commissions at St
James Cavalier. Seven Australian films will
screen at St James Cavalier during the Cultural
Week. There will be two films a night between 22
and 28 January and the 7pm screening from Monday
23 January to Friday 27 January will be
complimentary to members of the public, on a
first come first served basis. The films showing
will be Crackerjack, Lantana, Two Hands, The
Bank, Getting’Square, The Sum of Us and Children
of the Revolution.
Do the films’ themes tackle different
communities living in Australia today?
“No the films selected this year do not have the
theme of a multicultural Australia. Some of the
films are a reflection of contemporary
Australian society and some are just “quirky”
Australian films. All are award winning
excellent productions and very entertaining.”
And finally, does the Australian High Commission
feel that Maltese communities are well
integrated in Australia nowadays and benefiting
from ample work opportunities?
“Yes, very much so. The Maltese have been
migrating to Australia since the 1800s with the
most recent large influx of Maltese arriving in
Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. This means
that the majority of Maltese have been in
Australia for about half a century. As a result
the Maltese migrants have been well integrated
in the community. These migrants have certainly
benefiting from one of the strongest economies
in the world, with the Australian economy
growing at an average annual rate of 4% since
1990.
Maltese migrants in Australia have been very
well accepted in the country and have
significantly contributed to the Australian way
of life as was acknowledged by Prime Minister
Howard during his recent visit to Malta for
CHOGM when he said “I simply want to express to
all of you the deep affection that Australians
have for the people of this wonderful country.
We are very grateful for all the people that you
have sent to our nation. And you are wonderful
Australian citizens in every walk of life, in
politics, in business, in sport, very famously
in many sports, wherever it is, you can find
Australians of Maltese descent being wonderful
citizens, wonderful people and making a
wonderful contribution to Australia.”
H.E. Richard Palk was talking to Erika Brincat for
The Malta Today © January 2006
Back to Top
Giacomo de
Pass’s
Art Unmasked
It is an honour and possibly a once in a
lifetime experience to have met such a
remarkable artist, lithographer, and sculptor,
who has mingled and worked with the likes of
Dali and Picasso, while visiting our island to
exhibit his work, and due gratitude needs to be
given to Dame Tempra for inviting him.
“It is better to listen to them, to understand
their feelings and why they paint like that,
than to admire or try to copy what they paint
All my life whenever I met the grand masters
like Dali and Picasso, or Fujita I have kept
this in mind. In some way I have worked with all
of them at the Atelier of Litographie in Paris,
and we had a good relationship because I helped
them to make the lithography in the Atelier
where they were working at the time.”
he explains after a relaxed lunch at Villa
Tempra. Giacomo de Pass recounts how as a young
teenager, at the onset of his career in the art
world his mentor taught him to speak with the
grand masters of art but not to paint with them,
otherwise they would destroy him as he would
become a mere projection of their work. He
understood that it was important to keep away
from them to a certain extent in order to
preserve his talent. Later, he goes on to tell
me that he has also been to Dali’s house in Cadequez, situated in the North of Spain.
The artist may have Venetian roots, yet he is a
Frenchman born in Marrakech in 1938. His work
has been exhibited in over 20 of the leading
galleries and museums worldwide. He was in
contract for 20 years at the Felix Vercel
galleries in Madison Avenue New York, as well as
Avenue Matignon in Paris, the biggest art
gallery in the world that still exists today.
Felix Vercel had worldwide exclusivity of his
art and exhibited his creations permanently,
promoting them whatever the unusual themes like
prostitution, beaten children or women.
More recently, he has had works on show at the
Museum of Marrakech all summer, and the King of
Morocco himself has bought some of his work.
Last June he has had a big “Retrospective” in
Reims where eleven enormous halls contained 50
years of his works starting from when he was 17
years old.
Giacomo shows me his latest art book produced by
his partner Sandrine August. The first image is
of a masked man pointing at us and the artist
explains that he is pointing at us to make us
feel guilty. “Even the children point at us
and exclaim: “Guilty!” Society wants us to feel
guilty – guilty of being happy, guilty of being
sad, guilty of being rich etc. Each one of us is
guilty in some way. If we are all guilty the
only way we have is to laugh at it – not to take
it seriously. In the face of this impossible
situation it is better to laugh than to cry.”
According to Giacomo his paintings are created
to express the disturbance of society nowadays,
to describe the rupture in society and how
society is moving, “Nothing is clear and for
this reason it is more difficult to live in it.”
One of his last collections feature “The Human
Comedy” and the personality of people we meet –
“the mask that gives identity to people and
without which we would be nothing. To
take responsibility for your life you have to
have a mask”. This I take in as a personal
lesson, as I am also still trying to discover
what mask I need to wear to feel a part of
society. So according to Giacomo “one has to
wear different masks”. He confesses “I am
afraid because I don’t know anyone – even my
self, my own identity. We are all living in a
dream, a fog, a shadow and it is difficult to
discover what I have around me – all I see is
the mask. To discover oneself it seems one has
to wear a mask”.
We go through his art book together which
includes comments by such people as Georges
Lautner the famous film director who discovered
some of the greatest French actors such as Alain
Dellon, and he uses the film world as an anology:
“In life we are like actors – everyone has to
find their own identity. It is like being in a
movie and one has to find the mask, the role one
has to play.” We look at his different
paintings, for example, “Amour sans masque –
2001”, and he explains what he meant to express
in each case. “In this case it is about the
communication between couples. A man is giving a
flower to a woman and yet he doesn’t know what
she feels and that is why she is faceless. Next
there is a character whom one cannot tell if it
is female or male or gay and this is about mixed
identity. Other paintings express the problems
of communication between couples. In “Masques
aux inconnu” the woman dares to remove her mask,
but then she is left behind a wall, symbolizing
a barrier in her life. In “Recontre sans
masques” they remove their masks but then each
one does not know the other. We also use masks
to try and find what we want – we make a mask to
obtain pleasure and romantic love. “Chemin de
recontres” is about the difficulty of
communication between father and mother and the
whole family, as well as children who don’t know
who their own father is.”
In Giacomo’s own words: “The paintings are
there to make us realize what our society is
like nowadays, to open our eyes and our ears, to
listen and to look at it as it truly is and to
accept it. For example in “Les enfant jaloux”,
they both have children from other partners, and
they are trying to make a new family but it is
somewhat difficult. I do not want to judge these
situations in any way, just to show the reality
of how it is. My aim is to sensitively accept
this reality – not to judge it. Nowadays two men
can get married and adopt a child, this is an
evolution of society and we need to accept
this.”
The masks are a strong theme throughout his
work, yet certainly not the only theme, however
he says “This subject was alive in my self
all my life, and that is why you will find it in
paintings dated 1967, 1986 and 2004, although
what happens in my life, changes my way of
expressing”. The unification of all
religions is another theme he tackles. In
“Symbioses religieuse” we find a combination of
Christian, Islam, and Buddhist symbols all
intertwined. In another painting “Les Voies de
Precheur -1999” we find a wise man who could
easily be a sage or a prophet on a horse, and
his golden armour contains the Moon of Islam,
the Star of David, the Cross as well as the eye
of Buddha or Shiva. “All religions are to be
respected – all lead us to God. It is like a
mountain and each has his way to reach the top
and if sometimes these ways cross each other we
need not be disturbed.” Another theme is “Je
en jeux” based on gambling, then there are his
magnificent horses, his passions, feline animals
and their relationship to women, and the sword -
which appears in many paintings, as well as
lithographs and sculptures.
At the time of our conversation, 19 bronze
sculptures of his were being displayed at the
Corinthia in the Lobby Gallery. In fact, he is
very well known for his giant sculptures, and
they have been exhibited in Malta during the
first Biennale held in 1995 at the Malta
Conference Centre. These pieces are larger than
life, some of them standing at over three metres
high, and they are simply breathtaking. In 1996
one particular sculpture was on display at the
Lincoln Centre in New York, and he has had
exhibitions worldwide in various special venues.
I have a look at some images in his book and
they are extremely striking and seductive large
bronze works - agile, and liquid with sharp
contours that stand frozen in time and space and
yet full of movement and grace.
Giacomo lives near Cannes in an estate where all
the admirals and generals of Napoleon used to
stay, since it is on Napoleon’s route. To thank
Dame Tempra for her hard work, he has hosted
artists from seven different countries in 2002
for the Tempra Academy in conjunction with the
Malta Biennale, because he tells me “I have
great respect for what Dame Tempra does for the
art world.” His partner Sandrine August has
also put together a very well maintained website
available in ten different languages:
www.Gdepass.com.
The award-winning film by French Film-maker
Michel Claret, must also be watched to get a
deeper insight into this wonderful French
artist’s passion, work and life. Upon meeting
him I especially enjoyed the fact that although
art is without doubt his mask and role and great
contribution to the world as a whole, he carries
it in a very down to earth way without many airs
at all, and has a very warm and friendly
personality – not at all as intimidating as
belies the greatness of his life’s work and
achievements.
“They are extremely striking and seductive large
bronze works - agile, and liquid with sharp
contours that stand frozen in time and space and
yet full of movement and grace.”
Giacomo de Pass was talking to Erika Brincat
for Malta Now © 2005
Back to Top
Barbara
Bode
American Activist, Art Collector, and Writer
The first thing that strikes you about the
American art collector Barbara Bode is her
approachable open demeanour and friendly
cheerful voice. My first impression was that
she’s a lively and spirited woman of substance.
Here we find out more about her life, passions,
and interests.
The first time we met, you were selling some
remarkable artefacts from your South-western
American Indian collection. Could you tell us
more about the artists in question, the unusual
pottery pieces and what some of the other works
represent?
Most of the pieces in my collection
are the work of Navajo sculptor Pablita Abeyta
who is also an old friend. Pablita comes from a
family of Navajo artists who all grew up on the
Navajo Reservation that spreads across northern
New Mexico and Arizona in the South-western
United States. For those of us in Malta, it’s
interesting that her rounded seated women, one
of her signature styles, seem to mirror the
sculptures of prehistoric goddesses found in
some of the Neolithic temple ruins here.
The contemporary look she gives her
traditionally shaped pottery comes from the
addition of embedded turquoise or bits of coral
or coral chains or more recently even splashes
of gold leaf. All these adornments can also be
seen in Navajo jewellery. Another signature of
hers is her Corn Maidens. Corn is to Indian
people the very symbol of life. The Corn Maiden
brings the power of life to the people. As the
corn is given life by the sun, the Corn Maiden
brings the fire of the sun into the human
bodies, making them as the creator designed them
to be. Many of her Corn Maiden pieces evoke a
sense of standing ears of corn.
And then there are the Yeis (yays), the Navajo
spiritual deities. Tribal dancers dress up as
Yeis to appeal to the Great Spirit for help,
health and healing. Generally flat headed Yeis
are male and round headed are female. When they
appear costumed as “Mudheads,” happy, positive
and sometimes clown-like spirits, they have
round heads. In my collection there is a
Christmas grouping of a mud-head Madonna and
child and Joseph, which are indicative of the
effect of Christian missionaries on some native
people.
I don’t know the other artists whose pots are in
my collection personally but I love the work of
the artisans of three New Mexico pueblos in
particular. Several of my pots are made by
artists of the Acoma Pueblo. These potters are
widely known for their elegant white pottery.
Some of the finest white kaolin clay available
is found at the pueblo, as well as brown/black
and red/rust earth paints, which are used to
decorate the pottery.
Two other pueblos are famous for their highly
polished black pottery. They are San Ildefonso
and Santa Clara, two neighbouring villages on
the Rio Grande River just north of Santa Fe, New
Mexico. In addition, I have a small collection
of five ‘fetishes’. One was made by Pablita,
and one is Zuni, a tribe on the border of New
Mexico and Arizona. The others are of unknown
origins.
‘Fetishes’ are small carved or handmade animals
worn as jewellery or carried or displayed at
home. Each is believed to have within it the
invisible spiritual presence of that particular
animal. When an animal fetish is treated
properly with respect, honour and reverence, its
owner can maintain a clear intention and
increase his/her potential to live in harmony
with the natural forces of life. Zuni sculptors
carve small rock figures of animals, humans, and
supernatural shapes, typically called
"storytellers." Zuni fetishes are decorated
with turquoise, arrowheads, and coral as
adornments that are meant to show the artist’s
affection and appreciation. Most fetishes relate
to animals. Usually they are animals of prey,
which are acknowledged as the most powerful
providers in life, and therefore they are
accepted as having great powers and strong
hearts. I also have some miscellaneous pieces
like a totem pole carved by a Mohawk artist and
a wooden hand painted Yei deity hand carved in
1965 to promote corn growth on Navajo.
What spiritual tradition do Native Americans
follow in New Mexico and how does it influence
their Arts and Crafts?
Contemporary
South-western Indians, like most other native
people in the States and Canada, in their
culture, values and traditions deify the sun and
the moon and the forces of nature. They also
emphasize their respect for the wisdom of their
elders, their concept of family responsibilities
extending beyond the immediate family to embrace
their whole village, their respect for the
environment and their willingness to share.
Despite government and majority culture pressure
to abandon them, all of these values have
persisted up to modern times. What we see in
their arts and crafts generally is the way in
which they meld these traditional values with a
contemporary aesthetic.
Does the Native American community still thrive
nowadays in a few cities such as Albuquerque or
is it a dying culture?
Native Americans haven’t
truly thrived since the Europeans came over in
the 17th century. Over the years,
they stole their lands, killed their warriors,
infected their people with diseases and forced
them onto reservations and into boarding schools
where they were forbidden to speak their native
languages or practice their native arts or
traditional religious ceremonies. And as the
European immigrants acclimated, they also stole
their oil. These Europeans now considered
themselves red-blooded Americans and denigrate
Native Americans as “redskins.”
The culture is not dying but the majority
culture either ignores it or tries to rob it of
its resources and its traditional culture. Today
a large number of Indians still live on
reservations where the government and white
folks continue to try to grab their last acres
of valuable land. Each major city in the States
does have a percentage of Native Americans
living there but a number of tribes have been
wiped out entirely. Americans for Indian
Opportunity, the Native American Rights Fund and
other NGOs today struggle to change
discriminatory government policies and popular
attitudes.
What is The Children’s Foundation in D.C.’s
mission exactly, and how were you involved in
it?
For 15 years, I was President of The
Children’s Foundation. After 35 years, in June
of this year, The Children’s Foundation closed
its doors. It had been one of the two major
national anti-hunger organizations in the United
States. Our mission was to improve laws,
policies and practices in order to reduce hunger
among low-income American children and their
families, including, of course, American
Indians.
We did this through research and activism. We
studied various aspects of childhood hunger in
America; reported to the US Congress on our
findings of what was needed or what government
programs weren’t working; and worked with
members of Congress and the various presidential
administrations to get laws passed or laws and
policies changed so that we could eradicate the
problem of hunger in the United States. Once we
won positive policy changes, we then worked
through our field representatives across the
country to monitor the implementation of the
laws. By organizing groups of low-income
parents and leaders to understand their
children’s rights under the laws and to make
sure they were obeyed, we developed monitoring
forces in communities across the country.
Up until the current Bush administration, we
were making solid progress. As the whole world
now saw in New Orleans after the hurricane,
that’s no longer true.
Tell us about your experience and work as an
activist for social change.
I was studying in
the Washington DC area when Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. called for a March on Washington.
Participating in it was an amazing experience.
As a result, after graduate school I went as a
college instructor on a special fellowship
program to teach on a historically Black college
campus in the South. As the only white person
living and teaching on campus, I learned an
enormous amount. The experience opened me up to
issues of discrimination and bigotry in my
country.
From then on, no matter what sort of work I was
doing, I was also involved in various civil
rights movements on behalf of people who were
marginalized. Happily, most of my professional
life was committed to doing the same thing.
How does this background fit with your interest
in Malta? As an undergraduate, I majored in
European history. Furthermore, I had studied in
London and Munich, which gave me a sense of
comfort with European countries. And
archaeology always fascinated me. So my academic
background and years of living in Europe created
some ties to the Maltese culture.
My decision to leave my home in Washington DC –
a mile away from the White House - was both
personal and practical. Personally, I could not
abide the policies of the current Bush
administration. Practically, I had developed a
start-up dot.com to help the kinds of non-profit
organisations with which I had worked.
September 11th ended venture capital
investments in entrepreneurial efforts like
mine. It was time for me to move on.
I met a travel agent who offered to drive me
around Malta to see the various places of
interest.
As we travelled around to Neolithic temples, the
stunning Hypogeum, the Punic caves and glorious
Mdina, I marvelled at the amount of history and
spirituality that was packed into this tiny
island that is smaller than my home town of
Washington DC. What we have there that’s
considered historic dates back to the 18th
century. What we have here in terms of more
than 7,000 years of intermingled cultures and
artefacts boggles the mind.
Is it Malta’s rich history, which drew you here
in the first place? Yes, sort of. Had it not
been for the astonishing span of Maltese
history, I wouldn’t have been so interested.
Then too, I’m a good feminist. How could I
resist a country whose first remaining temple
was built by a goddess carrying 50 ton boulders
on her head uphill to the site? In truth
however, it was also the people I met along the
way who made me feel welcome and made me want to
return.
What brought you to Malta – more specifically
Xaghra, Gozo? I wanted to learn see more. But I
also wanted to be able to drive safely and get
around on my own. The roundabouts of Malta
seemed to me to be life threatening! Gozo
sounded far safer. Enter Antonia Camilleri of
Ghajnsielem, driving instructor extraordinaire.
I spent a week or so on Gozo in January. Every
morning she would pick me up and teach me to
drive on the other side of the road and shift
gears with the other hand. For an hour we would
combine driving lessons with sightseeing,
including clambering down Calypso’s cave and
marvelling at the walls of Ta’ Pinu.
Besides, there were so few tourists in
mid-January that I got special attention and
tours from the museum curators and from Gozitans
generally. To stand in the temples of Ggantija
was a vitalizing experience. Antonia‘s
introduction to Gozo convinced me that I wanted
to return and I wanted to live here. A number of
months after I came back in December 2003, I had
the chance to move into a gorgeous 200 year old
farmhouse, where I’ve really settled down.
Has most of your Art Collection travelled with
you?
Yes, I missed it. The Native American
pieces interestingly do fit in the farmhouse –
however there are far too many to show
tastefully.
Are you selling any of the work you have
collected over the years and what other things
of interest can we find within your collection?
Yes, I am. Thanks to Gozo and Malta, I’ve
entered a new period in my life. I’m selling
the South-western Indian sculpture, pottery and
related prints and photographs. I’m also
selling some art I picked up in Latin America
and a few museum quality photographs portraying
American life.
Is there a book you recommend us to read?
To
capture a flavor of Malta, the best English
language book I’ve read is Matty Cremona’s A
Year in the Country: Life and Food in Rural
Malta. Visually, it’s a stunner, and it’s
informative and a cultural gem.
And how does it feel nowadays to be a member of
the Xaghra community having come here from
Washington D.C.? All my life I’ve lived in major
cities: London, Munich, Los Angeles and
Washington D.C. Who would have thought I could
find happiness in an ancient village on an
island of 28,000 souls…with 12 kittens and cats
who have come to live in my old growth garden?
It’s a marvellously spiritual place.
BARBARA BODE was talking to Erika Brincat. She
may be contacted on
barbara.bode@earthlink.net.
Malta Today © 2005
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Red Feather Woman Journeys to Malta
Red  Feather Woman, a Native American
storyteller, born on Fort Peck Reservation, Montana and an enrolled member of the
Sioux and Assiniboine tribes will be carrying
out a public storytelling performance combined
with music and visual effects, together with
Maltese storytellers and folk music performers
from the Narraturi 21 Group. She will be
visiting Malta under the auspices of the Embassy
of the United States of America, and the
performances will be held in collaboration with
the Ministry of Education, at the Robert Sammut
Hall, situated near the Gothic Chapel in
Floriana.
Rose has captivated audiences for over 16 years,
singing and telling traditional stories to
children and adults of all ages. Her audiences
range from elementary, high school, churches,
corporations, museums, theaters and universities
throughout the United States. She has been
inspired by the ancient stories given to her
from her father and grandfather.
During live performances, Rose teaches her
audiences to sing the chorus, thus continuing
the storyteller’s tradition of passing on the
message, and creating more awareness about our
connection with Mother Earth. During her visit
Red Feather Woman and Narraturi 21 will also be
carrying out performances for Maltese school
children.
Erika Brincat gets to ask Red Feather Woman a
few questions before her performance in Malta.
How do you combine storytelling and music to
captivate and educate your audiences? I tell a
story and then I write a song inspired by that
story. So after I tell the story, for instance,
Medicine Woman, I play my guitar and sing a song
about the story. It seems to be more
entertaining and everyone loves music. The child
within us loves stories. It doesn’t matter how
old, stories and music go hand in hand.
Do you also help to teach young Europeans and
Americans the true Native American History? Yes,
I suppose I do. I will be publishing a book of
my own short stories that will be about an elder
grandmother, teaching a young girl as she grew
in different stages of her life. In these
stories, I will be teaching true events of
history that took place on the plains of what is
now called the United States. Stories are full
of lessons. It is important to me that the
truth always be told. Too much has been written
by non- Native Americans about our supposed
history. It is time for us indigenous people to
write our own history.
Can you explain to us in brief what a Medicine
Wheel is and how does it embrace the Four Colors
and Directions? The Medicine Wheel has
different meanings to different tribes who use
it. I tell about the colours, as I was told by
my father. The medicine colors are red, black,
yellow and white. Each color represents nations.
White man: keeper of the fire, black man: keeper
of the water, yellow man: keeper of the air, and
red man: keeper of the earth. Each has a gift
to share.
Do ceremonial objects such as Native American
Dress, Instruments, and Medicine Wheels and play
an important part in your storytelling
gatherings?
I wear my traditional dress. There
are many styles, but the traditional style was
buckskin from buffalo or deer. I wear white
buckskin. I also have brown buckskin. I use a
medicine wheel, and when I cannot carry it to a
show, I try to use a visual slide or another
object that has the red, black, yellow and white
colors. I would say these things are important
to my gatherings.
Is storytelling all about creating Peace,
Awareness, and Healing?
Absolutely. Several of my stories create the
awareness of peace and goodwill toward all men.
One, the title track, “The Keepers of the
Earth”, is about honoring our Mother Earth.The
true medicine people of my culture knew we are
all connected. This includes all human beings,
all living things. Everything has a spirit. I
try to bring those important concepts to my
stories and songs.
Describe to us the concept of your last album,
and any new ideas you may be collecting to
create your next CD?
The title track is about being keepers of the
earth, so the CD has a very important message
about this. There are also stories about a
medicine woman, Nez Pierce; a legend of the hot
springs in Montana and a funny story of where
the wind comes from. The music suits the
stories well, and is very easy listening.
My next album will be a blend of two traditional
stories, and two of my own, in contemporary
settings. The music is a bit more pop soft
rock. I feel it is my best work so far. We are
rounding the corner for completion. I feel it is
important to maintain the old stories, but also
blend the new with the old. I’m glad I will
have this opportunity to do this with my art.
Can you explain to us how Music and Dance have
the power to make us feel connected to the
Earth, and heal our Bodies, Souls and Minds?
Music is universal, and the vibrations are
important to tune into the universe. Dance is an
expression of music. Our souls need music and
dance to express our feelings.
My ancestors used singing as the new day began.
They believed, as I do, that every human being
has a song.
What type of visual effects do you use to
enhance the message of your storytelling and
music?
I have collected over the years a few beautiful
slides of our Mother Earth. I feel they are
quite awesome. My favorite scenes are oceans,
mountains, trees, and children.
"All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth".
Chief Seattle-Suqwamish and Duwamish
Thank you Red Feather Woman, and hope you enjoy
your sojourn in Malta. Erika Brincat was talking
to Red Feather Woman, aka Rose Haywood, wife of
the country music singer Doug Haywood.
For more information visit
www.redfeatherwoman.com.
Malta Today © 2005
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