Cihuapilli Rose Amador interviews Pegge Lemke and grandson Adam Cervantes. They discuss a situation where hair was cut on the school playground. Pegge has a six year old grandson whose hair was cut on the school playground, by an older girl student. The hair wasn't cut because the boy was Native but this show brings up the subject of disrespect and the importance of hair in many cultures, specifically Native American culture.
I ASKED FOR HELP ON THIS SUBJECT...
BELOW ARE LETTERS I RECEIVED FROM TWO FRIENDS
That kid who has his hair clipped.
Hair is a sacred thing as you know Steve...contains extention of our spirit. Even when we die our hair continues to grow awhile. In Oglala culture hair is very important...more in the old days then it is nowdays, because alot of youth dont seem to recognise the importance. But Chubbs Thunderhawk (part family) told me that even when we brush our hair, any hair that is left in the brush should not be thrown away...but to mix it with sage and burn it, then offer it to the earth. That's how sacred hair is. When a person passes on, the hair is braided tight to the scalp and cut off...then kept by the family for one year (to keep the spirit near and so the spirit can adjust to the death), then after one year a ceremony (Wiping away of tears/releasing of spirit) is done, and the hair lock is burned with sage or sweetgrass and sacred song and prayers.
Hair is sacred to other people also, orthodox jews, muslims, etc. I think the youth should be taught these things so that repsect and understanding is born to them...
Steve, hi.
Insensitivity about culture is usually a callousness towards life in general. Your story reveals a target, but most insensitivity is displayed not because of a blatant disregard, but because of a blatant ignorance - an ignorance usually screaming for help. In this case the help could come in the form of explanation. The cultural, spiritual value of hair identity, not just for people but for a deeper knowledge, the power that turns the earth around sun and sun around a greater wonder still, might be expressed by mother or father or an Elder somewhere near the opening (foreshadowing) before the physical act of cutting happens.
Getting the hair back and having a ceremony because of the act is just as important. Some people burn it, others bury it, because if a bad medicine person gets it he/she can and will cause sickness or damage to the family the hair emerged from. Not long ago old people combed their hair and put any loose hairs immediately in the stove. To show the tender emotions and vivid fear hair creates is most important in this event. Seattle equated cutting hair to cutting down a entire forest.
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Steve Macias is one of the original founding members of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, a bass player, former jet dragster driver turned associate producer, director and editor for Native Voice TV in San Jose, California. We're trying to meet and help promote Indigenous people from the music, movie and entertainment industries as well as artists and craftsmen of Native art. We also keep the Native community up to date with local and national political issues that affect the Native community and interview guests who are active and involved with the issues of today.
19 июн 2010
