#3571: "culture vulturism" : Grey replies to DeGraff and other matters

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:Racine125@aol.com

De Graff, and list members, I have made more than one response to De Graff 
which, although they contained no bad language or personal slurs, were not 
posted to the list but instead forwarded to De Graff by the moderator.  I see 
no point in continuing a public discussion if only one side is public, 
although I trust and respect the judgement of our worthy moderator.

I would like to point out that despite De Graff's kind invitation that I 
consider attending the Creole Institute, I was in fact invited to *teach* 
there some time ago, and also served as a Creole instructor to members of the 
UN/OAS Joint Civilian Mission in Haiti.  On the basis of that and other work, 
I was invited to apply for, and was selected for, the position of Human 
Rights Observer.

I would like to point out a few more instances of REAL "culture vulturism" 
regarding Vodou:

There is a woman named "Tessa" who says she is a "witch" and who has a web 
page at http://members.tripod.com/~Tessmoonbeam/.  She is offering "VooDoo 
Lessons" for $30, on a related site at 
http://www.egroups.com/group/Tessa_VooDoo_Class.  The description of her 
class reads in part:

<<This class will deal with the true VooDoo.The good and bad 
side.Some of the info you recieve might be dark, so be sure you 
really wish to join.There will be spells and all aspects of VooDoo... 
You will recieve a diploma once you've completed the course... Some 
of the content you will see is rather dark... So if you wish to know 
the true path of VooDoo please join me and my other students.>>

Again, we have a certain "El Brujo Negro" with a page at 
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/3203/igosvmc.html.  This individual 
offers, in part:

<<Voodoo Magic is often called Hoodeaux (French; commonly spelled Hoodoo in 
the Southern United States) which is actually root work or that of the realm 
of the Bokor, the dreaded Voodoo Sorcerer. The Bokors would instead pay the 
Spirits for their assistance and not worship them as others do thus the 
religious elements of Voodoo are left out of this course...

Only 7 Lessons!

Each lesson is a step by step process on learning to contact the individual 
LOA spirits....
* Learn the modern ways of bloodless sacrifice!
* Create powerful talismans using Vevers for your needs!
* Learn to work with the 10 Voodoo Family Spirits!
* Learn how to work with a simple system of Divination called Sortilege!
* Test yourself at the end of the lesson and review with open book quizzes!
* Learn about Root Work and down home Conjure methods using Gris-Gris bags!
* All this and more in only "7" Lessons!!!>>

Now, de Graff and others, I ask you, is this what you want as the future of 
Haitian Vodou?  I, and other legitimate, authentic, correctly initiated and 
ordained Houngans and Mambos will continue to speak out against those who 
defame and deform the Haitian Vodou tradition, whether it is by claiming to 
be able to cure AIDS meanwhile sexually harassing female initiates, or 
whether it is by making racist proclamations meanwhile misrepresenting and 
misspelling the lwa and faking ridiculous possessions which would not be 
regarded as authentic anywhere in Haiti, or whether it is by pretending to be 
competent to sell "VooDoo Lessons" about "dark content" and "dreaded bokors"!

The Vodou is an asset to Haiti and to Vodouisants, and I predict that it may 
indeed carry Haiti forward in the same way that the Rastafari put Jamaica on 
the map in the 1980's. The language barrier may impede this, and there is not 
yet a charismatic figure like Bob Marley coming forward in Haitian 
Vodou-oriented music, but it would not surprise me a bit if that day will 
come.

In the meanwhile, de Graff, let me put one more URL before you:

http://mamboracine.tripod.com/sentzetwal.html

This is the personal page of a Haitian Houngan.  Perhaps you won't like the 
way he spells his name either, but de Graff, nou pa achte figi moun.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra", 
     Good is rare - Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html";>http://
members.aol.com/racine125/index.html</A>