Haka.

Haka. Probably an unknown word for you as it was for me before I heard it during class. The Haka can be a song, a dance or a Maori tribal dance ― an indigenous tribe native from New Zealand. Commonly, people know the Haka as a war cry and a dance from the Maori tribes performed to intimidate and make known his power before the battle, but the Haka has many others features. For example, not only men can do it and may also be expressed as a homecoming dance or even be performed in funerals. More commonly, the Haka is performed by the All Blacks ―New Zealand national rugby union team, which performs to intimidate his opponent during matches.

The Haka consists in a series of body movements including opening the eyes (very largely) and contorts the tongue. Also, moving the feet, arms and other body parts very violently because the thing they want to express here is simply: intimidation. Intimidate the opponent and vindicate the Maori culture. All gestures they make are just to show how warriors they are (and can be). The Haka express war, rivalry and power and it can also been understood as an invocation of Maori mythology.

 How has a provocative connotation towards rival The Haka despite being a sample of New Zealand culture has not been without controversy. The All Blacks have performed since the 1880s in every game they have had official so the history of problems with other computers is not short. Probably the most prominent controversy: during the 2007 Rugby World Cup France national team stood a meter confronting New Zealand's All Blacks while they performed the Haka, and kept looking at them during the rituals (a fact that was later sanctioned by International Rugby Board).

This is definitely a beautiful and provocative form of expression, is a living form to show the culture from the ancestors and convey the spirit and goodwill of these to the next generations. As the Haka has a violent tint, and has had many controversies in the sport. Do you think the Haka breaks the good intentions of sport to transform it from a slightly more aggressive and competitive? (Even more so in the case of Rugby)

Here I leave a video of the traditional Haka during the 2007 Rugby World Cup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebZVMc0NKZs

Indian Reservations: More problems than solutions.

United States by means of violence has tried to conquer to Native American people,
having as a single objective  of steal their culture and independence. This has only caused problems for these indigenous villages that have had a direct impact in different areas, such as the social, cultural, economic, etc.

Reservations, plan proposed by the U.S.,  are territories that are still under a limited sovereignty of the native tribes of North America, occupy about 4% of the territory and are home to more than 500 tribes. These tribes are subject to many abuses on the part of the state and although These native people are still struggling to validate their rights, but the state doens´t do anything to solve this situation.

A clear example of abuses against the native americans, is the case of Lakota indians, which are formed by 7 tribes and located in the “Pine Ridge” reservation. Despite the fact that these aborigines have signed treaties to protect their territorial rights, the state has ignored these agreements, taking almost completely possession of the native territories, with the purpose of taking adventage of the resources that the indian territories have and another purpose is to expand increasingly.

Pine Ridge Flag. This flag  has a circle of nine tepees that represent the nine districts of the reservation.

On the other hand, the state allowed the natives to open casinos and gambling houses in their territories. This has caused that the indigenous  be influenced by these vicious practices, which go hand in hand with alcohol and drugs. In addition, the initial idea of reservation cultural that United States created, has not worked, Currently reservations is rather theme parks, where the tourist pays for the aboriginal represents their ancestral ways of life.

                                             

It is clear that the problem that affects the native American people is worrying. Currently modernity is in first, second, third, fourth place, putting aside the ancestral cultures of the planet. If idisappeared these cultures, at the same time we would lose our essence.

The big electronic rubbish dump

  Developed countries like the U.S., England, Germany and Japan, throw out annually forty million tons of electronic rubbish and all this ends in huge dumps in Africa mostly. There are millions of TVs, printers, phones and other electronic devices that reach these Third territories, polluting land and water poisoned thousands of children who are exposed to toxic substances such as cadmium, arsenic and mercury.

In many of the markets that are near landfills, sold everything that can be salvaged from inside the apparatus. Many times it is children who roam disarm scavenging and pulling objects are copper, steel and aluminum to earn some money.

Those guilty of all waste arriving to Africa are the manufacturers of these items should have a recycling plan for all this garbage is reused and not continue polluting countries trying to emerge. But a recycling plan is much more expensive to dispose of electronics in landfills throwing huge and hurting millions.

                           To finish here is a video about electronic rubbish in Africa.

The first lady of the civil rights movement

Rosa Louise McCailey

Rosa Parks  (february the 4th 1913. - Oktober the 24th 2005) was an American woman who worked as a dressmaker in the United States. She was very important figure in the civil rights movements in the United States of America, which was a movement that started the year 1955 to 1968 where the Afro-American wanted to end with the racial segregation and discrimination.

Rosa Parks became an icon. She was the sparkle of the movement due to all the things that she made and specially for not giving the sit of a bus to a white American ignstead of going to the back of the bus.She went to prison but this action that Rosa Sparks did, gave Afro-American hope and strength to fight for their civil rights. 

Many people said that this action was never maid and that she didn´t gave the sit of the bus to the white man because she was a phisically tired woman only. People also said that it was a mith, nevertheless, in the book  she wrote:" My life", she mentions that she didn't gave the sit of the bus to a man not because she was phisically tired, but tired of giving in. 

           

"Ghana: The largest dump in the World"

Currently the situation in Africa is devastating. Apart from having a high rate of deadly diseases, as well as, precarious living conditions, they must live together with what is essentially the largest dump of the world, located specifically in Ghana.

This has happened due to the fact that countries such as Germany, USA, England, among others, discarded trash that as destination has Africa. It has been demonstrated that to trow away trash instead of recycling or delete it in a way that does not affect the environment, is much more appropriate for these countries. Due to the fact that getting rid of this garbage would have a cost less than half that if this trash were recicled. Perhaps some of you will think that how it can happen this, if there are agencies responsible for regulating this topic.

According to what United Nations (UN) says, as well as was stipulated in the Basel Convention of 1989, was banned the exportation of toxic waste and dangerous items, including electronic, to less-developing countries. But what is most surprising is how these industrial powers evade this agreement.

According to these countries, all exports of electronic objects have as objective donate technology and bridging the digital divide between both regions of the world.

But what they apparently do not take into account is that only one quarter of the waste is reusable and the rest only will continue to occupy a place in the dump.

But what most unworthy are the side effects that these residues have in children, in addition to being very harmful to your health, due to the toxic emissions and hazardous components that have these devices, the percentage of child labor continues to grow increasingly.

If the authorities responsible for this issue, do not take serious and concrete measures,  we do not know what may happen in Africa, perhaps we will end up contributing to the extinction of that part of the world.

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Decolonising my, your, his, her, our mind

Africa: The big Scramble shared by many countries. 

Africa was a meeting point for most of the colonizers; British, Portuguese, French and German men were spreading their legacy, banishing the native’s one. That is why, nowadays, the African traditions and stories (riddles, proverbs, sayings) are still alive because of the orality.

Ngugi Wa Thiango is a Kenyan writer and the author of the book “Decolonising the Mind”. Ngugi’s first stories were written in English, a fact that made him realize how Colonization had manipulated and changed people, HIS people. Why was he writing in English when his native language is the Gikuyu? He was making a successful career by leaving behind his roots. 

Africans being punished.

During colonization, missionaries and colonial administrators controlled the literature. They forced children to speak European languages, they told them their Mother tongue was bad and therefore English was better. If they didn’t do this they were punished. This blindness to the indigenous voice of Africans is a direct result, of colonization, according to Ngugi.   

"English in Africa is a "cultural bomb"..."

Due to this Ngugi began to write in Gikuyu. A brave decision, I mean, considering how powerful Globalization had become. “English in Africa is a “cultural bomb” that continues a process of erasing memories of pre-colonial” he said.

Writing in his native language, then, is his way of communicating with African people, returning them to their past life, their real life and remembering himself where he comes from.  It must be very disappointing to realize that you have been alienated; you have forgotten your roots and contributed to post-colonization effects. But, at the end of the day we all do the same thing, especially us, Chileans. Do you know how to speak Mapudungun? Do we know where we come from? Do we respect more native people than foreign ones? Do we? 

                                           Ngugi talking about cultures and languages.

Typical Indian Festival

Diwali, did you know  something about this festival?

 Diwali is an Indian religious holiday known as “Lights Festival”, this holiday means the beginning of new Hindu year and is celebrated for different religions as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.

This holiday lasts for around 4 o 5 days; each day is called according to the Hindu calendar and it´s celebrated on the 15^th day of dark fortnight of the month of kārttika (from  October 21^st until  November 18th). During this holiday people clean, adorn and decorated their houses on an especial way. 

It commemorates the death of the demon Narakasura at the hands of Krishna and the release of the sixteen thousand maidens who had prisoners. Also people celebrated the return to the Ayodhyā city of Prince Rama after his victory over Ravana, the demon king.

Legend

According to legend, the inhabitants of the city filled the walls and roofs with lamps which Rāma could easily find your way. Thus began the tradition of lighting a multitude of lights at night.

Gods

In this especial festival there are some Gods who are revered as Lakshmí (Goddess who symbolizes good luck, beauty and who gives prosperity and wealth). Also the popular God   Ganesha is revered during this festival.                                                                                         

Typical things about Diwali

People buy new clothes to wear during this festival; people make sweet and very delicious food to share with family and friends. And when the night comes people shoot fireworks and share presents.

Some traditions are to build an altar where there´s an image of Goddess Lakshmí, to what will be offered flowers, incense and coins. Other one is at dusk they open all the windows and doors of houses and in each of them is made an offering of light with an oil lamp or candle, this will be for Lakshmí enter the rest of the year.

This year the festival will start on November 3^rd, in the 2014 will be on October 23^rd and in the 2015 will be on November 11^th.

If you go to India during this holiday is not unusual that people knock at your door, but don´t be afraid is just because they want to give you food and the only thing that you must do is accept this. This holiday keeps all customs and traditions about Indian culture.

...If you want to know more about this special Indian Holiday you can watch the video...