Our heritage tells the story not only of who we are but more importantly of our ancestors before us and the lives they lived. The Living Traditions Festival held in Salt Lake City every year is a three day event that strives to honor, promote, and share the diverse traditions of our community.
My family has a special love for the people of Polynesia. My husband, having lived in Hawaii for a number of years, is convinced that it is the home of the gods. I have to state for the record that I feel an amount of prejudice towards the Maori culture. That may not be politically correct to say, but it's true, it is by far my favorite of all the islands. It is not only their singing which blends with such harmonic purity, the details of the traditional longhouses, or the designs of their tribal tattoos that thrill me, but it is the Haka that captivates my soul. The Haka is a traditional war dance that is performed with intense chanting, chest beating, horrific facial gestures, and tongue flicking. The purpose of the dance was to to psychologically motivate the warriors and inflict fear in the hearts of their enemies. It is formidable to see. My son, after watching the men dance turned to me and said, "I want to learn how to do that". "How about baseball?" I asked in reply. "No thanks, just that". This is my nine year old who since he was two has been obsessed with knights and castles. Samurais, Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Aztecs have also been of great interest, but not cars or balls, which only goes to show that warriors recognize one another.
I love this shot not because it has any great qualities alone, but for the moment that it has captured. On stage are three generations of Maori males. And the youngest, who was maybe five, kept turning to the others to know what to do. I thought is was a beautiful example of what his life could be. Hopefully this boy will grow up knowing who he is with pride and respecting the traditions of his forefathers. As he matures, he will be surrounded by a community of strong men to which he can turn to and emulate. Shouldn't every young boy have such a life?
In a time of economic challenges, it seems to be so easy for the American public to categorize and dismiss the contributions and beauty of all those who have made America what it is today. This child will not be ignorant of these truths, but unfortunately many others will. That's why this festival and others like it are so important for our communities.
