During the early days of slavery in the American Southeast, native Seminole, Choctaw, Cherokee, and Creek Indians were known to raid plantations and free captive slaves. Despite their cultural differences, they recognized their common struggle against oppression at the hands of colonial rule. These original African and American people mixed their blood and married their cultures to form a cultural legacy that continues today. Their descendants still tell the story in vivid colors with fancy beads, feathers, music and dance in New Orleans.
If you believe people have no history worth mentioning, it’s easy to believe they have no humanity worth defending.
– William Loren Katz
Colonialists assumed that the narrative about wealth, owning slaves, and power was universal. So in order to keep Africans and Native Americans divided they offered slaves to the Indians. Seeing each other as equals the slaves and Indians intermarried forming an alliance to resist their oppression.
Our belief systems shape our reality in powerful ways. These two indigenous people from different continents formed a different narrative than the one held by their colonizers. When the stories that support oppressive structures lose their relevance society evolves.
Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.
– John F. Kennedy
What are some stories and belief systems that keep us divided today?
Successful movements build coalitions and alliances between groups that share common interests and common threats. These movements are easily diffused when division and mistrust is seeded. Today people everywhere face common threats of exploitation, contaminated water, air, and more. What are some other common threats or interests that people share across the globe?
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRISTOPHER PORCHE WEST
Antiquated colonial belief systems have been incorporated into modern corporate structures and woven into policies and laws that continue to haunt us. The core belief that justifies the exploiting of another people is the same as the notion of exploiting natural resources, exploiting children, or exploiting women. The beliefs of scarcity, fear, superiority, competition, and entitlement are central justifications.
We need myths that will identify the individual not with his local group but with the planet.
– Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
The Black Indians of New Orleans innovated a very creative response back then and they continue to this day. Through their beautiful folk art, fancy beadwork, colorful suits and infectious music they weave a different story altogether. Competition still exists between the various groups but it has become a contest of beauty. Contests between neighborhoods about who can make the prettiest outfit for carnival to honor their shared history.
Art, music, and creative expression have a unique way of healing historical wounds. Simultaneously cultural traditions like this are not stagnate, they continue to evolve in their expression. Each year building on the past and innovating into the future.
The blues was formed by mixing the Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms with the Native American 4-beat pow-wow drum. The seed of the blues and gospel sprouted to express the struggle and resilience of the people. The roots then grew into rock n roll, jazz, funk, and even bounce today. In Jazz Music, which was born in New Orleans, we can experience an improvisational process unfold in real time.
The only way to improvise in a tradition and move it forward is to first master the tradition where it’s components become second nature to your being. In the music they call jazz the more great artists you play with furthers your knowledge. Then the sum of who you are will have a chance to manifest naturally if you can accept who you are. You can’t tell a story you have not lived. You can’t innovate a tradition you have not learned. -Big Chief Donald Harrison jr.
Ingredients for Cultural Change
The process of collaboration between diverse groups always creates interesting results. This can happen through art, music, and democratic social movements. The first step in this process is finding common ground and working towards a shared vision or goal. How could this cultural wisdom be applied to contemporary challenges?
There’s an old saying about how honey attracts bees and shit attracts flies. One of the core elements for the success of the Black Indians in New Orleans is the focus on making the culture beautiful. This comes through every aspect of the visual expression as well as the music and food. Another element is that it is always evolving, collaborative, innovative and fun. It is a celebration!
How do we apply this cultural wisdom to global challenges like peace and war, the environment, or human rights? So often we think in terms of policies and laws while forgetting the power of culture. Culture shapes public sentiment by evolving our stories and beliefs. In turn we can transform reality.
Cooperation between slaves and Native Americans eroded oppression in their time. Today the same culture fills the world with inspiration and celebration. This shows how we can listen to the voices of others and find common cause rather than bicker over our differences. It is merely a slight shift in our approach to interacting with the people around us.
What if we stop listening to the narratives that keep us divided and start sharing stories that bring us together instead? This is where our true power as a community resides. When we are divided our global issues are overwhelming. When we unite our collective strength and creativity is unstoppable.
Forgotten histories like this are alive and thriving. These stories of resilience are treasures for us all. You won’t always find them in a book. Instead they may be stitched in a colorful patchwork of beads and feathers dancing down a neighborhood street… hidden in plain sight.
