The annual Karl May Festival, taking place from May 30 – June 1 this year, will be organised with the slogan „Indian Spirit“ and include performances of ndn spirituality for the entertainment of their Euro audience. They will also present a Nuage film on the „13 grandmothers“ as a genuine example of indigenous spirituality, ignoring the alleged council was founded by a Euro-American exploiter of ndn spirituality who promotes her business (a so-called „Center of Shamanic Studies“) using 12 elderly women from different ethnic background and means to gain 'authenticity' from this abuse.
The official flyer issued by KM-Festival announces:
Indian Spirit
The spirituality of American Natives not only played an important role in the past. Particular reverence and respect is being paid to „Mother Earth“ from which everything past and present emerged. The deep connection to nature and the worship of that which unites all things on earth is celebrated in spiritual dances and songs, but also in rituals and games.
Indian Film Nights
On Friday and Saturday, Indian filmmakers will present their latest works. In short films, documentaries and animated films they take an outlook on modern America from their own perspective. This not only brings up life and problems within and outside of reservations, but also Indian culture and spirituality.
In a press release only published at an online portal, but not on the Festival site, this is described in more detail:
http://www.lifepr.de/pressemitteilung/tourist-information-radebeul/Karl-May-Festtage-Radebeul-widmen-sich-der-Spiritualitaet-amerikanischer-Ureinwohner/boxid/484477KarlKarl May Festival attending to spirituality of American Natives
With the slogan „Indian Spirit“, the 23rd Karl May Festival in Radebeul will take place from May 30 until June 1, 2014 / This year, the belief of American Natives will be placed in its focus
(Radebeul,)
At the new premises „In the Land of Pachamama“, Andean Indians from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile will present traditional music, dances, stories and rituals of worship of Pachamana, our earth.
With dances, songs, and stories Chiefs and dancers of the Oneida Indian Nation (USA) will enable an insight into their spiritual traditions at the Pow Wow at Hohen Stein.
The Indian Film Nights on Friday and Saturday will widen the perspective on Indian spirituality. The documentation „The Medicine Game“ describes the life of two brothers who are passionate Lacrosse players. With the help of the game, they gain both physical and spiritual power and manage to overcome the obstacles life puts up for them. The documentary „For the next seven generations“ tells the true story of 13 grandmothers from various indigenous peoples who formed an alliance. It is their aim to prevent Mother Earth from being destroyed by humans by carrying their knowledge and their experience into the world.
During an open discussion round Saturday evening on the issue „Indian Spirit“, Roy Halbritter (Supreme representative of Oneida Indian Nation), Dale Rood (Turtle Clan), and Chuck Fougnier (Wolf Clan) will report on the significance of spirituality in present times. This will also cover the current conflict between Karl May Museum and the Chippewa Tribe (USA) over the repatriation of the scalp of a chief. Participants of the discussion amongst others will be Cecil E. Pavlat Sr., who demanded its restoration in a letter to the museum, and Robin Leipold of Karl May Museum Radebeul.
Indian spirituality also plays an important role in longtime festival traditions. So the rider who, during the big Star Riders' Parade on Sunday, covers the longest distance will receive an original Indian Peace Pipe. As a symbol of the union between humans and universe, it [the pipe] is of utmost religious significance.
Emphasis mineKarl May Festival has a history of exploiting indigenous spirituality during their annual events. They promoted several plastic shamans – such as Antonio Gomora aka Xokonoschtlel (see:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=610.0 ), and Tim Sikyea (see:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1020.0 ) by inviting them year after year. Ceremony has been turned into a show at their premises before, as e.g. a bear ceremony was performed regularly during the festival for several years.
So this year, „Andean Indians from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile will present traditional music, dances, stories and rituals of worship of Pachamama“. The presentation of „rituals of worship“ in front of an audience of several thousand persons does not sound appropriate.
The second film presented during the festival, „For the next 7 generations“, does not portray any indigenous spirituality but the Nuage project run by 'Jyoti' Jeneane Prevatt who is an exploiter of ndn cultures and spirituality and has been covered at NAFPS before, see:
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=1216.0 .
A flyer which can be downloaded from the KMF site provides further information regarding the programme, but also an address by Radebeul mayor:
“... under the slogan „Indian Spirit“ we will this year attend a special, but also sensitive issue – the spirituality and belief [sic] of American Natives. This is not only celebrated in dances and songs, but also in rituals and games. Numerous cultural goods of the Indians serve a spiritual background, likewise rife with symbolism are jewelry, costumes [sic] or painting. Which importance spirituality has for Indians still today and in which way it assumes a place in their modern life we will be able to experience during the Pow Wow at Hohen Stein.“
Of course the mayor of a smaller German town will hardly be an expert regarding ndn history, cultures or modern life, but it is safe to assume that this address was previously agreed with KMF. KMF, as an aside, is meanwhile organised by the town of Radebeul's tourism department, but with the cooperation of both Karl May Museum and Karl May Foundation, although their roles are not explained in any detail – same as, BTW, the foundation does not provide online information regarding its board members, chairpersons etc, and it is likewise neither transparent in which way the foundation is represented at the museum nor is its influence on the museum. From media reports it does become apparent that the foundation is in a position to control the museum, as e.g. at the beginning of 2014, the foundation's dismissal of the museum's director met some pointed criticism from the public. Additionally, there is also a support organisation whose role and influence or personal interrelations are similarly unclear.
While the personal and economic interrelations of KM Festival, KM museum, KM foundation, and support organisation are impossible to retrace by information available online, it will be quite safe to assume that the mayor's address reflects information and attitudes as introduced by the foundation and/or the museum. This, then, apparently includes the misrepresentation of a Pow Wow as a spiritual event or even ceremony. This misperception is further exploited to have actual ceremonies performed for the entertainment of the audience. In this way, KMF cements the notion that a public performance of indigenous ceremonies was acceptable. Since there are always some ndn performers and artists (who may not be aware of programme details in this respect, in particular when they live in the Americas), their presence is employed to support the argument that performing ceremonies for an audience was tolerated or approved by indigenous persons and nations.
At the new premises „In the Land of Pachamama“, Andean Indians from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile will present traditional music, dances, stories and rituals of worship of Pachamana, our earth.
and from the flyer, p. 16:
In the Land of Pachamama
Music, dance, stories, and rituals of the Indian peoples of the Andes in reverence of Pachamama, our Mother Earth. With Nelson Milla, the group Maqui, and the Dance Troupe Amasagwa.
Design of location: Muriel and Cesar Olhagaray.
Again, this is most interesting. Senor Olhagaray, an artist born in Chile in 1951, is of Chilean and French nationality, his father having been from France and his mother from Chile. According to his website:
http://www.cesar-olhagaray.de/vita/ , he studied architecture in Chile, then in 1974 began another course of studies in painting and art design in former German Democratic Republic at Dresden University. Olhagaray has been living in (East) Germany since 1974.
So apparently KMF had a white artist design the 'Pachamama' location.
Olhagaray will also do other performances between July 5 to July 15, 2014:
An Initiation Ceremony of the Tierra del Fuego Indians Selk'nam
[...]Hain narrates a myth of the Tierra del Fuego Indians who called themselves Selk'nam, a tribe which was wiped out by European conquerors during the 19th century. [...]
Source:
http://schaubudensommer.de/rueckblick/programm-2012/cesar-muriel-chile/Another newspaper (see:
http://www.sz-online.de/nachrichten/kultur/bis-an-die-grenzen-des-guten-geschmacks-1576888.html ) reports:
Not without my mask. Muriel Cornejo and Cesar Olhagaray from Chile play their version of an initiation ceremony of the Tierra del Fuego Indians.
Emphasis mineSo we've got two more non-indigenous persons who believe that exploiting ndn cultures and ceremonies, and turning them into games or shows, is quite okay. KMF does it – Olhagaray does it – seems to be their variant of „I'm okay – you're okay“, also known as „10 billion flies can't be wrong“ method. In fact, no: Just because 'everybody' else one knows does it does not make exploiting indigenous cultures and spirituality legit.
Nelson Milla, another Chilean exile living in Ludwigshafen, is said to be from the Likan-Antay nation. Milla's LinkedIn profile says he is a musician, and he has done gigs at several Karl May Festivals in previous years. Besides being a musician, Milla also seems to do cultural and educational seminars on ndn life, mostly for children, although there is one site where he gets called a shaman. Judging by that site, I'd say Milla is not misrepresenting himself – it is the site owner who misrepresents Milla
The group Maqui seems to be a project of a South American musician by the name of Juan Saúl Villao Crespo who lives in Dresden. His site (see:
http://www.combi-nacion.com/maqui.html ) does not offer any biographical info. Judging from the small photo, I doubt the three musicians have an indigenous background.
The Dance Troupe Amasagwa yields three results in a Google search, all of them in connection with KMF. The group does not seem to exist otherwise.
The information available does not offer any further details regarding which ceremonies or rituals are to be performed at the KMF 2014, not regarding who will do this, or whether the re-enactors are indigenous or Euro.
As may be seen from another press release, KMF work hard at raising some more generations of Germans ignorant regarding what is appropriate and what isn't:
http://www.kribbelbunt.de/termine/termindetails/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=22446&cHash=a2b8df4d382f6e879a9e1b6817eb1cac
June 1, 2014 – 10:00 a.m.
Adventure at Children's Day at Karl May Festival Radebeul, Karl May Museum Radebeul
At Children's Day, June 1st, there is quite a lot to experience. As a special gift, all children disguised as their Indian heroes will be granted free admission.
Whether as Winnetou, Yakari, Rainbow, or Nscho-Tschi – there are no limits regarding creativity when chosing the costume. Young Indians with feather decorations and mocassins will be able to roam the premises. At Hohen Stein, they will meet their role models from North America. Representatives of the Oneida Indian Nation perform their traditional dances and songs and tell the stories of their tribe.
Chilenean artists César and Muriel Olhagaray will design a unique Indian playground where Winnetou and co. may romp about in the prairie sands, or watch what's going on from high up on the climbing frame.
This is so rife with stereotypes, inaccuracies, etc. it makes one sick.
But this is the stuff presented by KMF year after year after year. KMF also does not only have a regional, but nation-wide audience coming to their premises. The KMF does not contribute to 'building bridges' between ndns and Germans, let alone educate the German audience. In fact, the equation is pretty simple: garbage in = garbage out.
But of course it may appear to much of a risk to the organisers to present facts to the audience. After all, the audience might wake up to the fact that all this is about a lesser author (quality-wise, not in the way of output) and ex-inmate who knew Jack Sh!t about ndn nations, their cultures, their history etc.
