KNOW THYSELF!

“Of all the weapons of destruction that man could invent, the most terrible and the most powerful was the word. Daggers and spears left traces of blood; arrows could be seen at a distance. Poisons were detected in the end and avoided. But the word managed to destroy without leaving clues.” Paulo Coelho

Without question, the above metaphor is relevant to personal, societal, or cultural dynamics in human relations that are problematic in our society. But when I stumbled on it, my homeland Haiti came to mind and inspired a recapitulation of its history, which serves as a great tool for self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Haiti, the first black republic, was the victim of many falsehoods and propaganda throughout its history as it wrestled with the dark shadows of its past in contrast to its eventful times of glory in the fight to keep its sovereignty!

I grew closer to my own culture and prouder of my heritage from traveling far away from home.  The profound lesson life gifted me with each experience, each encounter and discovery as I traveled to certain countries in the world was the deep understanding that each and every culture plays an important role and has a genuine purpose in the world’s web of folk cultures. Evidently, that simple divine truth is not always understood nor respected in the labyrinth of human beings relations and interconnectedness.

Haiti’s glorious history and myths are a testimony of its essence. A powerful piece of the puzzle deserving its rightful destiny in the world’s web of folk cultures. To dispel the myths about Haiti, a historical outline of its origin and path to freedom is in order.  Not much imagination is needed to see through false narratives, selective interpretations, manipulated and misleadingly written by our own oppressors and divulged in history books.

Yet the supremacy of the Haitian heroes cannot be dismissed. Their prowess is largely documented in books, movies, documentaries etc. and glorified by historians, professors, Haitians and foreigners alike.  An imposing vestige of the Haitian ancestral grandeur stands as the eighth wonder of the world (designated UNESCO World Heritage sites): The fortress, formerly known as “La Citadelle Laferrière,” is named today “Citadelle Henry,” in honor of its originator and builder, Henry Christophe. He was one of the prominent leaders of the Haitian Revolution who established a kingdom in the Northern part of Haiti in 1811 and proclaimed himself  Henry I, King of Haïti.

The very few events that I cite here bring undeniable light into the most talked about reasons for Haiti’s decadence today:

**To be the first country in the “New World” to abolish slavery by defeating one of Europe’s military giants, the French army, at the Battle of Vertière in November 1803, regarded Haiti as the most feared fighting forces of that time.

**The Haitian Revolution is the product of the only successful slave revolution in history in the making of the modern world and thus changed the course of history.

**Haiti is the first modern state in the Western Hemisphere ruled by African descent and the second nation to achieve independence after the United States. Ironically, prior to Haiti’s independence, Haitians fought in the battle of Savannah in 1779 for the American side in the revolutionary war. ” (See “Les Chasseurs Volontaires d’Amerique” where a monument stands in honor of the Haitian soldiers in the city of Savannah). “The statue and the story evidenced an enduring relationship between the United States and Haiti. The nations were the first and second republics in the “New World”, brothers in freedom and independence.” (Written by: Pooja Bhatia/Ozy.com, Editor)

**And then, later… Haiti earned three decades of American occupation.

**The Haitian Declaration of Independence pronounced on January 1, 1804, was undeniably a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic World.

** Haiti has gone further to stop men’s greed… they also fought for the liberation of many Latin countries during the Latin American wars of independence. Many aren’t aware that without Haiti’s help, many other countries would not have obtained their independence. That first Black Republic became a tremendous symbol of hope for slaves throughout these countries, making the nation a great threat to other slaveholders.

Haiti’s decadence is repeatedly voiced, from every direction and every source, to be the result of a pact with the devil, as if the enslavement and atrocities done to another race that acted in self-defense could be justified in the name of God. The poorest country in the western hemisphere once called the “Pearl of the Antilles” because it was the richest colony in the entire world was oppressed, marginalized, ostracized, and persecuted for centuries by external forces. That compromised the nation’s long-term economic development. The causes of Haiti’s decadence are as various and as complex as the history of the Nation that is today crippled with poverty and corruption as a result of the machinations of imperialism.

In a world where there is no defense against lies and manipulations, facts and opinions get easily confused and the consideration that there are two sides to every story is overlooked. It can never be enough to bring to awareness the tendency of people to casually dismiss the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors in their perception of others.

Perceptions are powerful indeed! Haiti’s own children are born to eternal repentance for their sins indoctrinated by their colonizers imposed religion. Repercussions of a cognitive dissonance seem evident from expert analysis due to the continuing devastating impacts of colonization which affected Haitians physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

While it’s important to find justifications for the impoverished state of the nation, it is the responsibility of the people to heal themselves by addressing the enemies inside to get rid of all conditioning that is the root cause of their culture’s agony.  The revelation in this recapitulation confirms that when you don’t know who you are it’s easy to sign over your individuality, your uniqueness and your freedom away.  

The strong point that Haitians inherited from the ancestors is the resilience they are famed for. Haiti birthed great minds and hard-working people. Renowned Haitian experts, scientists, authors, historians, professors, artists, and cultivated Vodou spiritual leaders alike are relentlessly fighting for a decolonization process through education. A starting point is for the majority to support this reform movement, for it is key to bring forth a political, economic and an educational system articulated and developed by Haitians in consonance with the spirit of their ancestors. To know thyself is an injunction to own yourself; and when you own yourself, nothing and no one can deviate you from your path.

“No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself. No man is free who cannot command himself.” Pythagoras

 

Credit/Anecdotal acknowledgement

The world of Jean Ledan fils where history and art merge into a language of the soul!

Jean Ledan fils, historian, artist, author, editor, entrepreneur, famed for his weekly column for the past 26 years in the most respected and oldest Haitian Newspaper Le Nouvelliste, titled “About Haiti’s history… Did you know that?” (“A propos de l’histoire d’Haïti, saviez-vous que…”), keeping the community informed and reminded of notable past events, and inspiring anecdotes about Haiti’s history.  He juggles from being an active historian, business owner of a popular analog toy making company and Publishing house, to a passion for art expressed in both painting and weaving (tapestry).

As a historian, Jean Ledan fils maintains strong ethics with high objectivity in referring to facts and avoiding bias opinions of any form, and that is always conveyed in his purpose statements and personal mottos. But the language of the arts seems to authorize him to convey all that is suppressed in documenting facts as a historian. Jean Ledan’s artwork combines abstract with surrealist fantasy in both mediums: paintings and decorative tapestries, as well as creative photography, revealing his patriotism, his authentic love for his homeland and profound spiritual beliefs in strong, vibrant colors that his culture inspires. His ingenuity brings together different disciplines to complement one another to perfection… his history book covers display of his artwork, create exposure through a mobile and permanent exhibition cachet and at the same time getting them securely archived.

I am happy to share an extract (translated version in english) of an article written by Jean Ledan, published in Le Nouvelliste in 2016. It reveals more than I could say about the role of the historian, the man behind the artist, the citizen behind his perspective and vision about his country Haiti:

“PEOPLE WITHOUT MEMORY ARE PEOPLE WITHOUT A FUTURE! ” Says the old adage… Memory and History –not in a retrogressive sense but in a farsighted and progressive approach necessary for a more in-depth knowledge of our community to better understand the present, and therefore better plan for the future.It is essential to highlight our resources and our creativity, our cultural diversity, themselves established on the basis of our history, our practices and our originality. Arts and culture including history are the fundamental factors that still keep the nation alive. The strength and vitality of the art of Haitian culture, aren’t they the elements that still maintain a certain social cohesion among us and ensure us a respected presence at the international level? It is urgent for us Haitians to recognize the sources of our cultural heritage to make it fruitful! Its natural role as a catalyst for national life to revisit the carrier values that form the basis of our own identity and personality as a people.”

Jean Ledan fils attended Dowling College (1981-1982) where he studied Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts at New York University (NYU 1983-1987) where he graduated with a major in Political Sciences and a minor in History.

His interest in textile art started in New York, but painting became a passion when he returned to Haiti in 1988 and mingled with friends that were also painters. He was inspired to take home their unfinished work to undertake this new art form.  Painting was a long artistic process that culminated in mastering other mediums that include tapestry, drawing, and writing.

Among Jean Ledan’s most acclaimed editions of history books are: The whole work series of his weekly articles “A propos de l’histoire d’Haïti, saviez-vous que…” presented as a collection of ten separate volumes; Haïti 2004 – Bicentenaire de l’Indépendance – Chronique d’un départ annoncé – le fil des événements; L’Histoire d’Haïti en toute simplicité ; l’Histoire d’Haïti – La “petite histoire” ; Hommage au Patrimoine ; l’Histoire d’Haïti au singulier ; l’Histoire d’Haïti – Simples faits ; l’Histoire d’Haïti – Anecdotes.  In progress is an unpublished work on Alexandre Petion and Simon Bolivar.

Jean Ledan is the Owner of Beljwèt S.A., a well known analog toy and Publishing House in Port-au-Prince since 1995.

He is active in all his disciplines, and is supportive of Haiti’s cultural activities.  He worked in various projects of the Ministry of Culture, particularly to renew Haiti’s incorporation to the Berne Convention’s copyright protection of Artistic and Literary works.

Thank you Jean Ledan fils for your precious legacy and significant contribution to Haiti’s past, current, and future generations.