Thunderstorms and the Earth Spirit[ The Ohio State University Asian American Voice (Fall 1991) ]
On hot summer evenings in Ohio there are thunderstorms. Standing in the open field behind our house, I watched the sky flash with light. I heard the distant boom and rumble. My grandfather used to say, "it's music", like the sound of drums.
Everyday living, also, has a few turbulent storms. Sometimes, growing up as a visible minority, brings along additional complications-those hangups associated with racial prejudice and injustice. The negative attitudes drain the spirit. One doesn't always feel the positive sense of belonging to a greater community of people. There's a feeling of distance, a feeling of strangeness mixed in with a lack of stability.
Growing up as one of the few Asian Americans in semi-rural Ohio, I didn't always fit in. Some people would stare at me strangely and ask, "What are you?" Depending on my mood, I sometimes replied, "American", or "Japanese", or "Japanese American", or just sarcastically, "a human being!" Often, a separation existed between my actual self, and what others expected me to be. I am an "American", but people forget the greater diversity in American people, beyond the stereotypic "white" person.
Recently, I've been looking into the neglected Asian influence of my parentage, but this does not overlook the fact that we are all very "whole" people. We all have more in common as humans, than the "weirdness" of our minor (but interesting) differences. We aren't all the same, of course, but we aren't that different either.
A sense of wholeness was one reason for attending a unique festival this summer in Toronto, Ontario. It was held the weekend of July 5-7, 1991. Called the "Earth Spirit Festival", the celebration was jointly organized by the Native Canadian (also called First Nation), the Inuit, and the Japanese Canadian communities. All events were free and open to the general public.
The festival motto declared, "A WHOLE EARTH IS A WHOLE PEOPLE." In addition to promoting multiculturalism, one primary goal was to emphasize the Native wisdom rooted in respect for the earth. Seminars and workshops were held-many focusing primarily on the survival of aboriginal cultures and a concern for the environment.
One initiator of the festival, poet/writer Joy Kogawa writes, "The emerging political power of aboriginal people is said to be the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. We have been warned that either we stand with those who love the Earth intimately, or we will perish."
A major portion of the program was dedicated to illuminating the positive cultural aspects of the Native Canadian, Inuit, Japanese Canadian, and Ainu people-a sharing of each unique expression for life in music, theater, dance, literature, film, and food. An art exhibition titled "Visions of Power" featured works by 18 Native Canadian and Japanese Canadian artists.
The festival was a demonstration of people working together by feeling a commonness in the "Earth Spirit". Spiritual poverty, more than economic poverty, is often the problem for minorities who suffer from a sense of loss in the negativity of modern society. Like Native cultures, the spiritual significance of nature has long been celebrated in Asian cultures and Eastern thought. For centuries, Taoist and Zen masters have surrounded themselves with nature, and have used it in their writings, poetry, and art. I often feel the the Zen influence from my Asian side-the serenity of nature, the feeling for a unity and balance, and a sense for the interrelatedness of things and people.
It's interesting how these ideas take shape. The idea for the Earth Spirit Festival evolved from the Japanese Canadian redress campaign. During WWII, Japanese Canadian citizens, like Japanese Americans, were forcibly interned in concentration camps. They later sought an apology from the Canadian government for the injustice. The Native organizations in Canada identified strongly with the Japanese Canadian loss in freedom, and they were very solid political supporters for Japanese Canadian redress. When redress was finally achieved, the Japanese Canadian community reached out in appreciation to the Native organizations to see how they could mutually promote the Native cause. The idea for the Earth Spirit Festival came from a need for more "bridges" to bring people together. A common concern for the environment was one key. The idealism and visionary goals of the festival were very inspiring.
At the opening ceremony, I sat at the Shipdeck Stage on the Harbourfront in downtown Toronto, and I felt a wonderful feeling. They were all here-young and old, Black, White, Asian, Native, all people. A light breeze blew in from Lake Ontario; the lake gulls soared above. The sign on the stage read, "THE EARTH SPIRIT FESTIVAL, THE FIRST NATION PEOPLE AND JAPANESE CANADIANS, AT ONE WITH THE EARTH." As the sun set behind us, Elder Art Solomon gave the first opening message of thanks, and a sense of appreciation for the freedom of the people. "Life is not to endure, but to celebrate it," he said. He mentioned that there must be a healing process, and to share what we all have in common. This was followed by speeches of the many organizers for the festival-Abe Kabayama (Chair), Rhoda Innuksuk (Inuit), Issac Pitawanakwat (First Nation), Art Miki (Japanese Canadian).
Ontario Regional Chief Gordon Peters (who also once played hockey at Ohio State) spoke about the once basic values that were not returned in kind by the people who have now occupied Native lands-those of kindness, honesty, and sharing. He mentioned the importance that these values be re-learned. Dr. David Suzuki, a well-known Canadian TV celebrity and scientist, spoke about our lack of connection with the land, and how our basic western beliefs and values must change. He mentioned a great need for human beings to realize that we aren't separate from nature, a need for a new kind of economics with an environmental concern, and a need to know the spiritual value of nature. Dr. Suzuki suggested one way of learning by listening to the wisdom of elders.
One highlight performance was called "The Meeting of the Drums" where First Nations, Inuit, and Japanese Canadian drummers played together on the same stage. The energy and vitality could make anyone want to get up and dance; I left the festival with my soul revived. Music was a perfect symbol for the common unity. "A WHOLE EARTH IS A WHOLE PEOPLE." Like a hypothesized Beringian land bridge that once connected Asia to America, more direct links of understanding and cultural appreciation need to be built, connecting all people around the world.
Driving back from Toronto at night, I witnessed a violent thunderstorm. Electric blue flashes of lightning fractured the sky, and I heard again the sound of distant drums. They were the drums of the Earth Spirit, the drums of the people, and the beat of my heart. A circle was finally closed.
Copyright © 1991 by Wataru Ebihara