WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:13.279 No bread of that areland. 2 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:43.600 Sons, no bed. 3 00:00:43.520 --> 00:01:30.280 Of that are ho bred of that areland. 4 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:34.159 Hello, and welcome to the show. This is the Cult 5 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:37.879 of Conspiracy and I am the Cajun night Ay Raven Lee, 6 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:43.040 and we are continuing on our holiday week pile on 7 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.439 of all the crazy things and stuff, and believe it 8 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:51.319 or not, this episode accidentally will get conspiratorial. I didn't 9 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:53.920 even intend for this to go this way. But today 10 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:56.959 we are going to be talking about Kwanza, which is 11 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:02.200 an inherently American, specifically African American, but it's inherently an 12 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:07.120 American celebration. And then as we are sticking to the 13 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:11.080 more you know, American traditions that a lot of Americans 14 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:12.800 may not be aware of, we are then gonna go 15 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:14.560 to some Native American tribes. 16 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:15.639 M h. 17 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:17.520 So we're gonna we're gonna touch at least on the 18 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:21.960 history of kind of just what some Native American tribes do. 19 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.520 Yeah, and I'm excited to learn about these things. Honestly, 20 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.840 I I as a side tangent, I started doing some 21 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:33.919 more research into some obscure things I never knew about. 22 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:38.560 The Iroquois society of the no Face, which is a 23 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:41.719 winter solstice celebration thing, and I didn't do too much 24 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:43.759 digging into it. We're gonna talk about that one probably 25 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:45.680 on the Obscure episode We're gonna do in a minute 26 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:50.120 or tomorrow, I should say, But yeah, for today, we 27 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:51.879 are going to go to Kwansa and we are going 28 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:54.000 to go to a couple of different Native American tribes. 29 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:57.800 And I do need to apologize. I was supposed to 30 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.560 be wearing a daishiki for this, and I had a source. 31 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:03.680 I had a buddy of mine who I told him 32 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:05.960 when I was doing He was super about that life. 33 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:07.639 I know there's gonna be people that are saying I'm 34 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.599 appropriating culture. No, I'm an American and there's a specifically 35 00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:17.120 American holiday, and he was super, super helpful. Actually, he 36 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.159 was like about that life. But I should admit my 37 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:25.159 buddy is a few sizes smaller than me, and this 38 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:27.319 would have looked like I was trying to make a 39 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:29.520 joke out of the culture, and that's not what my 40 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:32.439 intention was. So the flannel is still rocking. 41 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.400 It happens. Hey, I'm wearing a Crumpuss shirt and I'm 42 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:40.319 wearing these awesome earrings that were made for me. But today, 43 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:44.599 so there are trees, Christmas trees with skulls on them. 44 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.360 I'm super happy. So hell, I'm still rocking the theme 45 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:51.719 over here. At least of Christmas things. I could throw 46 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:53.840 on a Christmas hat. 47 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.000 I could throw on the Christmas hat. But this episode 48 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:58.360 is not going to be about Christmas yet, not like 49 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.599 this kind of Christmas. So at that point it's kind 50 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:05.560 of this thing's lost in translation, you know. So it 51 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:07.879 is what it is, but we are gonna to get 52 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:09.680 into it here, good cult members, and we might as 53 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:12.039 well give the shameless plug now for anybody that is 54 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:15.120 listening to the show that would like to see the articles, 55 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:17.439 the videos and the things and the stuff, and Ravenlee 56 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:20.560 and I are gorgeous faces talking about these topics. Then 57 00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:22.120 the only place you can go to see all this 58 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:24.839 would be to go to patreon dot com slash Cult 59 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:28.639 Conspiracy Podcast. Over there, there are a few tiers for entry. 60 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:31.000 We got that five dollars a month tier where you 61 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.319 get all these episodes. You get them a couple of 62 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.399 days in advance, sometimes even a week in advance. You 63 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:37.240 get all the video content, you get some of the 64 00:04:37.240 --> 00:04:39.839 behind the scenes things. We are doing a lot more 65 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:42.839 on the Patreon. We are trying to revitalize and retool 66 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:45.079 the Patreon. We just did a live Q and A. 67 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:48.759 We're showing more behind the scenes things. We may even 68 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:53.199 be dropping some exclusive content for certain tiers within the Patreon. 69 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:58.000 We we're gonna start sending out some ourach, yeah merch, not. 70 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.399 Merch, We're gonna so we have a couple things that 71 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:05.000 we've decided to do. So we're revitalizing Patreon completely and 72 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:07.079 hopefully by the beginning of the year we'll have all 73 00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:09.000 the tiers set up exactly what we want to do. 74 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.959 But we're going to have promo boxes for the third 75 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:14.639 Eye Open tier and for the Mannic tier, and we're 76 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.279 gonna have a cool sticker a month, so every month 77 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:19.639 will be a different kind of sticker and it will 78 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:22.680 be it will be like kind of coo little ones 79 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:26.120 that will change every single month. And then we're also 80 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:30.800 going to do hopefully potentially merch exclusive merch for certain tiers, 81 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:35.480 also have a merch store, and it's gonna be pretty awesome, 82 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:37.680 Like we're gonna we're gonna set it all up and 83 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:38.759 have a really cool time. 84 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.360 So I'm excited. I am we got you know, Braven 85 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:46.040 Lee and I have a different type of let's call 86 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:49.000 it esthetic, you know, a different type of artistic flair. 87 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.519 And I am excited to see what kind of stickers 88 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.720 we're gonna just come up with month to month. That 89 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:55.800 should be fun, just saying. 90 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:57.759 Yeah, I think between the two of us, we're gonna 91 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:01.199 have some really cool ones. Definitely, probably some skulls for mine, 92 00:06:01.240 --> 00:06:03.759 Oh for sure, everyone, I'll have a lot of skols 93 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.800 for mine. But I'm interested to see what you come 94 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:08.160 up with, the ones that you like. 95 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:11.560 I got a few ideas. Some will be rather lighthearted, 96 00:06:11.639 --> 00:06:14.639 some will be rather obscene. I don't know. I guess 97 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.240 we'll figure it out together, you know. But like I said, 98 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:19.279 we're also coming out with more merch as well. We 99 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:22.519 are currently looking for a merch store type of situation. 100 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.680 Some coffee mugs, some hoodies, some T shirts. We're gonna 101 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.560 start making this happen in real time. We have had 102 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.360 with No Ego, hundreds of people ask us where can 103 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:38.879 they buy our merch? And we have been slacking for years. 104 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.399 On this, but well, I mean we did. We did 105 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:43.240 go and have some conversations with some people to do merch. 106 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:46.079 It's just very expensive up front, and trying to figure 107 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:48.959 out how to do a merch store and then actually 108 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.040 have good quality and where to actually house it, or 109 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:53.839 if we're gonna do one of those where you click 110 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:57.399 and then it does the automatic thing. It's it's a 111 00:06:57.480 --> 00:07:00.519 process to learn how to do all that. So we 112 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.759 are hoping though, by at least the beginning of the year, 113 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:06.279 we'll have our tiers set up for Patreon, and we'll 114 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:10.560 have a lot more exclusive content and behind the scenes 115 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:14.680 Q and as contests run different kind of things to 116 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:16.560 where you know it's gonna be a lot more fun 117 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:20.959 building a real community within the Patreon So I don't 118 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.399 know if we're gonna throw the discord, because both of us, 119 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:24.920 to be honest, are kind of dumb when it comes 120 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:26.120 to Discord. 121 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:29.800 But I can tease this, at least there will possibly 122 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.480 be a link to a secret merch store only available 123 00:07:33.560 --> 00:07:37.879 to Patreon subscribers, the secret store which will have the 124 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:41.959 secret star Bey app Uh. Let's say this like there's 125 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:44.720 been some quotes, there's been some sayings that have come 126 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:46.639 off of this show over the years. We're like, oh 127 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.639 my god, that's a T shirt. That's gonna be the 128 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:50.759 spot where those T shirts are made. And it's not 129 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:53.279 something that you would put out on the interwebs for 130 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:55.319 the world to see, but for the people that get 131 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.639 the joke, you know. Yeah, Anyway, like I was saying, 132 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:00.879 we're gonna have these things available on the Patreon here 133 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:02.600 very soon, so. 134 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:06.720 Like Beetlejuice right then, I'm sorry, Yeah, that sound like 135 00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:12.560 you did when you were like. 136 00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:14.360 I'll take that as a compliment. I think he's phenomenal. 137 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:16.000 Saying it in a bad way. I'm just saying, that's 138 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:16.720 what you sound like. 139 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:18.639 But I think he did okay at Batman. 140 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:22.519 He did. I mean, I didn't think he was terrible 141 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:24.480 at Batman. I'll say that better. 142 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:25.759 Than Jack Frost. That was just me. 143 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:28.279 Oh that's a sad movie. 144 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:30.680 I know that. That movie is the reason why I 145 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:33.919 still can't listen to Landslide by by Fleetwood Mac without 146 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:36.519 getting a little. 147 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.360 It's pretty emotional movie. I'll say that. To go back 148 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:41.440 to your point about Patreon, we are going to be 149 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:46.039 doing a lot of things coming up and really trying 150 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.879 to i don't know, build expand grow our community, grow 151 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:54.120 the cult and see how it all plays out. 152 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.879 What absolutely So with that being said, there are a 153 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:00.000 few other tears that you can go to on the page. 154 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:03.840 We got that cult member tier right there, like we were 155 00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:05.879 talking about, then if you want to go to that 156 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:08.039 third eye all the way open tier, you will be 157 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:10.120 able to join us every Tuesday night for the Cult 158 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.200 Member lives and you you know you hear the episodes drop. 159 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:17.120 Come meet the Spirit Animal himself, Come meet Dougie Blumkin. 160 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:21.240 Come meet our resident Jewish correspondent, and our resident trans correspondent, 161 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:23.840 our resident furry correspond all these people, all these people. 162 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.159 As much as people want to say that we are 163 00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:27.639 a Maga echo chamber, we have a very diverse group 164 00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:30.159 that would say otherwise, because I throw that out. But 165 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:33.320 probably the main reason why people go to patreon dot 166 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.240 com slash Cult Conspiracy Podcast is because it is the 167 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:38.440 only place not only to see the video of all 168 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:41.200 these episodes, but it's the only place to hear us. 169 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:47.840 Absolutely yes, that's right. Kick the ads, we know they suck. 170 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:52.679 We hate commercials too. We offer exclusively on Patreon commercial 171 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:54.639 free listening. That's the best place to go. That's the 172 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.799 only place to go. So I'm gonna go ahead and 173 00:09:56.840 --> 00:09:59.159 share the screen at this time. And uh, you know, 174 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.039 just off of the Ravenle, do you know anything about 175 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:03.600 Kwanza I don't. 176 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:07.600 I actually don't know anything about Kwansa. I know you 177 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.440 said it's an American holiday. I don't know when it 178 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:13.879 was started, what it's really about. I'm gonna be honest 179 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:17.000 with you. I'm pretty nineive when it comes to this topic. 180 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:21.799 So I feel like a lot of Americans, specifically white Americans, 181 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:26.200 don't know much about Kwanza. And that's understandable because it 182 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:32.080 is a specifically African American holiday. So the background to it, 183 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.000 it was started in nineteen sixty six by a gentleman 184 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.600 that we're gonna learn more about here in a minute. 185 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:42.919 And basically it was started to be a Pan African celebration, 186 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:47.240 a political, a religious. So to be fair, you can 187 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:50.840 celebrate Christmas and Kwanza and the two do not conflict 188 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:52.919 in any way, shape or form, believe it or not. 189 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:57.159 And there's a few things, a few symbols that take 190 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.320 place during this time. It's a seven day holiday. It 191 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:02.440 starts the day after Christmas and it goes in until 192 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:04.960 the uh I think the first we're gonna learn more 193 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:07.919 about it here in a moment. Each day there's a 194 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:12.799 candle that is lit. There is some poetry you should 195 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:15.840 read or or it's like seen as like the daily thought, 196 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.120 something you're supposed to contemplate and reflect on this day. 197 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.799 There is music that you're supposed to listen to, and 198 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:25.200 we're gonna actually read about that as well. Earth Wind 199 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:29.720 and Fire is on that. So yeah, that's cool. Yeah, 200 00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:32.440 it's weird. It's not, and I don't mean weird as 201 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.639 a negative thing. It's I had never really done much 202 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:37.759 digging into it, to be honest. The extent of my 203 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:40.919 knowledge on Kwanza came from the Proud Family. There was 204 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:45.000 an episode where they celebrated Kwansa with this family and 205 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.200 all that. So for any of our say I. 206 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:49.360 Thought it was a Jewish holiday, I'm not gonna lie 207 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:50.960 to you. I did for like a hot minute there. 208 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:52.960 I think it was like a part of Jewish holidays. 209 00:11:53.080 --> 00:11:56.120 The candle obra would make you think, so right, very 210 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:59.399 similar to how the the Hanukkah celebration we just learned 211 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:02.240 about has there thing so like you need more. I 212 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:06.440 didn't do enough, Flim, I'm sorry, Royknikah. Yeah yeah, but 213 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.799 but to your point, the candle lighting, it does kind 214 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:12.559 of resonate a certain way that make you think possibly 215 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:15.759 this is connected to Judaism. None whatsoever. It is not 216 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:19.879 related to Islam, Christendom, Judaism. There is no religious significance 217 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:25.600 to Kwanza whatsoever. It is specifically a cultural holiday. So 218 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.200 I got a quick little vigia here, and we are 219 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:32.159 gonna learn about Kwanza together using this video, and then 220 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:34.200 we're gonna go more into the details of it. And 221 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:42.080 then there is some uh con controversial uh some some 222 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:46.360 might say conspiratorial things to be said about Kwanza and 223 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:51.840 the creator thereof and really oh yeah, yeah again, good 224 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.799 cult members. Please, if you are somebody that celebrates Kwanza, 225 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:57.559 please habarghane to you. Okay, all the things and all 226 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:01.039 the stuff. I didn't know anything about this. I didn't 227 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:04.000 know that Marcus Garvey made his appearance into this, which 228 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:06.039 if you don't know who Marcus Garvey is, he is 229 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:11.559 one of the most vehement violent racists against white people 230 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.559 ever on Earth. I didn't know that. I didn't know 231 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:17.080 that before we got started. I didn't know the creator 232 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:22.200 of Kwansa also was arrested and convicted for assaulting two women. 233 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.399 But we're gonna get to it all. We're gonna get 234 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:27.039 to it all because I don't I don't want to 235 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:30.840 take away from Kwansa itself, because the celebration itself, it 236 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.399 kind of seems cool. It kind of seems cool. I 237 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:36.039 know that I can't celebrate it for multiple reasons, but 238 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:40.200 like I respect those that do, you know, and before 239 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:42.279 we get to the controversy, I should say that too. 240 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:45.360 If you're somebody who celebrates Kwansa, you know, more power 241 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:48.240 to you do not. Sometimes you gotta take the good 242 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:51.399 with the bad, right like you gotta take the Yes. 243 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:53.919 This person might have been a piece of shit, but 244 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:56.600 what they did was something good and you could you 245 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:58.960 could extrapolate the good from it. And it's not like 246 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.039 this instant of what happened with him takes away from 247 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.919 the holiday that he created by any stretch of the 248 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:07.960 imagination that actually happened years after. But we're gonna get 249 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:10.279 to it all. Sorry about the tangent on this one, 250 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:13.279 but anyway, let's learn about Kwansa together, good cult members. 251 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:15.159 We're gonna start off with this little vigia here. It's 252 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:16.840 only four and a half in its long, and it's 253 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:19.200 gonna talk to us a little bit about the backstory 254 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:24.039 of Kwansa and also how to celebrate it. Let's learn together. 255 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:36.200 Kwansa is a holiday that was started by doctor Malinga 256 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:40.200 Krenga in nineteen sixty six. The reason that he felt 257 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:43.360 a need to start a brand new holiday was because 258 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:47.240 he felt that African Americans that lived outside of the 259 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:51.559 continent of Africa were detached from the values and the 260 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:55.320 culture of the continent of Africa, and he wanted them 261 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.120 to feel good about themselves and to have something that 262 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:02.720 they could connect to to make their lives better. Kuansa 263 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:08.720 is actually derived from a Kiswa hilly word meaning first harvest. 264 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.000 All through the continent of Africa and many other places, 265 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:15.759 people celebrate the harvest. They give thanks for the harvest, 266 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:29.559 so Kwansa really means first fruits or harvest time. Quansa 267 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:33.120 is not a religious holiday. It's a cultural holiday, which 268 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:36.159 means that you can celebrate whatever your tradition is and 269 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:40.879 still enjoy Kwansa. Kwansa is observed the day after Christmas, 270 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:44.720 which means you could still celebrate Christmas from December twenty 271 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:48.159 sixth all the way through January first New Year's Day 272 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.000 to seven days, so the seven days you're actually celebrating 273 00:15:52.120 --> 00:15:56.240 and thinking about seven principles. Those seven principles are called 274 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:04.279 the Nguza Saba. The seven principles of Kwanza are Omoja unity, kutishagualiyah, 275 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:11.200 self determination, Ujima, collective work and responsibility, Ujama cooperative economics, 276 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:18.639 Nia purpose, Koumba creativity, and last but not least, Imani faith. 277 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.679 Those are seven principles that everyone can use to have 278 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.200 a better life. It doesn't matter if you're African American, 279 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.360 it doesn't matter where you're from. These seven principles will 280 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:31.759 help you to be a better human being and also 281 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:36.200 help to make the world a better place. The condelabra 282 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:41.720 for Kwansa is called a kinnora. It is seven candles 283 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:46.120 that represent again the seven principles. So the middle candle 284 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:48.799 is black that represents the people. Then you have three 285 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.200 candles representing the blood, and then three candles that represent 286 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.000 the earth or the hard work that you do. I 287 00:16:56.039 --> 00:17:00.120 think that what resonates with people about this holiday is 288 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.399 that it really is a holiday that makes you look 289 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:07.359 within and then connect with the people around you. So 290 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.640 part of Quanta also is looking at your relationships people 291 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:15.240 who you might need to ask forgiveness from people who 292 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:22.279 you might need to forgive. The quansa celebration at the 293 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:26.200 American Museum of Natural History is literally the largest Quanta 294 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:30.319 celebration in the United States. Thousands and thousands of people 295 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:34.799 come in to see the Quantsa celebration, and as a storyteller, 296 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:38.000 I am just prouded. Every year I look forward to 297 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.839 coming and sharing with everyone about Quanza. 298 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:45.599 We have about ten thousand people that come together to 299 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:49.559 celebrate every year with the shows that include performances as 300 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:52.880 well as storytelling and teaching about the principles and all 301 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.119 of the nature of the holiday of Kwansa, as well 302 00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:59.839 as a popular marketplace that opens for artisans to come 303 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:02.200 in tell the wares of the museum for just one day. 304 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.079 And you see people of every ethnicity, every race, every 305 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:11.279 religion coming together to celebrate love, to celebrate culture, to 306 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:15.799 celebrate through great and rich contribution of African Americans and 307 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:21.519 the African diaspora. What's wonderful about Kwansa for everyone is 308 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:26.000 that it gives everyone the opportunity to learn a little 309 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:30.440 bit more about African American history, which is American history. 310 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.960 Then we also get the opportunity to be with family 311 00:18:35.160 --> 00:18:38.680 and share personal stories. So when people of any ethnicity 312 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:42.359 come together and they hear these stories, it helps them 313 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.240 to understand one another better. 314 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:50.319 Shout out to Inside. Addition for the backstory into Kwanza. Now, 315 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:53.799 a couple of things I should mention here. Kwansa, as 316 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:57.720 the traditional holiday here is actually spelled with an extra 317 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.319 a at the end. Ye that she was talking about 318 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:04.599 as first fruit is actually only six letters, so they 319 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:07.839 added the seventh letter just to make it seven long, 320 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:10.920 as the holiday is seven days long. I think that's 321 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:11.839 an interesting tidbit. 322 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:15.599 That's pretty cool. I will say that one, she seems 323 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:16.839 like a really awesome person. 324 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:18.519 She seems like an awesome story tellers. 325 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:20.200 She really want to hang out with her and like 326 00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:24.240 listen to her, do you stories to Actually, it sounds 327 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.240 like a fantastic celebration. I really like the seven principles 328 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:30.480 in what they represent. It sounds like overall it would 329 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:33.799 just be a great holiday for everybody. But also it's 330 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:36.559 a really cool holiday to celebrate African American history and 331 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:40.160 how they are tying their roots back to Africa and 332 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:44.559 doing more unity stuff. Sounds like, you're awesome holiday overall. 333 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:47.680 To me, agreed honestly, and I mean especially it makes 334 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:51.680 sense that this formed in the nineteen sixties civil rights 335 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:55.119 movement was on the rise, and the Black community was 336 00:19:55.480 --> 00:20:01.000 trying to find a way to redisc cover their roots, 337 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.240 so to speak. Right, so many of them got brought 338 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:07.440 over against their will. They have no idea from what 339 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:10.559 tribe they originally came from, what culture they originally came from. 340 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:14.279 Blood tests are only so good, and I've seen I 341 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:15.839 had a corporal of mind in the Marine Corps. As 342 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:18.640 a matter of fact, when I was a PFC. He 343 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:22.279 and one of the sergeant majors they did a blood 344 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:23.920 test and there was a different type of test they 345 00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:27.400 could do at the time, based off of some facial 346 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:29.519 features and things like this, and they discovered that they 347 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:33.160 were actually from the same tribe originally in Africa, like 348 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:36.440 at least the predominance in their DNA would show that 349 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:38.680 they were from this area. And I thought that was 350 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:42.359 really cool. But because there was so much detachment from 351 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.680 their ancestral history for them to come together and say, 352 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:47.480 you know what, fine, we are going to make our 353 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:51.319 own ancestral history. We're gonna base it off of nothing hate. 354 00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:53.640 Nothing that we heard just now had anything to do 355 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:58.799 with black superiority, white inferiority, nothing along these lines. If anything, 356 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:02.720 it was about community growth and community strengthening, and I 357 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:04.640 think it's awesome, to be honest with you. 358 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:09.640 Yeah, the reflection and unity and faith and every I like, 359 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:12.279 really liked all the principles. I thought it was wonderful. 360 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:16.079 I'm curious to know more about this and how how 361 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:19.160 it celebrated. I never even really I mean, I've heard 362 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.039 about it because I have my neighbor's next door, but 363 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:26.240 they they are like Jamaican. She's Jamaican and actually was 364 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:26.680 born in. 365 00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:29.640 England, and do they celebrate Quanta it's from. 366 00:21:29.960 --> 00:21:33.079 I think they celebrate Kwanza. Honestly, we celebrate a lot 367 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.559 of holidays together, so that's why wouldn't be surprised that 368 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:39.079 they celebrate Kwanza. They're fantastic. They're like some of my 369 00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:41.400 favorite people on Earth. I'm so blessed to have them 370 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:44.880 as wonderful neighbors. But agreed, Yeah, no, it's definitely a 371 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.720 It definitely sounds like a great holiday. 372 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.960 So I tried looking up how many people in America 373 00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:53.799 celebrate Kwansa. Again, it's a American holiday, and I'm sure 374 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:58.240 that there's like some people in Canada, some of African 375 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:00.440 descent in Canada that might celebrate it in their own 376 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.519 way or whatever. But as far as I can tell, 377 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:06.920 it is specifically celebrated. It's an American tradition right. Again, 378 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:09.079 it was only starting in the nineteen sixties. It is 379 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.400 not even one hundred years old yet, to be honest 380 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:15.039 with you. That being said, depending on the year, it 381 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:18.640 says anywhere between five hundred thousand and twelve million people. 382 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:21.119 That's a huge gap, very huge gap. 383 00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:23.920 Okay, I mean, I mean it's also like, how do 384 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:25.039 you celebrate it? Right? 385 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:25.279 In? 386 00:22:25.319 --> 00:22:27.599 What way? Is it? That's like saying, how many of 387 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:31.759 you celebrate Christmas? Even if you don't do the whole shebang? Right? 388 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:34.680 Do you and your family celebrate the tree? You know 389 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:35.039 what I mean? 390 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:35.799 Yeah? 391 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:37.680 Well, Christmas is one of those things though that like, 392 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:41.519 some people celebrate parts of it, some people celebrate one 393 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:45.000 aspect of it, some people do all the shebang. It 394 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:49.240 depends on how It depends on your socioeconomic status, It 395 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:54.279 depends on your religious background, it depends on your family's traditions. 396 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:57.400 So I mean, obviously this would I feel like, be 397 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.160 on par with that, But it seems Eric does remind 398 00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:05.119 me somewhat of Judaism when it comes to like they're 399 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:08.920 obviously the candles and what they represent. I'm curious to 400 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:14.119 do they have any like weird rules. 401 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:16.960 No, but I see what you're saying. When when they 402 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:21.920 decided to make this non religious, non political, cultural holiday, 403 00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:24.960 you're gonna see some things that he pretty much borrowed 404 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:27.640 from a bunch of different other celebrations that kind of 405 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:29.680 go in line with the same thinking. But they took 406 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:32.240 it and made it their own right, and so that's 407 00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:35.480 the background of that. But yeah, so the wide birth 408 00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:37.799 of it. Just like you said, there's so many different 409 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.839 ways to celebrate Christmas for KWANSA. I don't know to 410 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:43.680 what level that poll was taken. Is it Well, if 411 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.680 you're not lighting the candles, then you're not celebrating. Does 412 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:48.640 it mean that you do you take these days and 413 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:51.079 reflect on the principles. Maybe you don't do the candles, 414 00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:53.000 but you reflect on the principles. Is that how you 415 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:55.640 celebrate quants? And there's no we're gonna get into it. 416 00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:59.440 There's not many rules. There's a few key items that 417 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.759 are seen as the standard for lack of better words, 418 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:05.799 but it's not like some strict adherents where if you 419 00:24:05.799 --> 00:24:07.960 step out of line then the ancestors get mad at you. 420 00:24:08.039 --> 00:24:09.960 By any means again, this will start in sixty six, 421 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:12.839 so we're gonna read in on it a little bit 422 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:15.960 more the Guide online. This is from Hayes High School. 423 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:18.599 As a matter of fact, shout out to Hayes High 424 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:22.960 School in Kansas, and the article is actually written this year. Christmas, 425 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:26.240 Honkah and Kwanza explains the differences. We're gonna jump ahead 426 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:28.720 here because we already know the differences between Christmas and 427 00:24:28.759 --> 00:24:31.279 Hanukkah and how these are celebrated. We know about this, 428 00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:33.720 but let's get into the quanta conversation. It says, lastly, 429 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:37.079 as Kwanza, this is the holiday that is probably the 430 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:39.640 least celebrated in this area and the least well known 431 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.079 among the three discussed in the article. This is likely 432 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:44.559 due to the fact that, unlike Christmas and Honkah, which 433 00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:47.559 have religious ties, Kwanza is not tied to anyone religion 434 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:50.440 and is rather a cultural celebration. It is by far 435 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:53.200 the newest holiday, only found in nineteen sixty six by 436 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:56.720 doctor Mulana Kurenga. Again, keep a pin in that guy's 437 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:59.079 name for later. He's pretty much the entire reason for 438 00:24:59.319 --> 00:25:03.759 this whole thing. An activist and professor to reaffirm African 439 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:07.279 heritage and culture for people with African descent. As a result, 440 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:10.319 it is most celebrated by African Americans. This week long 441 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:13.359 non religious celebration is observed from December twenty sixth to 442 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:17.200 January first, meaning one person can realistically celebrate both Kwansa 443 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:21.160 and Christmas. The name Kwanza is derived from the Swahili 444 00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:25.440 phrase matunda yakwanza, which means first fruits. And again you 445 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:29.039 see the Swahili word Kwansa right, there as only six letters, 446 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:31.000 so they just added the extra a at the end 447 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:33.640 to make it a seven day things. You could put 448 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.480 it on the candleabra from what I could sell, the 449 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:38.759 extra a is had to make the word seven letters long, 450 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:42.640 representing these seven days of Kwansa. Hey. The holiday is 451 00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:46.799 based on African harvesting festivals. During each evening, Kwanza families 452 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:49.720 light one of the mushuma saba, which is the seven 453 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:52.960 candles in the knara a candle holder. Oh and I 454 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.519 should just go ahead and say this now. If I 455 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:57.799 butcher the pronunciation of any of these words, please do 456 00:25:57.839 --> 00:25:59.799 not take it as a disrespect or a slight towards 457 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:03.680 the culture, good celebrators or Kwansa I mean no disrespect. 458 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.559 I speak American English and barely at that. The knara 459 00:26:08.279 --> 00:26:11.720 has one black candle, three red, and three green, representing 460 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:15.200 the people, the struggle, and the hope for future, respectively. 461 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:18.279 Each day of Kwansa is dedicated to one of seven 462 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:22.279 unguza saba principles, being with what you are learned earlier. 463 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:28.519 Emoja unity, could kuldj chaila gulia? Which is a determination? 464 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:32.759 Hell yeah, got that one? Uh uji yama ujima. 465 00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:37.000 It was terrible. Go ahead, Maybe just read you know what, 466 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:43.200 just maybe read a determination? Responsibility? Uh you know, principal creativity, faith. 467 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:46.519 You want me to americanize this American holiday that seems 468 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:48.599 rather culturally intuitively wrong. 469 00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:54.000 Maybe Nia nia kumba kuumba? 470 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:55.440 Did you just say kumbaya? 471 00:26:55.519 --> 00:27:01.799 And I was trying to think of how to say kumba? 472 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:02.519 You know what? 473 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.279 Fuck? I can't it is what it is. 474 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:08.519 I'm terrible even trying to sound out words. I'm trying here. 475 00:27:08.680 --> 00:27:10.720 Look I get it, I get it. Anyway, let's get 476 00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:14.640 they sure enough did so. Now we're gonna swap over 477 00:27:14.680 --> 00:27:18.079 to the Smithsonian article talking about the seven principles of 478 00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:20.839 kwans and this gives us a little more background into it. 479 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:24.279 Also certain foods you're supposed to make on the certain days, 480 00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:28.039 certain literature that you're supposed to pause and reflect on 481 00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:31.119 on these specific days, and certain music that you're supposed 482 00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:34.319 to listen to on these seven days. Gotta say, some 483 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:38.160 of these not my jam, some of them slap. I'm 484 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:39.799 just gonna be real with you. I pretty much love 485 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:42.759 anything earth wind and fire. I'll be honest with you. 486 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:46.359 But anyway, let's get into it. The Seven Principles of Kwanza. 487 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:51.839 Kwanza is a time of learning, family, and celebration. During 488 00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:54.039 the week of Kwanza, families and communities come together to 489 00:27:54.119 --> 00:27:57.519 share a feast, to honor the ancestors, affirm the bonds 490 00:27:57.559 --> 00:28:01.279 between them, and to celebrate African and African American culture. 491 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:03.759 You see the light of candle to highlight the principle 492 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.720 of that day and to breathe meaning into the principles 493 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:10.640 with various activities such as reciting the sayings or writings 494 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:15.559 of great Black thinkers and writers, reciting original poetry, African drumming, 495 00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:19.640 and sharing of a meal of African diaspora inspired foods. 496 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:22.519 The table is decorated with the essential symbols of Quansas, 497 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:24.839 such as the canara which is the candle holder, the 498 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:29.000 macheka which is the matt mahindi which is corn to 499 00:28:29.079 --> 00:28:31.400 represent the children. Put up pen in that one for 500 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:36.519 later as well. Just gonna say that maezo or mazeo 501 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.079 fruit to represent the harvest, zowadi which is gifts. There 502 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:43.079 is a little bit of a gift exchange here, but 503 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:46.039 from what I could tell, it's nothing. It's not like 504 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:50.720 Santa Claus gifts. It's more like very small and personalized gifts, 505 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:54.039 you know, just something to you know, give to your 506 00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:57.519 loved ones, to a celebration type of thing. You know. 507 00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:01.720 I do like that this is a cultural celebration rather 508 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:02.480 than face space. 509 00:29:02.599 --> 00:29:06.079 It's pretty cool, agreed. So again, one might also see 510 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:09.119 the colors of the Pan African flag, red the struggle, 511 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:12.160 black the people, and green the future, which is again 512 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:15.599 represented in the candles as well and represented throughout the 513 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:19.200 space and in the clothing worn by participants. These colors 514 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.799 were first proclaimed to be the colors for all people 515 00:29:21.799 --> 00:29:26.559 of African diaspora by Marcus Garvey. Again, if you don't 516 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:28.720 know who Marcus Garvey is, I'm not gonna be the 517 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:30.680 one to tell the kids there's no Santa Claus here, 518 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:35.319 but uh, he did a lot for people of African descent, 519 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.359 not gonna take that away from him. I will also 520 00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:46.680 say he was some some might see him as the 521 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:50.720 tiny mustache man of the black community, and I will 522 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:51.279 actually have. 523 00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:53.799 No idea who this is. I'm not Actually, I'm not 524 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:55.720 gonna lie to you. I was like, who's Marcus. 525 00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:58.759 I'm gonna be honest with That's that's probably a good thing, honestly. 526 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:01.079 Yeah, we're gonna leave it that if it's like the 527 00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:03.880 tiny mustache dude, so we're just gonna would have been 528 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:05.200 in that one and just leave it alone. 529 00:30:05.400 --> 00:30:09.519 If you ever seen shirts like a Killer Mike for instance, 530 00:30:09.559 --> 00:30:11.480 he well, you wouldn't know who that is because you 531 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:12.440 think rap is horrible. 532 00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:15.079 And literally was like, who are we talking about? 533 00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:19.640 Jesus Christ Raven? Okay, Killer Mike is a rap artist. 534 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:22.920 Name a rock band, and I'll be like, okay. 535 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:25.839 Okay, okay, okay, cap Can Killer Mike is a rap 536 00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:29.799 artist who I happened to like his music. And when 537 00:30:29.799 --> 00:30:32.720 Trump got elected, he went and did a press conference 538 00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:35.359 with a T shirt saying kill the White Man. This 539 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:39.480 was a quote from mister Garvey. You can take that 540 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:41.480 to whatever level and depth you'd want to. We're talking 541 00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:42.519 about Kwanza today. 542 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:46.839 You know, Kwansa is a peaceful, it is happy holiday, 543 00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:48.119 and that's where we're gonna be staying. 544 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:50.799 That's right. Well for now, we're gonna talk about the 545 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:53.200 founder of a here in a bit anyway, So on 546 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:56.319 each day of Kwanza, light a candle for that day's 547 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:00.400 principle in your candle holder or again kenara uh. Now 548 00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:03.559 we're going to go over these umoja, which is unity. 549 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:07.559 This is day one to strive for and maintain unity 550 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:12.880 in the family, community, nation, and race. The song for 551 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:17.480 reflection is worth his weight in gold from Steel Pulse, 552 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:21.839 also called Rally Round the Flag. Thought for the Day 553 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:25.799 is from Tony Morrison Beloved, first edition. This is a 554 00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:27.920 poem from nineteen eighty seven, believe it or not, or 555 00:31:27.960 --> 00:31:30.200 at least that's the first edition that it was published. 556 00:31:31.400 --> 00:31:33.559 We're not going to read the entire thing, but we 557 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:36.839 can at least tell it. Baby Sugs Holy gives a 558 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.079 sermon in the clearing. This is from this work the Beloved. 559 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:44.920 Here she said, in this here place we flesh, flesh 560 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:48.440 that weeps laughs, flesh that dances on bare feet and 561 00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:51.880 grass love it, love it hard. Yonder. They do not 562 00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:55.359 love your flesh. They despise it. They don't love your eyes, 563 00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:58.680 They just as soon pluck them out. No more do 564 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:01.720 they love your skin on your back, Yonder, they flay it. 565 00:32:02.279 --> 00:32:04.599 And oh, my people, they do not love your hands. 566 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:09.680 Those they only use to use, tie, bind, chop off 567 00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:12.880 and leave empty. Love your hands, love them, raise them 568 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:16.039 up and kiss them, touch others with them, pat them together, 569 00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:18.720 Stroke them on your face. Because they don't love that either. 570 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:22.240 You got to love it you and know they ain't 571 00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:25.279 in love with your mouth. Yonder. Out there, they will 572 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:28.279 see it broken and break it again. What you say 573 00:32:28.440 --> 00:32:31.000 out of it, they will not heat what you scream 574 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:33.079 from it, they will not hear. I'm not going to 575 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:36.200 read the entire thing, but as you can tell, it 576 00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:41.000 is very much of love yourself, because no one else 577 00:32:41.079 --> 00:32:44.240 is going to love you. Obviously, there's a little bit 578 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:47.400 of some racial tension on this, as you can tell. Anyway, 579 00:32:48.599 --> 00:32:58.119 The next one j kuji chaulia, kuji chigulia. How would 580 00:32:58.119 --> 00:33:00.000 you pronounce it? Ah? 581 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:02.359 I have no idea. I guess we should watch the 582 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:04.920 video again. I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not even 583 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.519 gonna try, because there's just no way that I'm going 584 00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:08.799 to get this correct. 585 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:10.920 Again it to any of the celebraties of Kwanza. No 586 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:15.559 disrespect intended, Kujakulie. I don't know, yes, see, I don't know. 587 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.920 Look, I can't even get half the words down here correct. 588 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:20.759 What do you think I'm going to be able to say? 589 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:22.359 It's Swahili, that's very fair. 590 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:27.079 Self determination. Self determination is what we're talking about here, 591 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:31.759 to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak 592 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:35.960 for ourselves. The song of reflection here is I am 593 00:33:36.039 --> 00:33:38.920 the black gold of the sun by rotary connection and 594 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:42.480 many Repton Reperton. Rather, the thought of the day comes 595 00:33:42.519 --> 00:33:46.920 from Daniel Black the coming this It says from twenty fifteen, 596 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:49.559 but I don't believe that that's the original, But either way, 597 00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:52.359 I'll read at least a little bit of it. We 598 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:55.400 didn't know we wouldn't return. We simply believed some terrible 599 00:33:55.400 --> 00:33:58.720 calamity had befallen us, that our gods had let tragedy 600 00:33:58.759 --> 00:34:01.559 come because we had not honored them. But we were wrong. 601 00:34:01.960 --> 00:34:07.200 We were warriors and hunters, poets and jail poets and 602 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:11.880 jail farmers and soothsayers oh jolly, excuse me, ja l. 603 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:14.519 I my, I guess I'm really say I thought that 604 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:15.639 I said jail to you twice. 605 00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:19.239 I was like, man, I might be dyslexic. God damn anyway. Okay, 606 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:23.199 So we were magicians and healers, artisans and thinkers, writers 607 00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:26.000 and dancers. We were fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, 608 00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:29.239 cousins and kinsmen. We were lovers and we were home. 609 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:31.920 We loved the land and it loved us. We were 610 00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:34.800 black like the land and kissed by the sun. We 611 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:38.400 knew our strengths and our frailities, and we knew much. 612 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:43.079 We knew much needed improvement. But we were home. So 613 00:34:43.159 --> 00:34:46.199 that is the thought for the day of self determination. 614 00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:53.119 Okay oujima collective work and responsibility to build and maintain 615 00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:56.719 our community together and make our communities problems our problems 616 00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:01.679 and solve them together. Okay. Song of Reflection, Yeah, I 617 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:05.159 like that too. The song for reflection is Sounds of Blackness. 618 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:07.519 I'm gonna be honest, I look this one up. I 619 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:10.400 found like five different versions of songs that called themselves 620 00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:13.159 sounds of Blackness. I do believe that this is the 621 00:35:13.239 --> 00:35:16.679 original from the nineteen sixties, not the one from the 622 00:35:16.760 --> 00:35:20.039 nineteen nineties. I'm just gonna throw that out there. But hey, 623 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:21.840 you celebrate what scene you want to. 624 00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:25.039 I mean, this was created in sixty six, so I'm 625 00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:29.360 assuming everything was actually originally made in the sixties, maybe 626 00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:32.639 potentially early seventies, not twenty fifteen and twenty ten. 627 00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.840 But I don't know how much of this was like 628 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:39.000 written down back when it was founded, or how much 629 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:41.320 of this they kind of you know, adopted over time 630 00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:43.280 and made it to what it is today. I honestly 631 00:35:43.320 --> 00:35:44.000 couldn't tell you. 632 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:47.679 I mean, but who adopted it and created more of it? 633 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:49.320 That's I guess what I'm curious about. 634 00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:51.360 Yeah, I couldn't find anything as far as like who's 635 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:56.719 the authoritative body over the holiday, Like there's no it's 636 00:35:56.760 --> 00:35:58.559 not like this is a religious movement. 637 00:35:58.280 --> 00:36:00.800 Where well, no, it's a where they say it the 638 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:03.320 American American Heritage. 639 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:05.880 The American Heritage Museum in DC. But even still, that's 640 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:09.199 just the biggest quans of gathering. There's no like figurehead 641 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:12.400 of quansa that decides what is and is not, uh 642 00:36:12.440 --> 00:36:16.119 you know, falling in line. It's again, this is not 643 00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:18.119 like a religious holiday where you would go to a 644 00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:20.119 priest or a past or whatever, and they would make 645 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:23.480 the determination this is a cultural holiday. So just as 646 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:28.119 the culture shifts and formulates and molds in time, quansap 647 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:31.760 very well might also do the same thing. I don't know, hmm. 648 00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:35.679 I wonder if it's like changes depending on your city, 649 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:39.000 depends on Like I wonder if this is something that 650 00:36:39.119 --> 00:36:41.239 just gets like things added. 651 00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:43.840 Into it or maybe so. 652 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:47.159 I wonder if it was like originally like an outline 653 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:49.519 and then people have added into it. But then who 654 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:52.679 is the one's adding into it and who's right now 655 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:55.079 I'm getting confused, Like I want to know. I want 656 00:36:55.079 --> 00:36:57.639 to know more of how this is like established or 657 00:36:57.639 --> 00:36:59.760 if it changes per people. I wonder if we have 658 00:36:59.800 --> 00:37:03.480 anybody in the cult that actually practices, if they could 659 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:05.320 like share some information with us. 660 00:37:05.239 --> 00:37:07.480 That would be dope. If you are listening to this, 661 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:09.199 good cult member, and you would like to tell us 662 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:12.159 how you and your people celebrate your Kwanza, I would 663 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:13.880 love to know. I would love to know, because we're 664 00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:16.719 only going off with the articles and the videos that 665 00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:18.840 we have pulled up. If there's more things here that 666 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:22.639 we're just missing out right, please educate us. We don't know. 667 00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:24.719 We are lost in a sea of our own caucacity 668 00:37:24.719 --> 00:37:27.559 on this one, i'mna be honest. But that being said, 669 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:32.119 so the main tenants have stayed the same. The seven principles, 670 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:35.280 those don't change. Maybe how someone reflects on these things 671 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:38.679 might alter a bit, but these seven principles themselves don't change. 672 00:37:39.079 --> 00:37:43.400 The knara doesn't change, the candle colors don't change, the 673 00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:48.000 matt the corn doesn't change. Which again we'll get to 674 00:37:48.039 --> 00:37:50.840 that one in a bit. But there's a few key 675 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:55.039 things that is definitely like within the ritual of Quansa, 676 00:37:55.239 --> 00:37:57.400 and then everything else seems to be kind of open 677 00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:02.159 into interpretation. Yeah. Anyway, so Sounds of Blackness as a 678 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:04.880 song of reflection for Ujima and the thought of the 679 00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:08.519 day is from Isabelle Wilkerson the warmth of other sons, 680 00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:13.559 you know, we could read though, Yeah, and this is 681 00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:15.400 what I'm saying. I wonder if some of these reflections 682 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:18.119 kind of came about later on, but the song might 683 00:38:18.199 --> 00:38:22.480 be like Cannon, I don't know. Over the decades, perhaps 684 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:25.039 the wrong questions have been asked about the Great Migration. 685 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:27.840 Perhaps there's not a question of whether the migrants brought 686 00:38:27.880 --> 00:38:30.519 good or ill to the cities they fled or were 687 00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:33.800 pushed or pulled to their destinations, but a question of 688 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:36.360 how they summoned the courage to leave in the first place, 689 00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:38.519 or how they found the will to press beyond the 690 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:41.039 forces against them and the faith in a country that 691 00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:44.320 had rejected them for so long. By their actions, they 692 00:38:44.360 --> 00:38:47.360 did not dream the American dream. They willed it into 693 00:38:47.480 --> 00:38:51.320 being by a definition of their own choosing. They did 694 00:38:51.320 --> 00:38:54.639 not ask to be accepted, but declared themselves the Americans 695 00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:57.960 that perhaps few others recognized, but that they had always 696 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:01.039 been deep within their hearts. That one like that on 697 00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:07.400 one pretty good. The next one is Ujama cooperative economics. 698 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:09.519 I find that to be interesting that that would be 699 00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:12.079 a principle of this holiday. But at the same time, 700 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:15.000 why not, right. 701 00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:16.559 I mean, it makes sense to me. 702 00:39:17.159 --> 00:39:19.559 So I've read a couple of things about this on 703 00:39:19.639 --> 00:39:25.559 these days. Specifically, you, as a celebrator of Kwanza should 704 00:39:25.719 --> 00:39:29.920 look to help local black owned small businesses. 705 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:33.840 That's what I assumed it meant, was supporting black owned 706 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:38.400 businesses and you know, supporting their people within their own community. 707 00:39:38.559 --> 00:39:39.159 For sure, at. 708 00:39:39.159 --> 00:39:43.199 Least that's what I are automatically assumed, which you know 709 00:39:43.280 --> 00:39:45.840 makes sense, especially like if you have small communities. I 710 00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:49.480 mean hew Chinese community support Chinese people within their communities. 711 00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:52.719 Oh yeah, and like big time, like they shop within 712 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.079 all of their communities and they pretty much that's where 713 00:39:55.079 --> 00:39:57.960 they stay. So I mean the Jewish people do the 714 00:39:57.960 --> 00:40:00.679 same thing. So absolutely it would make to me that 715 00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:05.320 this would be a principle of just maintaining orally supporting 716 00:40:05.519 --> 00:40:08.840 their own people within their communities instead of branching out 717 00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:10.639 and buying things from other companies. 718 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:14.079 Absolutely, so it goes on to say to build and 719 00:40:14.159 --> 00:40:17.920 maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to 720 00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:22.159 profit from them together. Absolutely. The song for reflection on 721 00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:25.400 this day is We're a Winner by Curtis Mayfield. A 722 00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:27.960 banger of a song I should mention thought for the 723 00:40:28.039 --> 00:40:32.280 day is from Angela Davis, an autobiography of her. As 724 00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:34.960 a matter of fact, this is my first introduction to 725 00:40:34.960 --> 00:40:38.639 class differences among my own people. We were not we worthy, 726 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:42.719 not so poor until my experiences at school. I believe 727 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:45.280 that everyone else lived the way we did. We always 728 00:40:45.280 --> 00:40:47.599 had three good meals a day. I had summer clothes 729 00:40:47.639 --> 00:40:51.280 and winter clothes, everyday dresses, and a few Sunday dresses. 730 00:40:51.639 --> 00:40:53.920 When holes began to wear through my shoes the soles 731 00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:57.320 of my shoes. Although I may have warned them pasteboard 732 00:40:57.400 --> 00:41:00.320 for a short time, we eventually went downtown to select 733 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:03.519 a new pair. The family income was earned by both 734 00:41:03.559 --> 00:41:05.719 my mother and father before I was born. My father 735 00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:07.960 had taken advantage of his hard earned college degree from 736 00:41:08.039 --> 00:41:13.400 Saint Augustine's in Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh rather Ali Yeah Raleigh, 737 00:41:13.639 --> 00:41:16.480 to secure a position teaching history at Parker High School. 738 00:41:16.719 --> 00:41:20.159 But life was especially difficult during those years. His salary 739 00:41:20.199 --> 00:41:22.719 was close to nothing as money could be, so with 740 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:25.159 his meager savings, he began to buy a service station 741 00:41:25.320 --> 00:41:29.000 in the black section of downtown Birmingham. My mother, who 742 00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:31.760 like my father came from a very humble background, also 743 00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:34.119 worked her way through college and got a job teaching 744 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:37.800 at the Birmingham Elementary school system. The combined salaries were 745 00:41:37.800 --> 00:41:40.280 nothing to boast about, yet enough to survive on, and 746 00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:44.199 much more than was earned by the typical southern black family. 747 00:41:44.679 --> 00:41:46.880 They had managed to save enough to buy the old 748 00:41:46.920 --> 00:41:49.159 house on the hill, but they had to rent out 749 00:41:49.199 --> 00:41:51.880 the upstairs for years to make the mortgage payments. Until 750 00:41:51.920 --> 00:41:54.079 I went to school, I did not know that this 751 00:41:54.239 --> 00:41:58.960 was a stunning accomplishment. Oh, there's a thought for the 752 00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:04.440 day for you now. Nia is purpose to make our 753 00:42:04.519 --> 00:42:08.360 collective vocation the building and development of our community in 754 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:12.440 order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. The 755 00:42:12.480 --> 00:42:16.239 song for reflection is Higher Ground by the great Stevie Wonder. 756 00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:20.000 The thought of the day is Poem about My Rights 757 00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:22.360 by June Jordan. And they actually don't have an excerpt 758 00:42:22.360 --> 00:42:23.719 from it, but if you would like to go check 759 00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:26.639 it out, good cult members, please do so. And oh, 760 00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:28.840 I forgot to mention there's recipes for each day. Damn it, 761 00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:30.480 I'm meant to say something about that. 762 00:42:30.559 --> 00:42:32.880 I just saw that. I was like, wait, there's a recipe. 763 00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:36.280 Yeah. So the first day, well, let's backtrack here, umoja 764 00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:40.840 the day, the recipe should involve dates, figs and milk. 765 00:42:41.320 --> 00:42:46.360 All right, So the next one kuji chuk guliyah. Yeah. Uh. 766 00:42:46.840 --> 00:42:52.719 That day's recipe should include seasoned olives yum ujima. The 767 00:42:52.840 --> 00:42:58.159 third day, the recipe should include Caribbean soirel solid. 768 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:01.599 I don't know what that is, actually sorrel. 769 00:43:02.920 --> 00:43:05.320 I've had in foods, but now like being asked about it, 770 00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:08.360 I don't actually know. So we're gonna we're gonna look 771 00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:10.559 this up. I want to say, is it like fat. 772 00:43:11.920 --> 00:43:12.039 Uh? 773 00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:12.280 No? 774 00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:15.760 No, no, I'm sorry a tangy lemon lemony herb like 775 00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:20.079 remix uh Kesota using cooking for salads, soups, and sauces, 776 00:43:20.159 --> 00:43:23.119 known for its bright sour flavor. I've had it, yeah, 777 00:43:23.199 --> 00:43:24.360 I I've had it before. 778 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:26.199 Yeah no, I've had it. I just didn't know what 779 00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:31.119 that was. So I was like, okay, so we learned something. 780 00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:33.880 New every day we do indeed, So yeah, Caribbean sorrel 781 00:43:33.920 --> 00:43:37.159 should be used in the third day oujama Uh. This 782 00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:42.840 should include pink party punch. Hell yeah, I don't know 783 00:43:42.880 --> 00:43:45.320 what it is, but like fuck yeah, I like the 784 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:48.039 way they're going here. Man, all right, so nia it 785 00:43:48.119 --> 00:43:53.320 should involve salted pecans. Hell yeah. I do like that. 786 00:43:53.440 --> 00:43:56.119 They have children activities too for every day as well, So. 787 00:43:56.199 --> 00:44:00.079 That's pretty cool. There's like coloring books, there's games you 788 00:44:00.119 --> 00:44:02.199 could play with your kids to teach them more about it. 789 00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:07.400 It's this is a real cultural and community holiday and 790 00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:08.400 that's awesome. 791 00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:10.719 So like they could all that's really cool that they 792 00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:13.199 have a palm to read, a song to listen to, 793 00:44:13.960 --> 00:44:16.559 and a recipe to cook and children activities so that 794 00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:22.360 they're strengthening their fem Wow, I can talk family unity absolutely, 795 00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:23.920 so I think this is wonderful. 796 00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:28.960 Actually, so now the next day kumba, which is creativity 797 00:44:29.360 --> 00:44:32.159 to all to do always as much as we can 798 00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:35.119 to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when 799 00:44:35.199 --> 00:44:38.119 we inherited it. I mean, how can how can you 800 00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:39.599 come against that? Right? 801 00:44:39.679 --> 00:44:41.639 You can't argue against this at all. I mean every 802 00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:43.239 principle so far has been wonderful. 803 00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:46.639 So absolutely. The song for reflection on this day is 804 00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:51.239 Africa by the great John Coltrane, and the thought for 805 00:44:51.320 --> 00:44:56.519 the day is from Leroy Jones Amre Baraka Blues people, 806 00:44:56.760 --> 00:44:59.679 Negro music in White America. It was a song from 807 00:44:59.719 --> 00:45:03.239 nineteen seen sixty three. Uh, I'm not going to try 808 00:45:03.320 --> 00:45:06.960 to actually I'll read a little bit of it. How 809 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:09.760 did it do this? What was so powerful and desperate 810 00:45:09.800 --> 00:45:14.039 in this music that guaranteed its continued existence? This is 811 00:45:14.079 --> 00:45:16.559 what pushed me. But as it began to get into 812 00:45:16.639 --> 00:45:19.559 the history of music, I found that it was impossible 813 00:45:19.639 --> 00:45:22.199 without at the same time getting deeper into the history 814 00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:24.559 of the people. That is what the history of the 815 00:45:24.679 --> 00:45:29.760 Afro American people as text as tail, as story, as exposition, narrative, 816 00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:32.679 or what have you, that the music was the score, 817 00:45:33.159 --> 00:45:38.360 the actually expressed, creative, orchestrated, vocalized, hummed, chanted, blown, scattered 818 00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:43.800 colary confirmed confirmation rather of the history, and that one 819 00:45:44.119 --> 00:45:47.159 could go from one to the other, actually from the 820 00:45:47.320 --> 00:45:50.679 inside to the outside or reverse and be talking about 821 00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:53.960 the same thing. That music was explaining the history, as 822 00:45:54.079 --> 00:45:57.639 the history was explaining the music, that both were expressions 823 00:45:57.760 --> 00:46:02.119 of and reflections of the people. I like it, And 824 00:46:02.239 --> 00:46:05.119 for the record, I do love traditional blues music one 825 00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:05.719 hundred percent. 826 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:08.280 Blues is wonderful music. 827 00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:10.480 So it is I actually really like that. 828 00:46:11.719 --> 00:46:14.320 I think it's really interesting how music has been one 829 00:46:14.360 --> 00:46:17.199 of those things that even in like the worst of times, 830 00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:20.400 people will always find a way to use music to 831 00:46:20.840 --> 00:46:23.679 lift their spirits or release to keep going, depending on 832 00:46:23.960 --> 00:46:26.599 you know what scenario and stuff. But music is one 833 00:46:26.599 --> 00:46:28.639 of those things that it seems just inherent to people 834 00:46:28.719 --> 00:46:30.599 always agreed. 835 00:46:31.239 --> 00:46:34.000 Agreed one hundred percent, especially when you're talking about blues music, 836 00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:37.679 because you could see how that transferred from nineteen forties 837 00:46:37.719 --> 00:46:40.920 and fifties and sixties blues to even into the seventies, eighties, 838 00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:44.039 and nineties. Basically, look at BB King, I understand he 839 00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:45.719 is the King of blues music. But you look at 840 00:46:45.800 --> 00:46:48.599 his first album he ever cut, as opposed to the 841 00:46:48.800 --> 00:46:51.480 last album he ever cut, and you could watch the 842 00:46:51.639 --> 00:46:54.719 transition of music, and that could be used as a 843 00:46:54.800 --> 00:46:58.239 litmus test almost to see the transfer of culture, honestly, 844 00:46:58.760 --> 00:46:59.239 And I love it. 845 00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:01.679 I like the I like the line from the inside 846 00:47:01.920 --> 00:47:05.639 to the outside and reverse. Yeah, I definitely that definitely 847 00:47:05.719 --> 00:47:08.400 resonates with me, at least when I was thinking of blues, 848 00:47:08.960 --> 00:47:11.639 That's what I think about. I used to listen to 849 00:47:11.719 --> 00:47:14.519 blues all the time, actually with my grandma on the 850 00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:15.159 way to school. 851 00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:18.320 And you know that's another thing too. We talk about 852 00:47:18.400 --> 00:47:20.119 music a good bit, right, And there's music. 853 00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:22.639 We've talked a lot about music in the last few weeks. 854 00:47:22.679 --> 00:47:24.079 Sorry everybody, I. 855 00:47:24.119 --> 00:47:27.440 Am not gonna apologize for that whatever, Okay, but hear 856 00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:31.079 me out. There's music that can be mass produced and 857 00:47:31.199 --> 00:47:34.679 cookie cutter as hell. Rock music can do that. Look 858 00:47:34.719 --> 00:47:40.079 at any of the pop punk music from our teenage years. 859 00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:42.079 They all pretty much are saying the same thing. 860 00:47:42.239 --> 00:47:44.159 The same way. I mean, there's a lot of music 861 00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:45.639 that can match each other. 862 00:47:46.039 --> 00:47:49.400 Rap music absolutely, country music, absolutely all of them. They 863 00:47:49.519 --> 00:47:54.360 can be cookie cuttered and fake. You can't fake blues. 864 00:47:55.559 --> 00:48:01.440 No Blues is a soulful, spiritual journey. Yes, every single 865 00:48:01.559 --> 00:48:05.400 person sounds different from each other. Now, they might have 866 00:48:05.519 --> 00:48:08.320 the same kind of tone esque and kind of like 867 00:48:08.639 --> 00:48:13.119 the similarities might be somewhat there, but every single blues 868 00:48:13.239 --> 00:48:16.280 artist sounds at least somewhat different from each other. 869 00:48:17.039 --> 00:48:19.440 There's a song from David allen Coe and I know 870 00:48:19.559 --> 00:48:21.719 it's really weird to bring him up as they're talking 871 00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:26.239 about Kwanza because he was a out, out, loud and 872 00:48:26.320 --> 00:48:27.760 proud racist. But hear me out here. 873 00:48:27.920 --> 00:48:29.400 I don't know who that. I don't know that. I'm 874 00:48:29.480 --> 00:48:30.199 terrible with names. 875 00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:32.280 It's like traditional country singer. 876 00:48:32.960 --> 00:48:35.039 Okay, like hearing the music, I will know. 877 00:48:35.239 --> 00:48:37.119 But you ever heard Long Hard Ride? 878 00:48:38.440 --> 00:48:38.639 Yes? 879 00:48:39.199 --> 00:48:42.360 Do you know the sounds a country song? Yeah, So 880 00:48:42.519 --> 00:48:44.760 basically the story of this song is he gets in 881 00:48:44.840 --> 00:48:46.639 a car. He's like trying to hitchhike down the road. 882 00:48:46.639 --> 00:48:48.360 He's got his guitar and on his back and he's 883 00:48:48.360 --> 00:48:51.760 trying to make it to Nashville. Right this this old 884 00:48:52.159 --> 00:48:55.159 nineteen fifties Cadillac pulls up and he gets in the 885 00:48:55.199 --> 00:48:57.480 car and he realizes, like something's a little different about 886 00:48:57.480 --> 00:48:59.760 this ride, and the dude driving is asking is like, 887 00:48:59.800 --> 00:49:01.840 so you're a singer, huh, well, can you make folks 888 00:49:01.960 --> 00:49:04.800 cry when you play and sing? Can you? Can you 889 00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:05.599 play the blues? 890 00:49:06.320 --> 00:49:06.440 Right? 891 00:49:06.599 --> 00:49:08.599 Can you? Can you in those strings? Can you make 892 00:49:08.679 --> 00:49:11.960 folks feel what you feel inside? Because if you're trying to, 893 00:49:12.159 --> 00:49:13.719 if you're a big star bound, I'm gonna say it's 894 00:49:13.719 --> 00:49:16.159 a long, hard ride. That's the overall principle of it. 895 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:18.880 But my point is blues is something that you have 896 00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:22.719 to make the folks listening feel what you're feeling in 897 00:49:22.840 --> 00:49:25.639 your heart. If you fake it, you are not going 898 00:49:25.719 --> 00:49:28.400 to be a blues player. Sorry, this is not gonna happen. 899 00:49:30.079 --> 00:49:33.000 I agree, I totally agree, and I like the the 900 00:49:33.079 --> 00:49:38.480 whole thing about it. Definitely definitely represents blues, especially during 901 00:49:38.519 --> 00:49:40.559 that time as well in nineteen sixty three. 902 00:49:41.000 --> 00:49:46.480 Yeah. Yeah, the recipe for the day of Kumba needs 903 00:49:46.559 --> 00:49:52.280 to involve molasses water. Okay, I do not like molasses. 904 00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:54.920 You don't like barbecue sauce. 905 00:49:56.039 --> 00:50:00.960 I do like sauce, but like the It depends on 906 00:50:01.039 --> 00:50:04.280 the flavor of it. But like the molasses, molasses flavor 907 00:50:04.519 --> 00:50:08.000 is not not my geam. I'm not gonna lie. 908 00:50:08.599 --> 00:50:11.400 I love the smell of it. I don't know if 909 00:50:11.719 --> 00:50:13.639 I don't really cook with a lot, and I got 910 00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:16.920 it so working at the sugar refiner like I used to, 911 00:50:17.559 --> 00:50:20.360 that is that's essentially what the differences between brown sugar 912 00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:21.000 and white sugar. 913 00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:22.000 Yeah. 914 00:50:22.239 --> 00:50:24.639 Right, So for anybody who doesn't know, you take raw sugar, 915 00:50:25.119 --> 00:50:26.960 you cook it, you boil it out, and then you 916 00:50:27.079 --> 00:50:29.519 separate the molasses from the white sugar, and then that 917 00:50:29.559 --> 00:50:32.000 white sugar gets dried out and granulated, and that is 918 00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:35.400 what when it's like, you know, crystallized sugar, that's all 919 00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:37.519 it is. There's no chemicals, there's no bleach, none of 920 00:50:37.559 --> 00:50:38.679 these things. You're just cooking it. 921 00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:39.000 Right. 922 00:50:39.559 --> 00:50:42.199 The molasses then gets extracted and it goes into a 923 00:50:42.320 --> 00:50:45.599 lighter and darker molasses and it gets sprayed back onto 924 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:47.960 the white sugar, and that's where we get brown sugar from. 925 00:50:48.400 --> 00:50:50.880 That's that's all that is. But the molasses itself can 926 00:50:50.920 --> 00:50:52.039 also be so yeah, that's it. 927 00:50:54.639 --> 00:50:56.960 Man. I feel, you know, I feel like I am 928 00:50:57.119 --> 00:50:59.440 intelligent until i I'm on this show and then I'm. 929 00:50:59.360 --> 00:51:01.920 Like note, and most people don't know that. Most people 930 00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:04.079 think that brown sugar has grown a different way, and 931 00:51:04.159 --> 00:51:06.400 it's like no, no, it's just white sugar different. 932 00:51:06.400 --> 00:51:06.559 Wait. 933 00:51:06.599 --> 00:51:09.119 Honestly, I just thought it was maybe cooked slightly different, 934 00:51:09.400 --> 00:51:11.480 or there was like a different chemical process to it. 935 00:51:11.719 --> 00:51:13.920 That's I didn't know until I started working there and 936 00:51:13.960 --> 00:51:16.880 then had to work on the sprayers that sprayed the 937 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:20.480 molasses on the brown sugar line. I'm like, wait what, No, Like, yeah, 938 00:51:20.519 --> 00:51:22.360 you ever seen it the sort of light brown sugar 939 00:51:22.440 --> 00:51:23.920 and dark brown And I'm like, dark brown. 940 00:51:24.000 --> 00:51:24.199 Yeah. 941 00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:27.280 He's like, yeah, the dark brown just got sprayed three times. 942 00:51:27.639 --> 00:51:30.159 That's the difference. The light brown just got sprayed once. 943 00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:34.559 And I'm like, that's it's just molasses dipped sugar. He's like, yep, 944 00:51:35.639 --> 00:51:36.360 I had no idea. 945 00:51:36.760 --> 00:51:40.599 Wow, well man, we just learned all sorts of knowledge tonight. Guys. 946 00:51:40.840 --> 00:51:42.840 Yeah, I'd be like that, you know. I hope, I 947 00:51:42.920 --> 00:51:44.960 hope that the people listening to the Colt Conspiracy are 948 00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:47.760 all learning something along the way, you know, me and 949 00:51:47.880 --> 00:51:48.320 them are. 950 00:51:48.280 --> 00:51:50.079 Learning together about molasses. 951 00:51:51.039 --> 00:51:52.800 But again, that was what I was gonna say, is 952 00:51:53.159 --> 00:51:56.199 I love the smell of it. I hated fucking with 953 00:51:56.320 --> 00:52:00.440 it because it is so sticky and it's solidified and 954 00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:03.960 it's oh my god, that was the worst. Oh, especially 955 00:52:04.000 --> 00:52:06.000 with my beard and my long hair. If I had 956 00:52:06.039 --> 00:52:07.519 to work on something and something sprayed me. 957 00:52:08.119 --> 00:52:10.440 Like, I'm I fucking smell really weird a lot. 958 00:52:10.840 --> 00:52:13.880 I'm I'm just saying like, if I'm get sprayed with molasses, 959 00:52:13.920 --> 00:52:16.360 I'm going home, dude, Like, I'm not gonna sit here 960 00:52:16.400 --> 00:52:19.440 and let this shit just congeal and solidify. Now, I 961 00:52:19.519 --> 00:52:22.000 gotta go home and break a molasses chunk out of 962 00:52:22.039 --> 00:52:24.639 my beard in the shower later. Fuck off. So like anyway, 963 00:52:24.679 --> 00:52:28.519 it was so many fun memories and so many knots 964 00:52:28.559 --> 00:52:29.960 of fun. But that's how it is when you have 965 00:52:30.039 --> 00:52:34.159 an industrial job, I suppose anyway. The next one is 966 00:52:34.400 --> 00:52:38.639 imani or faith to believe with all our hearts in 967 00:52:38.760 --> 00:52:42.119 our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. 968 00:52:43.039 --> 00:52:46.000 I like it. The song for reflection is keep your 969 00:52:46.079 --> 00:52:49.599 Head to the Sky by the ever great Earth, Wind 970 00:52:49.639 --> 00:52:50.000 and Fire. 971 00:52:50.719 --> 00:52:53.800 Oh queen like the entire article to be pumped about this. 972 00:52:54.159 --> 00:52:58.239 Yeah, and that's a great song. For the record. The 973 00:52:59.000 --> 00:53:02.199 thought for the Day is a poem for for My 974 00:53:02.360 --> 00:53:08.000 People by Margaret Walker. And today's recipes should include spicy vinegar. 975 00:53:09.280 --> 00:53:10.880 I have never heard of spicy vinegar. 976 00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:14.639 Neither have I. But I'm actually very surprised that my 977 00:53:14.840 --> 00:53:17.920 Angelou isn't one of the people that they mentioned in 978 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:22.519 this all her story is I don't know if people 979 00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:27.119 have actually looked into her entire story. Her story is insane, honestly, 980 00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:30.840 how she came about, everything that happened to her, how 981 00:53:30.920 --> 00:53:33.840 she even became a poet, and how she even became 982 00:53:33.920 --> 00:53:38.159 a writer. Just the entire thing start to finish was 983 00:53:38.320 --> 00:53:41.639 just crazy. What she went through. I agree, and that's 984 00:53:41.840 --> 00:53:45.639 I actually really love my Angelou, But the I forget 985 00:53:45.760 --> 00:53:49.199 how or why I ended up looking into her entire background. 986 00:53:49.239 --> 00:53:51.039 I think my kid was doing a report on her 987 00:53:51.320 --> 00:53:53.519 and we did a whole deep dive on her, and 988 00:53:53.639 --> 00:53:55.679 I didn't even know half of the stuff that she 989 00:53:55.800 --> 00:53:57.880 went through, even to become the writer that she was. 990 00:53:58.320 --> 00:54:02.079 Well, she was, yeah, lot of a lot of licks 991 00:54:02.480 --> 00:54:04.840 to get there, a very very hard ard we went through. 992 00:54:05.199 --> 00:54:07.280 She went through a lot of shit. She is one 993 00:54:07.719 --> 00:54:11.599 tough cookie. And also she did a lot of crazy stuff, 994 00:54:11.760 --> 00:54:15.280 like all around the world. She was a singer. She 995 00:54:15.639 --> 00:54:19.239 did she performed all over the place. She had an 996 00:54:19.320 --> 00:54:20.440 insane background. 997 00:54:20.599 --> 00:54:22.119 She had a very uh, I don't want to say 998 00:54:22.320 --> 00:54:24.840 iconic voice, but it definitely stood out from a crowd. 999 00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:26.800 So to hear that she was doing singing. I was like, 1000 00:54:26.920 --> 00:54:28.400 you know what, I could see it. 1001 00:54:29.039 --> 00:54:32.880 Oh yeah, like her background and singing was she traveled 1002 00:54:32.920 --> 00:54:37.159 all over Europe and did that and she I forget. 1003 00:54:37.280 --> 00:54:39.360 I don't want to like misspeak because it's been a 1004 00:54:39.400 --> 00:54:41.519 while since I read it, so, but just looking to 1005 00:54:41.639 --> 00:54:44.239 her background of what happened to her as a child 1006 00:54:44.400 --> 00:54:47.679 and when she lived and then when she decided to 1007 00:54:47.800 --> 00:54:51.320 move she moved into the city, and what happened then, 1008 00:54:51.440 --> 00:54:53.719 and then how she ended up faking her papers to 1009 00:54:53.800 --> 00:54:56.199 be able to work, and then all this. There's a 1010 00:54:56.280 --> 00:54:58.599 lot of stuff that happened to her. She went through 1011 00:54:58.639 --> 00:55:02.360 a lot of shit, and it definitely reflected in her writing. 1012 00:55:02.519 --> 00:55:04.239 And I just loved a lot of her stuff, to 1013 00:55:04.239 --> 00:55:04.719 be honest with. 1014 00:55:04.760 --> 00:55:07.639 You, agreed. And that's also why I have a real 1015 00:55:07.800 --> 00:55:12.320 hard time hearing people whine about the situations that they 1016 00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:16.960 find themselves in. I'm just saying, and this isn't even 1017 00:55:16.960 --> 00:55:19.440 towards any community or anything like that. When you hear 1018 00:55:19.519 --> 00:55:23.159 these stories of people that truly suffered and truly like 1019 00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:28.679 persevered and pushed through and became these cultural icons and 1020 00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:31.480 worth millions and millions and all these things, and you 1021 00:55:31.559 --> 00:55:33.880 see where they came from. And it's like, and I'm 1022 00:55:33.880 --> 00:55:36.840 sorry you're bitching because because why now what you got 1023 00:55:36.920 --> 00:55:37.159 going on? 1024 00:55:37.480 --> 00:55:42.280 It's it's I mean, that's but everybody deals with trauma differently. Yeah, 1025 00:55:42.360 --> 00:55:47.199 what it deals with circumstances differently. How you're raised your 1026 00:55:47.360 --> 00:55:50.920 own you know how you handle emotions. If you are 1027 00:55:51.039 --> 00:55:53.199 raised with people that don't know how to handle emotions, 1028 00:55:53.400 --> 00:55:57.280 then you don't learn how to emotionally regulate yourself. And 1029 00:55:57.920 --> 00:56:01.119 it depends on the situations. I mean, every person, five 1030 00:56:01.159 --> 00:56:02.960 people could be in the same room and it all 1031 00:56:03.039 --> 00:56:05.480 experienced the same traumatic event, and every single one of 1032 00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:07.760 them is going to compartmentalize and handle it and have 1033 00:56:08.320 --> 00:56:12.599 PTSD or whatever from that same traumatic event, completely different 1034 00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:16.320 to the other four people. So I don't want to 1035 00:56:16.360 --> 00:56:18.840 take away from people's experiences, you know, I think that 1036 00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:22.639 there is a lot of the older generation that seems 1037 00:56:22.719 --> 00:56:25.400 to have endured so much more. 1038 00:56:25.719 --> 00:56:29.239 Yeah and Putt Yeah. 1039 00:56:29.119 --> 00:56:31.679 I think they just had a grit to not give up. 1040 00:56:31.840 --> 00:56:35.440 And her story is one of those. Just even listening 1041 00:56:35.480 --> 00:56:38.320 to her first twelve years of life. Yeah, and she 1042 00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:42.000 actually put I think it's her stepfather, her father. Oh, 1043 00:56:42.199 --> 00:56:45.920 I can't I don't want to misspeak and that somebody 1044 00:56:46.519 --> 00:56:50.039 one or the other one of the two sexually assaulted 1045 00:56:50.119 --> 00:56:51.840 her and she actually spoke up I think at the 1046 00:56:51.880 --> 00:56:55.159 age of eight twelve, eight to yeah, somewhere around there. 1047 00:56:55.199 --> 00:56:57.960 I and she she did a lot, a lot of 1048 00:56:58.000 --> 00:56:59.960 things happened to her. Not just that, but she would 1049 00:57:00.599 --> 00:57:02.880 tormented in her town because she was one of a 1050 00:57:03.119 --> 00:57:05.159 handful of black people, if not like one of like 1051 00:57:05.280 --> 00:57:07.800 a three or four. They own like a little gas station. 1052 00:57:08.119 --> 00:57:11.840 Yeah and yeah, she went through a lot of things. 1053 00:57:12.199 --> 00:57:15.400 So and then there's an interview you can watch about 1054 00:57:15.519 --> 00:57:18.000 her going back. They actually take her back to the 1055 00:57:18.159 --> 00:57:20.920 town where she originally was from, and she hadn't been 1056 00:57:20.960 --> 00:57:23.400 back in a long time. It was an interesting to 1057 00:57:23.480 --> 00:57:27.679 watch somebody because she was all recording what she was 1058 00:57:27.760 --> 00:57:29.840 really going through, step by step as she's seeing all 1059 00:57:29.920 --> 00:57:32.639 of these things and talking with them through this is 1060 00:57:32.679 --> 00:57:35.000 where I was beat up, this is where like these 1061 00:57:35.079 --> 00:57:37.719 boys attacked me, this is what happened to me here, 1062 00:57:38.199 --> 00:57:39.800 and stuff like that. And then you look at her 1063 00:57:39.840 --> 00:57:42.760 writing and what she did for the African American community, 1064 00:57:43.199 --> 00:57:46.719 and it's just like she's just such a pioneer I 1065 00:57:46.800 --> 00:57:51.519 think overall in for women in general, but also for 1066 00:57:51.760 --> 00:57:52.519 the Black community. 1067 00:57:52.840 --> 00:57:55.519 Absolutely and agreed. I don't know why none of her 1068 00:57:55.559 --> 00:57:57.880 writing is a part of the reflections of Kwanza. 1069 00:57:58.000 --> 00:58:00.320 But again I would think she, honestly it would be 1070 00:58:00.400 --> 00:58:03.440 one of the biggest people in this because of everything 1071 00:58:03.519 --> 00:58:05.440 that she went through. But hey, I have no idea 1072 00:58:05.480 --> 00:58:08.599 who's making who's adding this in and stud But overall 1073 00:58:09.199 --> 00:58:12.920 it looks like just a fun celebration. It it looks 1074 00:58:13.159 --> 00:58:13.880 super awesome. 1075 00:58:14.119 --> 00:58:18.320 And again, like we said, maybe this does adjust in time. Right, 1076 00:58:18.440 --> 00:58:21.000 Maybe every year they come out with different reflections and 1077 00:58:21.079 --> 00:58:24.079 they posted on to the media's and the things. Maybe 1078 00:58:24.159 --> 00:58:26.840 some of these things are exactly as they always have been. 1079 00:58:26.920 --> 00:58:29.039 I don't know. I couldn't really find anything on that. 1080 00:58:30.519 --> 00:58:32.559 All right, So now we are going to go to 1081 00:58:32.880 --> 00:58:35.519 history dot Com from the History Channel to learn a 1082 00:58:35.519 --> 00:58:39.280 little bit more about Kwanza. All right. So, doctor Milana Karenga, 1083 00:58:39.400 --> 00:58:42.760 professor and Chairman of Black Studies at California State University, 1084 00:58:42.840 --> 00:58:46.280 Long Beach, created Kwansa in nineteen sixty six. After the 1085 00:58:46.400 --> 00:58:49.840 Watts riots in Los Angeles, Doctor Karenga searched for ways 1086 00:58:49.880 --> 00:58:53.000 to bring the African Americans together as a community. He 1087 00:58:53.159 --> 00:58:57.320 founded You Are Us, a cultural organization and started to 1088 00:58:57.480 --> 00:59:03.280 research African first fruit harvest celebrations. Korenga combined aspects of 1089 00:59:03.400 --> 00:59:07.400 several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti 1090 00:59:07.719 --> 00:59:10.280 and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of 1091 00:59:10.400 --> 00:59:13.719 the week long holiday. Kwanza twenty twenty four, which that's 1092 00:59:13.719 --> 00:59:17.400 when this article was listed, begins on Thursday, December twenty 1093 00:59:17.440 --> 00:59:20.360 sixth and will last through Wednesday, January first, or of 1094 00:59:20.480 --> 00:59:23.840 twenty twenty five, So that was posted last year. But anyway, 1095 00:59:24.360 --> 00:59:26.519 like we said earlier, the name Kwanza is derived from 1096 00:59:26.519 --> 00:59:30.280 the phrase matunda Yakwanza, which means first fruits in Swahili. 1097 00:59:30.559 --> 00:59:34.159 Each family celebrates Kwanza in its own way, but celebrations 1098 00:59:34.360 --> 00:59:39.639 often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, 1099 00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:42.960 and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, 1100 00:59:43.000 --> 00:59:45.280 the family gathers and a child lights one of the 1101 00:59:45.360 --> 00:59:48.559 candles on the kenaro, which is the candle holder. Then 1102 00:59:48.920 --> 00:59:52.239 one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles called 1103 00:59:52.440 --> 00:59:57.400 Naguzo Saba seven principles are values of African culture which 1104 00:59:57.440 --> 01:00:01.760 contribute to building and reinforcing community among African Americans. Like 1105 01:00:01.840 --> 01:00:04.639 we talked about. It also has seven basic symbols which 1106 01:00:04.719 --> 01:00:08.480 represent the values and concepts reflective of African culture. An 1107 01:00:08.480 --> 01:00:12.679 African feast called a Kamaru or Karamu rather is hailed 1108 01:00:12.800 --> 01:00:17.000 on December thirty first, so the night before the final day, 1109 01:00:17.239 --> 01:00:19.679 there's a massive feast that takes place. 1110 01:00:20.679 --> 01:00:21.079 Oh yeah. 1111 01:00:21.639 --> 01:00:24.880 The candle lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to 1112 01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:28.239 gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanza. The first night, 1113 01:00:28.320 --> 01:00:31.039 the black candle in the center is lit, which is 1114 01:00:31.679 --> 01:00:35.519 to represent the black community or the people itself, and 1115 01:00:35.639 --> 01:00:39.360 the principle of umoja or unity is discussed. One candle 1116 01:00:39.480 --> 01:00:42.599 is lit each evening and the appropriate principle is discussed. 1117 01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:45.880 So we already talked about the seven principles. And you know, 1118 01:00:46.039 --> 01:00:48.039 as a matter of fact, here's how you pronounce that word, 1119 01:00:48.400 --> 01:00:54.239 since people want to come as ji chagu li yahkuji 1120 01:00:55.079 --> 01:00:59.760 kuji chaguliya, kuji chaguliyah. Okay, I did say it right. 1121 01:00:59.800 --> 01:01:02.199 One of those times I gave like eight pronunciations. I'm 1122 01:01:02.239 --> 01:01:03.360 sure one of those is accurate. 1123 01:01:03.800 --> 01:01:07.280 Hell yeah, oh man, So is it an order in 1124 01:01:07.360 --> 01:01:09.360 which they have to because three of them are red, 1125 01:01:09.480 --> 01:01:10.360 three of them are green. 1126 01:01:10.599 --> 01:01:13.159 Ye, so is it like back and forth? 1127 01:01:13.400 --> 01:01:16.039 Is it like all three on then all green? Like 1128 01:01:16.239 --> 01:01:16.760 how does it go? 1129 01:01:17.760 --> 01:01:21.679 I don't actually know, I'm gonna be honest, although all 1130 01:01:21.800 --> 01:01:24.599 the iconographies that I've seen of them are either all 1131 01:01:24.599 --> 01:01:27.039 of them lit or like the three reds and the 1132 01:01:27.079 --> 01:01:31.039 black in the middle, So I think it goes black first, red, red, red, green, 1133 01:01:31.119 --> 01:01:34.880 green green. But earlier we saw one of these candilabras 1134 01:01:34.920 --> 01:01:36.960 and the they were kind of stagger pattern. 1135 01:01:36.920 --> 01:01:38.960 So I don't actually know that I saw they were 1136 01:01:39.079 --> 01:01:41.800 like they were. It was like red green, red green 1137 01:01:42.000 --> 01:01:42.480 kind of a thing. 1138 01:01:42.840 --> 01:01:44.519 I do know that the black one is lit the 1139 01:01:44.559 --> 01:01:46.440 first night, and that is like for sure the way 1140 01:01:46.480 --> 01:01:47.559 that goes down, and. 1141 01:01:47.599 --> 01:01:49.239 That was for sure in the middle. 1142 01:01:49.440 --> 01:01:52.639 Yeah, So I'm but that same candilabry where was staggered, 1143 01:01:52.679 --> 01:01:53.880 the black one was on the far end. 1144 01:01:56.280 --> 01:01:58.280 So I well, I mean the all the other ones 1145 01:01:58.320 --> 01:02:01.400 that we saw in the in the little clip and 1146 01:02:01.559 --> 01:02:04.079 the other photos were the black women is in the middle, 1147 01:02:04.159 --> 01:02:06.719 which would make most sense to me it being in 1148 01:02:06.760 --> 01:02:08.679 the middle. But I'm just wondering if there's any like 1149 01:02:08.960 --> 01:02:11.719 rules around it, or you know, is this is kind 1150 01:02:11.760 --> 01:02:13.559 of like you to decide with the way that you 1151 01:02:13.639 --> 01:02:13.920 want to. 1152 01:02:13.960 --> 01:02:17.159 Do it, I honestly have no idea. But anyway, so 1153 01:02:17.320 --> 01:02:20.199 aside from our butchering of the pronunciations here, we did 1154 01:02:20.239 --> 01:02:23.239 already talk about the seven principles. Now let's go in 1155 01:02:23.519 --> 01:02:28.519 on these seven symbols. So Mazao, which means the crops, 1156 01:02:28.559 --> 01:02:31.840 which would be fruits and nuts and vegetables, symbolizes work 1157 01:02:31.960 --> 01:02:34.920 in the basis of the holiday. It represents the historical 1158 01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:37.840 foundation of Kwanza, the gathering of the people that is 1159 01:02:37.960 --> 01:02:43.159 patent or patterned after African harvest festivals, in which joy, sharing, unity, 1160 01:02:43.280 --> 01:02:46.599 and thanksgiving are the fruits of collective planning and work. 1161 01:02:47.079 --> 01:02:49.920 Since the family is the basic social and economic center 1162 01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:54.960 of every civilization, the celebration bonded family members, reaffirming their 1163 01:02:55.000 --> 01:02:58.239 commitment and responsibility to each other. In Africa, the family 1164 01:02:58.320 --> 01:03:02.199 may have included several generations of two or more nuclear families, 1165 01:03:02.320 --> 01:03:06.320 as well as distant relatives. When it says nuclear families, 1166 01:03:06.400 --> 01:03:08.360 keep in mind, depending on which section of Africa you're 1167 01:03:08.360 --> 01:03:10.239 talking about, that can mean a lot of different things. 1168 01:03:10.320 --> 01:03:14.000 But neither here nor there. Ancient Africans didn't care how 1169 01:03:14.079 --> 01:03:16.519 large the family was, but there was only one leader, 1170 01:03:16.679 --> 01:03:19.639 the oldest male of the strongest group. For this reason, 1171 01:03:19.760 --> 01:03:23.559 an entire village may have been composed of one family. Again, 1172 01:03:24.559 --> 01:03:27.119 that very much varies tribe to tribe. Because there are 1173 01:03:27.199 --> 01:03:30.880 some matriarchal tribes in Africa. We should throw that out. 1174 01:03:31.000 --> 01:03:34.119 But per Kwanza, this is how they do it, so anyway, 1175 01:03:37.000 --> 01:03:38.880 But there was only one leader, the oldest male of 1176 01:03:38.920 --> 01:03:41.039 the strongest group. For this reason, the entire village may 1177 01:03:41.079 --> 01:03:43.920 have been composed of one family. The family was a 1178 01:03:44.119 --> 01:03:47.360 limb of a tribe that shared common customs, cultural traditions, 1179 01:03:47.440 --> 01:03:52.119 and political unity, and were supposedly descendant from a common ancestor. 1180 01:03:52.559 --> 01:03:55.559 The tribe lived by traditions that provide a community or 1181 01:03:55.639 --> 01:03:59.880 continuity and identity. Tribal laws often determine the value system 1182 01:04:00.760 --> 01:04:05.880 laws and customs encompassing birth, adolescents, marriage, parenthood, maturity, and death, 1183 01:04:06.679 --> 01:04:11.000 though are through personal sacrifice and hard work. The farmers 1184 01:04:11.199 --> 01:04:14.159 sowed seeds that brought forth new plant life to feed 1185 01:04:14.239 --> 01:04:17.239 the people and other animals of the earth to demonstrate 1186 01:04:17.360 --> 01:04:21.199 their Maysao celebrants of quans of place, nuts, fruits and 1187 01:04:21.360 --> 01:04:26.480 vegetables representing work on the macheka. Speaking of the mcheka, 1188 01:04:27.039 --> 01:04:29.920 this is what they call the place matt Okay, and 1189 01:04:30.000 --> 01:04:34.079 it's typically a woven tapestry that is of the black 1190 01:04:34.159 --> 01:04:39.159 red or black red and green colors. So moving on here, 1191 01:04:39.960 --> 01:04:43.079 the macheka made from straw or cloth comes directly from 1192 01:04:43.239 --> 01:04:47.199 Africa and expresses history, culture and tradition. And we've talked 1193 01:04:47.199 --> 01:04:49.639 about that too, Raven Lee. As far as from an 1194 01:04:49.679 --> 01:04:56.199 anthropology standpoint, tapestries and how certain cloths are woven has 1195 01:04:56.280 --> 01:04:58.360 a lot to say about the culture from which they 1196 01:04:58.440 --> 01:04:58.800 come from. 1197 01:04:58.840 --> 01:05:03.400 Correct, Yeah, Yeah, it's one of those things of what 1198 01:05:03.519 --> 01:05:07.039 they how they weave it, what types of materials they use, 1199 01:05:07.480 --> 01:05:10.960 how they tell their stories in it, and even how 1200 01:05:11.079 --> 01:05:14.719 the women spin the depends on like what they're they're using, 1201 01:05:14.800 --> 01:05:18.039 but say spin spoons to silk, like you have the 1202 01:05:18.079 --> 01:05:20.719 whole silk trade and everything like that. But there's a 1203 01:05:20.920 --> 01:05:24.360 whole method and tradition about how they do it, and 1204 01:05:25.000 --> 01:05:28.840 you know, how they make some of the material in 1205 01:05:28.920 --> 01:05:31.800 and of itself, Like way back in the day was 1206 01:05:32.239 --> 01:05:35.519 like the women using their piss to actually help break 1207 01:05:35.559 --> 01:05:37.719 it down and said, there's a whole tradition of how 1208 01:05:37.760 --> 01:05:41.559 to like work it into the into the fibers and 1209 01:05:41.639 --> 01:05:46.800 things to be able to create the tapestries or any 1210 01:05:46.880 --> 01:05:49.400 of you know, like kilts or things like that. That way, 1211 01:05:49.800 --> 01:05:53.559 there's a whole like backstory to a lot of different 1212 01:05:53.599 --> 01:05:58.119 types of tapestries and different types of clothing material and 1213 01:05:58.320 --> 01:06:01.159 cloth and things like this, and so that it holds 1214 01:06:01.159 --> 01:06:03.280 a lot of significant meaning in many cultures. 1215 01:06:04.199 --> 01:06:08.239 Absolutely, so continuing on here, it symbolizes the historical and 1216 01:06:08.360 --> 01:06:11.480 traditional foundation for us to stand on and build our lives, 1217 01:06:11.559 --> 01:06:15.199 because today stands on our yesterdays, just as the other 1218 01:06:15.320 --> 01:06:19.519 symbols stands on the macheka. In nineteen sixty five, James 1219 01:06:19.559 --> 01:06:22.800 Baldwin wrote quote for history is not merely something to 1220 01:06:22.880 --> 01:06:25.719 be read, and it does not refer merely or even 1221 01:06:25.840 --> 01:06:29.280 principally to the past. On the contrary, the great force 1222 01:06:29.360 --> 01:06:31.719 of history comes from the facts that we carry it 1223 01:06:31.920 --> 01:06:35.960 within us are consciously controlled by it in many ways, 1224 01:06:36.079 --> 01:06:38.960 and history is literally present in all that we do. 1225 01:06:39.599 --> 01:06:42.599 It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history 1226 01:06:42.679 --> 01:06:45.719 that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and 1227 01:06:45.840 --> 01:06:51.000 our aspirations. End quote. During Kwansa, we study, recall, and 1228 01:06:51.079 --> 01:06:53.719 reflect on our history and the role we are to 1229 01:06:53.880 --> 01:06:57.199 play as a legacy to the future. Ancient societies made 1230 01:06:57.320 --> 01:07:02.159 mats from straw or dried seams of rains sewed and reaped. Collectively, 1231 01:07:02.559 --> 01:07:05.639 the weavers took the stalks and created household baskets and mets. 1232 01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:09.599 Today we buy makeeka that are made from kintake cloth, 1233 01:07:09.880 --> 01:07:13.519 African mudcloth, and other textiles from various areas of the 1234 01:07:13.599 --> 01:07:19.440 African continent. The mishuma, I think that's how you pronounce mishuma, saba, 1235 01:07:20.000 --> 01:07:26.960 the vibunzi, the mazeo, the kawate, the kikombi, chau mojo, 1236 01:07:27.679 --> 01:07:32.039 and the knara are placed directly on the makeka. So 1237 01:07:32.840 --> 01:07:35.000 everything that I just listed that I tried to get 1238 01:07:35.039 --> 01:07:38.360 the pronunciations right on. Those are those things. That's the candles, 1239 01:07:38.400 --> 01:07:42.039 the candelabra, the corn, the cup, all these things. So 1240 01:07:42.320 --> 01:07:44.920 we're going down that list now. But all of these items, 1241 01:07:45.400 --> 01:07:48.760 these seven critical pieces, are all put on this mat, 1242 01:07:48.960 --> 01:07:50.559 which is a piece in and of itself. 1243 01:07:51.440 --> 01:07:55.239 Okay, there is actually quite a few places to be 1244 01:07:55.360 --> 01:07:59.960 able to buy authentic things that were made in after 1245 01:08:00.000 --> 01:08:02.800 Africa that actually help a lot of the people. There's 1246 01:08:02.800 --> 01:08:05.800 a lot of mission groups just it depends on what 1247 01:08:05.880 --> 01:08:07.519 they are, but there's a lot of groups that you're 1248 01:08:07.559 --> 01:08:10.480 able to buy from that the profits go directly to 1249 01:08:10.559 --> 01:08:14.960 the people. I actually own several bowls that were hand woven. 1250 01:08:15.159 --> 01:08:18.039 I own a couple bags that were created. Some jewelry 1251 01:08:18.119 --> 01:08:22.399 as well that went directly to these women that were struggling, 1252 01:08:22.439 --> 01:08:25.039 that had large families and stuff, or there's something happened 1253 01:08:25.079 --> 01:08:27.600 to their husbands and it was it's a part of 1254 01:08:27.640 --> 01:08:33.279 the women's run missionary organization and stuff, and that's one 1255 01:08:33.319 --> 01:08:35.199 way to help a lot of African people. They have 1256 01:08:35.319 --> 01:08:39.119 a lot of different types of organizations and being able 1257 01:08:39.119 --> 01:08:42.960 to buy this stuff directly from them instead of buying 1258 01:08:43.039 --> 01:08:45.680 a third party or you know, created in China and 1259 01:08:45.960 --> 01:08:48.880 slapped a label on it saying, hey, this is authentic 1260 01:08:49.000 --> 01:08:49.399 when it's not. 1261 01:08:49.920 --> 01:08:51.640 I will say, if you're going to buy something from 1262 01:08:51.760 --> 01:08:54.600 Africa directly, do your research and make sure that you're 1263 01:08:54.640 --> 01:08:57.000 not buying it from an African version of a sweatshop, 1264 01:08:57.560 --> 01:08:59.880 because that absolutely does take place as well. But there are, 1265 01:09:00.199 --> 01:09:02.800 to Ravenlee's point, real organizations that are out there to 1266 01:09:02.960 --> 01:09:06.520 put this money where it actually belongs, rather than into 1267 01:09:06.600 --> 01:09:10.479 the pocket of the quote unquote nonprofit that's paying their 1268 01:09:10.560 --> 01:09:13.119 workers actual pennies. It's a mess. 1269 01:09:13.520 --> 01:09:16.920 There's actually some people on social media too that you 1270 01:09:17.000 --> 01:09:22.199 can find that have real organizations that are from there, 1271 01:09:22.279 --> 01:09:25.560 that live there and that do support the one woman 1272 01:09:25.680 --> 01:09:29.199 that has the orphanage where she has my god, I 1273 01:09:29.279 --> 01:09:33.760 think it's like sixty people, sixty children pretty much. I 1274 01:09:33.800 --> 01:09:37.600 mean it's girls like twenty one and under that she supports. 1275 01:09:37.640 --> 01:09:40.640 She was also a child bride and was raped and 1276 01:09:40.800 --> 01:09:42.880 had all this different stuff happen to her, and she 1277 01:09:43.079 --> 01:09:46.239 ended up having several kids of her own. Her entire 1278 01:09:46.399 --> 01:09:50.520 story is insane, Like she has an entire village she's 1279 01:09:50.560 --> 01:09:54.640 pretty much created just for women refugees, but it's actually 1280 01:09:55.039 --> 01:09:57.000 mainly children. To be honest with you, I mean, I 1281 01:09:57.079 --> 01:10:00.640 consider a sixteen year old still a child. But she's 1282 01:10:00.680 --> 01:10:02.520 one of those people. And they create a ton of 1283 01:10:02.760 --> 01:10:05.760 textiles and different things like that that people are able 1284 01:10:05.800 --> 01:10:07.560 to buy from. So if people are looking for a 1285 01:10:07.600 --> 01:10:10.359 way to help at least children or anything like that, 1286 01:10:10.520 --> 01:10:14.119 I suggest going and do your due diligence and research. 1287 01:10:14.520 --> 01:10:19.680 Absolutely. Next on the table on the mat would be 1288 01:10:19.760 --> 01:10:26.119 the the Bunzi ear of corn corn and this put 1289 01:10:26.159 --> 01:10:28.720 a pin in for later y'all, just so we're clear. 1290 01:10:29.520 --> 01:10:32.600 The stalk of corn represents fertility and symbolizes that through 1291 01:10:32.680 --> 01:10:35.479 the reproduction of children, the future hopes of the family 1292 01:10:35.520 --> 01:10:38.520 are brought to life. One ear is called abunzi and 1293 01:10:38.640 --> 01:10:42.239 two or more ears is called mahindi. Each ear symbolizes 1294 01:10:42.279 --> 01:10:44.520 a child in the family, and thus one ear is 1295 01:10:44.600 --> 01:10:47.359 placed on the makeka for each child in the family. 1296 01:10:47.840 --> 01:10:50.000 If there are no children in the home, two ears 1297 01:10:50.079 --> 01:10:52.720 are still set on the makeeka. Because each person is 1298 01:10:52.800 --> 01:10:56.520 responsible for the children of the community. During Kwanzam, we 1299 01:10:56.680 --> 01:11:00.920 take the love and nurturance that was heaped on us 1300 01:11:00.960 --> 01:11:04.960 as children and selflessly return it to all children, especially 1301 01:11:05.039 --> 01:11:08.920 the helpless, homeless, loveless ones in our community. Thus, the 1302 01:11:09.039 --> 01:11:11.680 Nigerian proverb it takes a whole village to raise a 1303 01:11:11.800 --> 01:11:15.399 child is realized in this symbol, since raising a child 1304 01:11:15.479 --> 01:11:18.479 in Africa was a community affair involving the tribal village 1305 01:11:18.560 --> 01:11:21.920 as well as the family. Good habits of respect for 1306 01:11:22.079 --> 01:11:27.359 self and others, discipline, positive thinking, expectations, compassion, empathy, charity, 1307 01:11:27.479 --> 01:11:31.079 and self direction are learned in childhood from parents, from peers, 1308 01:11:31.239 --> 01:11:34.520 and from experiences. Children are essential to Kwanzam for they 1309 01:11:34.560 --> 01:11:37.199 are the future, the seed bearers that will carry cultural 1310 01:11:37.319 --> 01:11:40.359 values and practices into the next generation. For this reason, 1311 01:11:40.479 --> 01:11:44.439 children are cared for communally and individually within a tribe, 1312 01:11:44.640 --> 01:11:48.359 a tribal village. The biological family was ultimately responsible for 1313 01:11:48.439 --> 01:11:50.840 raising its own children, but every person in the village 1314 01:11:50.960 --> 01:11:55.199 was responsible for the safety and welfare of all the children. Okay, 1315 01:11:55.439 --> 01:11:55.880 I like that. 1316 01:11:57.079 --> 01:11:59.760 I like that a lot, and that's interesting to use corn, 1317 01:11:59.800 --> 01:12:05.880 though I wouldn't have thought that that is inherent to fertility. 1318 01:12:06.000 --> 01:12:09.560 Not just to fertility, but to Africa. I'm not gonna 1319 01:12:09.560 --> 01:12:10.600 start poking holes in that. 1320 01:12:10.640 --> 01:12:14.159 We're going to get into it, but I'm just specifically fertility. 1321 01:12:14.239 --> 01:12:19.000 I wouldn't think that's not the first yeah vegetable that 1322 01:12:19.039 --> 01:12:22.640 I would think that is out of pocket for fertility. 1323 01:12:22.880 --> 01:12:27.560 Just I thought that was an interesting choice for that representation. 1324 01:12:27.720 --> 01:12:29.960 But I do actually like the entire thing that they 1325 01:12:30.079 --> 01:12:32.840 talked about because it does take a whole village to 1326 01:12:33.600 --> 01:12:37.319 raise child, well, it should take a village, and that's 1327 01:12:37.359 --> 01:12:41.680 where I think Americans are going really off the beaten path, 1328 01:12:41.920 --> 01:12:46.359 awry from what it takes to actually be fulfilling the 1329 01:12:46.520 --> 01:12:47.399 children's needs. 1330 01:12:47.520 --> 01:12:51.359 So I agree, and yeah, it's it's just it's the 1331 01:12:51.520 --> 01:12:55.319 symbol itself and what it represents. I do like corn 1332 01:12:55.359 --> 01:12:57.239 would not have been a choice that I made if 1333 01:12:57.319 --> 01:13:00.840 it's an African American holiday, but again put a pin 1334 01:13:00.920 --> 01:13:02.319 in it. We're gonna talk about it here in a 1335 01:13:02.359 --> 01:13:07.520 bit anyway, Okay. Masumba or Mashumah Saba the seven candles, 1336 01:13:07.720 --> 01:13:09.840 and we talked about this earlier here. The candles are 1337 01:13:09.840 --> 01:13:14.000 ceremonial objects with two primary purposes to recreate symbolically, the 1338 01:13:14.079 --> 01:13:16.960 sun's power and to provide light. The celebration of fire 1339 01:13:17.039 --> 01:13:19.359 through the candle burning is not limited to one particular 1340 01:13:19.439 --> 01:13:23.640 group or country. It occurs everywhere. Masuma Saba are seven candles, 1341 01:13:23.680 --> 01:13:26.560 three red, three green, one black. The black candle symbolizes 1342 01:13:26.600 --> 01:13:29.359 the unity, the basis of the success, and is lit 1343 01:13:29.439 --> 01:13:32.119 on December twenty sixth, the first night. The three green 1344 01:13:32.199 --> 01:13:37.000 candles representing Nia, Ujima and Imani are placed to the 1345 01:13:37.279 --> 01:13:40.880 on the or Yeah placed to the right of Emoja candle. Okay, 1346 01:13:40.920 --> 01:13:44.479 so there is an order of precedence order. Yeah, Okay, 1347 01:13:45.000 --> 01:13:47.720 we learn it together, good cult members, while the three 1348 01:13:47.840 --> 01:13:53.800 red candles representing Kuji, Chakuliyah, Yeah, Ujama and Kumba are 1349 01:13:53.840 --> 01:13:57.800 placed on the left of it during Kwanza. During Kwanza, 1350 01:13:58.279 --> 01:14:00.359 I think it's supposed to be one candle represents one 1351 01:14:00.439 --> 01:14:03.479 principle is lit each day, then the other candles are 1352 01:14:03.560 --> 01:14:06.359 relt to give off more light and vision. The number 1353 01:14:06.399 --> 01:14:10.039 of candles burning also indicate the principle that is being celebrated. 1354 01:14:10.359 --> 01:14:13.239 The illuminating fire of the candles is a basic element 1355 01:14:13.399 --> 01:14:16.960 of the universe, and every celebration and festival includes fire 1356 01:14:17.079 --> 01:14:20.359 in some form. It's very true. Fire's mystique, like the sun, 1357 01:14:20.520 --> 01:14:24.239 is irresistible and can destroy or create with its mesmerizing, frightening, 1358 01:14:24.439 --> 01:14:29.399 mystifying power. Mishu Masaba symbolics. Colors are from the red, 1359 01:14:29.560 --> 01:14:33.439 black and green flag Bendhara created by Marcus Carvey. The 1360 01:14:33.560 --> 01:14:37.359 colors also represent African gods. Red is the color of Shango, 1361 01:14:37.680 --> 01:14:40.439 the Euroba god of fire, thunder and lightning, who lives 1362 01:14:40.479 --> 01:14:42.800 in the clouds and sends down his thunderbolt whenever he 1363 01:14:42.960 --> 01:14:46.239 is angry or offended. It also represents the struggle for 1364 01:14:46.279 --> 01:14:50.079 self determination and freedom by people of color. Black is 1365 01:14:50.119 --> 01:14:53.520 the people the earth, the source of life, representing hope, creativity, 1366 01:14:53.600 --> 01:14:58.039 and faith, and denoting messages than the opening and closing 1367 01:14:58.079 --> 01:15:01.840 of the doors. Green, since the earth that sustains our 1368 01:15:02.000 --> 01:15:06.239 lives and provides hope, divination, employment, and the fruits of 1369 01:15:06.319 --> 01:15:08.520 the harvest. So there we go. 1370 01:15:09.439 --> 01:15:12.720 Okay, So as long as they have the candles, doesn't 1371 01:15:12.720 --> 01:15:14.680 matter what order they burn it in, as long as 1372 01:15:14.720 --> 01:15:18.880 it's the amount of burning candles for which principle I 1373 01:15:19.000 --> 01:15:19.279 think so. 1374 01:15:19.800 --> 01:15:21.439 But it did say that there was this on this 1375 01:15:21.560 --> 01:15:24.039 side and this on the other side, So yeah. 1376 01:15:24.039 --> 01:15:27.359 So, I mean, it just seems to me, I think 1377 01:15:27.560 --> 01:15:29.760 they're going to burn one side then the other. But 1378 01:15:30.840 --> 01:15:32.319 I guess maybe to each their own. 1379 01:15:32.720 --> 01:15:34.920 You know, maybe they go left right, maybe they stagger it. 1380 01:15:35.479 --> 01:15:39.560 I don't know, you know. All right, So next canara, 1381 01:15:39.720 --> 01:15:42.720 which is the candle holder itself, the candelabra, if you will. 1382 01:15:43.159 --> 01:15:45.319 The canar is the center of the Kwanza setting and 1383 01:15:45.359 --> 01:15:48.840 represents the original stalk from which we came our ancestry. 1384 01:15:49.159 --> 01:15:53.039 The canar can be can be shaped straight lines, semicircles, 1385 01:15:53.199 --> 01:15:55.960 or spirals. You know, a spiral worm will look pretty dope. 1386 01:15:56.239 --> 01:15:58.960 As long as these seven candles are separate and distinct 1387 01:15:59.079 --> 01:16:02.960 like a candlelabra. Canaras are made from all kinds of materials, 1388 01:16:03.039 --> 01:16:06.520 and many celebrants create their own from fallen branches, wood, 1389 01:16:06.840 --> 01:16:10.640 or other natural materials. The kannara symbolize the ancestors who 1390 01:16:10.720 --> 01:16:13.920 were once earthbound, understand the problems of human life and 1391 01:16:14.000 --> 01:16:17.239 are willing to protect their progeny from danger, evil and 1392 01:16:17.600 --> 01:16:21.239 mistakes or progeny, I should say. In African festivals, the 1393 01:16:21.319 --> 01:16:25.039 ancestors are remembered and honored. The mishu masaba are placed 1394 01:16:25.199 --> 01:16:29.239 in the canara. Okay, now we get to the Unity Cup, 1395 01:16:29.560 --> 01:16:35.439 the Kikombe che Umaja Unity Cup, the Kacombe che Umaja, 1396 01:16:35.760 --> 01:16:37.600 and that's the last time I'm going to say from 1397 01:16:37.640 --> 01:16:39.319 this point or I'm just gonna call it. Unity Cup 1398 01:16:39.600 --> 01:16:41.600 is a special cup that is used to perform the 1399 01:16:41.840 --> 01:16:47.760 libation or tombiko ritual during the Cokaramu feast on the 1400 01:16:47.880 --> 01:16:52.079 sixth day of Kwanza. In many African societies, libation are 1401 01:16:52.239 --> 01:16:55.399 poured for the living dead, whose souls stay with the 1402 01:16:55.520 --> 01:16:59.520 earth they tilled. The Ebo of Nigeria believe that the 1403 01:16:59.680 --> 01:17:03.199 drink that to drink the last portion of a libation 1404 01:17:03.439 --> 01:17:07.359 is to invite the wrath of the spirits and the ancestors. Consequently, 1405 01:17:07.520 --> 01:17:10.159 the last part of the libation belongs to the ancestors. 1406 01:17:10.640 --> 01:17:15.000 During the Kamaru feasts or Karamu feast, the Unit cup 1407 01:17:15.119 --> 01:17:17.840 is passed to family members and guests who drink from 1408 01:17:17.880 --> 01:17:21.600 it to promote unity. Then the eldest person presents present 1409 01:17:21.720 --> 01:17:25.399 poors the libation, usually water, juice, or wine, in the 1410 01:17:25.520 --> 01:17:28.920 direction of the four winds north, south, east, and west 1411 01:17:29.000 --> 01:17:32.680 to honor the ancestors. The eldest asks the gods and 1412 01:17:32.840 --> 01:17:36.079 ancestors to share in the festivities and in return to 1413 01:17:36.199 --> 01:17:38.680 bless all the people who are not at the gathering. 1414 01:17:39.439 --> 01:17:41.800 After asking for the blessing, the elder pours the libation 1415 01:17:42.000 --> 01:17:46.720 on the ground and the group says Amen okay. Large 1416 01:17:46.760 --> 01:17:50.840 quansa gatherings may operate just a communion service in most churches, 1417 01:17:51.239 --> 01:17:54.359 for which it is common for celebrants to have individual 1418 01:17:54.439 --> 01:17:57.039 cups and to drink the libation together as a sign 1419 01:17:57.079 --> 01:17:59.840 of unity. Several families may have a cup that is 1420 01:18:00.000 --> 01:18:03.560 specifically for the ancestors, and everyone else has his or 1421 01:18:03.720 --> 01:18:06.359 her own, and the last few ounces of the libation 1422 01:18:06.520 --> 01:18:09.199 are poured into the cup four of the hosts of 1423 01:18:09.319 --> 01:18:12.359 hosts or hostess, who SIPs it and then hands it 1424 01:18:12.439 --> 01:18:14.640 to the oldest person in the group, who asks for 1425 01:18:14.760 --> 01:18:16.800 the blessing. Okay, so. 1426 01:18:18.399 --> 01:18:21.680 The only thing I thought about was one for the homies. 1427 01:18:21.399 --> 01:18:24.760 The same but I didn't want to say it because okay, 1428 01:18:24.960 --> 01:18:28.520 with a Quansa celebration and that seems yeah a bit. 1429 01:18:28.720 --> 01:18:30.800 I'm sorry, but I was just thinking about how, like, 1430 01:18:30.920 --> 01:18:33.760 you know, everybody leaves that little bit in the bottom 1431 01:18:33.800 --> 01:18:36.279 of the cup and like, you know, pour it out 1432 01:18:36.319 --> 01:18:37.960 for one for the homies kind of thing, and I 1433 01:18:38.079 --> 01:18:39.840 was like, fuck, I don't want to be that person. 1434 01:18:40.000 --> 01:18:42.920 But like, also, are we all thinking when we were 1435 01:18:42.960 --> 01:18:45.560 listening to that, because that's definitely what I thought about. 1436 01:18:45.680 --> 01:18:47.439 That is absolutely what I thought about when I was 1437 01:18:47.479 --> 01:18:50.720 reading this. So basically, pouring one out for the homies 1438 01:18:51.039 --> 01:18:54.479 doesn't only go back to just cultural things. That's a 1439 01:18:54.600 --> 01:18:57.880 Quansa thing. So here we are, we've been celebrating Kwanza 1440 01:18:57.920 --> 01:19:00.439 and we didn't even know it. I guess it's a joke. 1441 01:19:00.520 --> 01:19:04.199 That's a joke, y'all, Calm down, calm down, But yeah, 1442 01:19:04.359 --> 01:19:06.199 apparently you're supposed to pour some out to all the 1443 01:19:06.279 --> 01:19:08.960 four wins. Then they all as they're talking about to 1444 01:19:09.119 --> 01:19:12.239 the gods, then they say amen. Thought that was kind 1445 01:19:12.239 --> 01:19:15.439 of interesting, but again, hey why not? Why not? You know, 1446 01:19:16.560 --> 01:19:20.640 next is Zawati and this would be the gifts when 1447 01:19:20.640 --> 01:19:23.199 we celebrate Amani on the seventh day of Kwanza, we 1448 01:19:23.319 --> 01:19:27.920 give meaningful zawati, which is gifts to encourage growth, self determination, 1449 01:19:28.159 --> 01:19:32.039 achievement and success. We exchange gifts with members of our 1450 01:19:32.079 --> 01:19:36.760 immediate family, especially the children, to promote or reward accomplishments 1451 01:19:36.800 --> 01:19:40.720 and commitments kept, as well as with our guests. Handmade 1452 01:19:40.760 --> 01:19:44.640 gifts are encouraged to promote self determination, purpose and creativity 1453 01:19:44.920 --> 01:19:48.000 and to avoid the chaos of shopping and conspicuous consumption 1454 01:19:48.199 --> 01:19:52.560 during the December holiday season. Respect a family may spend 1455 01:19:52.880 --> 01:19:57.039 the year making kenaros a or may create cards, dolls, 1456 01:19:57.239 --> 01:20:00.840 or makeekas to give to their guests. Accepting a gift 1457 01:20:00.960 --> 01:20:04.359 implies a moral obligation to fulfill the promise of the gift. 1458 01:20:04.840 --> 01:20:07.840 It obliges the recipient to follow the training of the host. 1459 01:20:08.359 --> 01:20:12.079 The gift cements social relationships, allowing the receiver to share 1460 01:20:12.119 --> 01:20:15.000 the duties and the rights of a family member. Accepting 1461 01:20:15.039 --> 01:20:17.520 a gift makes the receiver part of the family and 1462 01:20:17.600 --> 01:20:21.520 promotes umoja. So there we have. This is basically the 1463 01:20:21.760 --> 01:20:24.119 over under of the kowanza. 1464 01:20:24.279 --> 01:20:27.000 Which it came from a book. At the very end 1465 01:20:27.039 --> 01:20:30.000 it said that it came from the actual book. 1466 01:20:30.399 --> 01:20:32.840 Yeah, this is an excerpt from the book The Complete 1467 01:20:32.880 --> 01:20:37.720 Quansa Celebration or Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest from copyright nineteen 1468 01:20:37.800 --> 01:20:40.319 ninety five by Dorothy Wimbush Riley. 1469 01:20:41.680 --> 01:20:44.680 That's interesting, so they added new stuff into it if 1470 01:20:44.720 --> 01:20:47.880 it came if the majority came from the excerpt of 1471 01:20:48.239 --> 01:20:51.520 nineteen ninety five, then they added in newer relevant stuff 1472 01:20:51.600 --> 01:20:55.880 from twenty fifteen, twenty ten. So maybe it is shifting 1473 01:20:55.960 --> 01:20:57.119 and changing with the culture. 1474 01:20:57.479 --> 01:21:01.000 Nothing about this talked about recipes, talked about songs, talked 1475 01:21:01.039 --> 01:21:03.560 about it, talked about how there was reading, and there 1476 01:21:03.640 --> 01:21:05.479 was dances and songs and stuff, but it didn't give 1477 01:21:05.600 --> 01:21:09.920 like specific songs to reflect on or excerption, specific authors 1478 01:21:09.960 --> 01:21:12.279 and things like this. So it's very bay. 1479 01:21:12.399 --> 01:21:14.640 This is the basis, Like, this is the basis of 1480 01:21:14.720 --> 01:21:17.720 what they do, Like this is what we celebrate and 1481 01:21:17.800 --> 01:21:21.119 how we celebrate. And then what we read earlier was 1482 01:21:22.119 --> 01:21:26.119 the more modern interpretation of how to continuously grow it 1483 01:21:26.199 --> 01:21:28.319 and keep it within the culture and shift it as 1484 01:21:28.600 --> 01:21:29.159 time goes on. 1485 01:21:29.800 --> 01:21:33.239 Very possibly could be it. So now we get to 1486 01:21:34.239 --> 01:21:39.960 the darker side of Kwansa. All right, and I'm gonna 1487 01:21:39.960 --> 01:21:43.079 say this, this was the nicer article that I could 1488 01:21:43.119 --> 01:21:47.880 find to talk about this. The person who founded Kwanza. 1489 01:21:48.760 --> 01:21:51.000 Although there was a lot of great things that this 1490 01:21:51.279 --> 01:21:57.000 gentleman accomplished, there was some controversy surrounding him. I found 1491 01:21:57.039 --> 01:22:01.920 an article from a HBC if anybody doesn't know, historically 1492 01:22:02.000 --> 01:22:08.199 Black college who basically was shitting on Kwanza as being 1493 01:22:08.279 --> 01:22:11.159 completely fake. He even pointed out the fact that why 1494 01:22:11.279 --> 01:22:14.279 is corn on the altar? Corn is not even indigenous 1495 01:22:14.319 --> 01:22:17.039 to Africa? Like why why would you have that on 1496 01:22:17.159 --> 01:22:21.119 an African celebration thing like this? And like you had mentioned, Raven, 1497 01:22:21.159 --> 01:22:23.840 I don't understand why corn is used as the fertility 1498 01:22:23.920 --> 01:22:27.079 thing of all the things, Why wouldn't you choose eight 1499 01:22:27.199 --> 01:22:30.880 like yams that is from Africa and you can find 1500 01:22:30.920 --> 01:22:32.600 those in America and put it on that. I don't, 1501 01:22:33.079 --> 01:22:35.439 I don't know, I don't know. 1502 01:22:35.560 --> 01:22:39.239 It just seemed like an odd to me. When I 1503 01:22:39.319 --> 01:22:41.960 think of fertility, I don't think of corn. But you 1504 01:22:42.079 --> 01:22:43.119 know that's just me. 1505 01:22:43.720 --> 01:22:46.680 I mean corn was It's only indigenous to one spot 1506 01:22:46.760 --> 01:22:49.640 on Earth, and that's North America, and I guess you 1507 01:22:49.640 --> 01:22:52.479 could say South America too, but more specifically the Latin 1508 01:22:52.520 --> 01:22:57.439 American section. I don't, I don't know why that is 1509 01:22:57.479 --> 01:23:00.119 what's being used. But at the same time, it's not 1510 01:23:00.279 --> 01:23:03.279 about the item itself. It is about what it symbolizes, 1511 01:23:03.600 --> 01:23:06.840 and at that point, it could be any arbitrary thing 1512 01:23:06.920 --> 01:23:10.680 that they decide to use for Kwansa to you know, 1513 01:23:10.840 --> 01:23:14.239 be the identifying marker. So why not, corn, I guess 1514 01:23:14.880 --> 01:23:17.039 it's whatever right now. 1515 01:23:17.079 --> 01:23:19.159 Sure, pomegranates make more sense. 1516 01:23:19.239 --> 01:23:22.239 But okay, you know, but that's that's a Greek thing 1517 01:23:22.319 --> 01:23:23.920 that you're talking about right now. I know it's a 1518 01:23:23.960 --> 01:23:27.680 great thing, and to some honey would have seemed like 1519 01:23:27.720 --> 01:23:33.199 a much better option, right to some you know, wine, 1520 01:23:33.359 --> 01:23:34.039 I who know. 1521 01:23:34.119 --> 01:23:35.319 It's gonna say grapes. 1522 01:23:35.520 --> 01:23:40.279 Grapes make a lot of sense. I don't know. I 1523 01:23:40.319 --> 01:23:42.439 don't know why they decided to go with that, but 1524 01:23:42.640 --> 01:23:43.880 that is what they decide to go with. 1525 01:23:44.159 --> 01:23:47.199 There is a darker side to this, and hopefully this 1526 01:23:47.319 --> 01:23:51.600 doesn't detract from the positive, says Kwanza. But also, you know, 1527 01:23:51.680 --> 01:23:55.479 when we we are talking about celebrations, we are digging 1528 01:23:55.560 --> 01:23:58.880 into all the different sides and how people are celebrating 1529 01:23:58.960 --> 01:24:01.439 in the history of these things. So I hope this 1530 01:24:02.239 --> 01:24:04.880 shedding light on this darker side that you're gonna tell 1531 01:24:04.960 --> 01:24:08.039 us about isn't going to be taken poorly. 1532 01:24:08.159 --> 01:24:11.520 By people. It shouldn't be because this is not Jacob's 1533 01:24:11.560 --> 01:24:15.520 opinion and it shouldn't and nothing about what we're about 1534 01:24:15.520 --> 01:24:17.199 to talk about should take away from all of the 1535 01:24:17.319 --> 01:24:20.560 really cool things we just learned about Kwansa. Okay, that 1536 01:24:20.720 --> 01:24:26.000 being said, keep in mind in nineteen sixty six, take 1537 01:24:26.399 --> 01:24:29.159 a little mental walk about what was going on during 1538 01:24:29.239 --> 01:24:32.680 this timeframe. Right civil rights was going on, The Black 1539 01:24:32.720 --> 01:24:36.159 Panther Party was being pushed heavily. And then your guy here, 1540 01:24:36.399 --> 01:24:41.560 the good doctor that created Kwanza, He developed US, which 1541 01:24:41.800 --> 01:24:45.279 was seen as the counterbalance to the Black Panther Party. 1542 01:24:45.720 --> 01:24:49.800 One of them predominantly carried weapons, had a very They 1543 01:24:49.840 --> 01:24:52.479 were trying to be an intimidating force. The other was not. 1544 01:24:53.119 --> 01:24:56.000 The US movement was trying to be a communal and 1545 01:24:56.199 --> 01:24:59.479 family gathering type of situation to be seen as a 1546 01:24:59.640 --> 01:25:03.720 very positive thing for the community as a whole. With 1547 01:25:03.880 --> 01:25:08.560 that being said, it's understood that he was also an 1548 01:25:08.640 --> 01:25:16.119 FBI plant. That should that what Krenga was absolutely an 1549 01:25:16.239 --> 01:25:21.640 FBI plant, and that's been confirmed. But there's there's backstories 1550 01:25:21.680 --> 01:25:24.680 to this because the Black Panthers at this time also 1551 01:25:24.880 --> 01:25:27.439 had plants that were on their side of things to 1552 01:25:27.520 --> 01:25:31.520 try to see if these were homegrown terrorist organizations or not. Right, 1553 01:25:31.600 --> 01:25:34.119 And again, you gotta keep mind in sixty six, the 1554 01:25:34.359 --> 01:25:36.760 government was looking for anything they could start pointing the 1555 01:25:36.800 --> 01:25:39.159 finger out and saying, Ah, that's the bad guy. You 1556 01:25:39.239 --> 01:25:42.079 see what I'm saying here. Yeah, So we're gonna skip 1557 01:25:42.119 --> 01:25:44.159 ahead a little bit because the author kind of goes 1558 01:25:44.319 --> 01:25:48.159 into his own personal take on this, but you know, 1559 01:25:48.239 --> 01:25:51.880 we'll pick up here it says, you know what not. 1560 01:25:52.000 --> 01:25:55.439 I discovered Kwanza while attending Pomona College, separated for the 1561 01:25:55.560 --> 01:25:58.000 first time from my family in the black Pentecostal church 1562 01:25:58.039 --> 01:26:00.039 I had attended at least three times a week. I 1563 01:26:00.159 --> 01:26:03.600 craved black culture. There were fewer than ten African American 1564 01:26:03.640 --> 01:26:07.279 students in my cohort, and I felt culturally isolated. Soul 1565 01:26:07.359 --> 01:26:10.960 food launches offered through the Office of Black Student Affairs 1566 01:26:11.159 --> 01:26:14.199 or a weekly source of comfort. Then I was introduced 1567 01:26:14.239 --> 01:26:16.880 to the year in celebration that had been created for 1568 01:26:16.960 --> 01:26:21.319 black people by a black man. Muallana Kurenga unveiled Kwansa 1569 01:26:21.359 --> 01:26:23.479 in nineteen sixty six to fill the gaps where the 1570 01:26:23.640 --> 01:26:27.159 US had failed African Americans. Set against the backdrop of 1571 01:26:27.239 --> 01:26:30.319 the Civil rights movement, The seven day celebration urged African 1572 01:26:30.359 --> 01:26:36.000 American communities to define and uplift themselves. Kurenga designed seven principles. 1573 01:26:36.039 --> 01:26:40.399 We already talked about them. The unity, self determination, collective 1574 01:26:40.479 --> 01:26:44.800 work and responsibility, cooperative opera, economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. 1575 01:26:45.159 --> 01:26:47.720 Each principle correlated to a specific day and symbol to 1576 01:26:47.760 --> 01:26:52.800 be celebrated. December twenty sixth to January first. Kwansa beckons 1577 01:26:52.880 --> 01:26:55.479 us to the heights of our humanity, petitioning us to 1578 01:26:55.600 --> 01:26:59.680 imagine ourselves and our communities in ways white American culture 1579 01:26:59.760 --> 01:27:05.479 can and will not okay. Kwanto was attracted particularly because 1580 01:27:05.640 --> 01:27:10.000 it was fubu for us by us, a cultural celebration 1581 01:27:10.159 --> 01:27:13.960 that was distinctly ours, untainted by white supremacy. It was 1582 01:27:14.039 --> 01:27:17.680 an annual reminder that hashtag black lives matter. Before the 1583 01:27:17.720 --> 01:27:21.520 hashtag emerged, it felt pristine until I suddenly it was 1584 01:27:21.560 --> 01:27:25.760 suddenly sullied for me. Two years ago, more than a 1585 01:27:25.880 --> 01:27:28.600 decade after college, I was commissioned to write about the 1586 01:27:28.680 --> 01:27:31.800 history of Kwanza. That's when I learned that Korenga had 1587 01:27:31.840 --> 01:27:36.720 been convicted of heinous felonies, though he denied the allegations. 1588 01:27:36.800 --> 01:27:39.439 In nineteen seventy, he and three other members of the 1589 01:27:39.680 --> 01:27:43.960 US Organization, a black nationalist group based in la imprisoned 1590 01:27:44.000 --> 01:27:48.560 and assaulted two female members of their own organization. Trial 1591 01:27:48.640 --> 01:27:51.159 testimony revealed that the women had been whipped with cords, 1592 01:27:51.279 --> 01:27:54.920 beaten with batons, seared with irons while naked in an 1593 01:27:54.960 --> 01:27:58.039 effort to elicit confessions that they were conspiring against him. 1594 01:27:58.479 --> 01:28:02.199 Those confessions never Materie realized. Karenga served a few years 1595 01:28:02.239 --> 01:28:05.039 in prison and later went to get his doctorate and teach. 1596 01:28:07.720 --> 01:28:13.920 So now, wow, okay, yeah, Like I said, he went 1597 01:28:14.119 --> 01:28:16.439 on and did a lot of amazing things for the 1598 01:28:16.520 --> 01:28:19.479 black community, and I'm not taken away from that, but 1599 01:28:19.680 --> 01:28:24.920 at that time, he in nineteen seventy, when this court 1600 01:28:25.000 --> 01:28:28.239 case was finally heard, and justice, I don't believe justice 1601 01:28:28.359 --> 01:28:32.600 was served personally, because this is the kindest version of 1602 01:28:32.680 --> 01:28:33.800 this story that I could find. 1603 01:28:35.359 --> 01:28:39.359 It's the not kind version. I mean, clearly, I mean beaten, 1604 01:28:39.760 --> 01:28:44.159 assaulted these women for glad knows how many days. 1605 01:28:45.119 --> 01:28:48.119 It Some say it was an evening, some say it 1606 01:28:48.239 --> 01:28:51.600 was days. Some say there was other types of assault 1607 01:28:51.680 --> 01:28:55.680 that was done. Some say that that's all propaganda. I 1608 01:28:56.640 --> 01:29:03.960 you know. So essentially, here's the layout here, and I'm 1609 01:29:04.000 --> 01:29:08.800 not giving you the context to diminish the atroses this 1610 01:29:08.960 --> 01:29:12.680 guy committed to these two innocent women. But here's the backstory. 1611 01:29:13.359 --> 01:29:16.119 The Black Panthers had already put out a hit on 1612 01:29:16.319 --> 01:29:21.199 him at this point, and allegedly he had retaliated by 1613 01:29:21.279 --> 01:29:23.279 putting a hit out on a couple of these other 1614 01:29:23.479 --> 01:29:26.439 individuals from the Black Panthers. What I'm saying right now 1615 01:29:26.600 --> 01:29:29.640 cannot be cooperated. It really really depends on the source 1616 01:29:29.680 --> 01:29:32.159 you look into. But we know for sure that the 1617 01:29:32.359 --> 01:29:35.279 FBI was watching him, and the FBI was watching the 1618 01:29:35.319 --> 01:29:40.720 Black Panthers. This is before he was a confirmed FBI plant. 1619 01:29:41.000 --> 01:29:43.880 At this point in time, he was still, as you know, 1620 01:29:45.279 --> 01:29:49.159 as much of a brother of the movement as anybody. 1621 01:29:49.640 --> 01:29:52.359 And this was after he found a Kwanza. Keep that 1622 01:29:52.439 --> 01:29:55.840 in mind. He found it in sixty six. In seventy 1623 01:29:55.960 --> 01:29:58.159 is when he did these things. 1624 01:29:58.239 --> 01:29:58.840 Loss of shit. 1625 01:29:59.079 --> 01:30:02.279 Yeah, Well, he knew that the FBI was watching him. 1626 01:30:03.279 --> 01:30:05.880 There was also some letters written to him by some 1627 01:30:06.359 --> 01:30:09.159 quote unquote anonymous sources telling him he needs to calm down, 1628 01:30:09.319 --> 01:30:12.199 very similar to how Martin Luther King Jr. Got some 1629 01:30:12.359 --> 01:30:17.319 letters written to him from the FBI. So he was 1630 01:30:17.399 --> 01:30:20.479 making enough waves to where the government took notice. And 1631 01:30:20.560 --> 01:30:24.640 these two women, who were also loyal followers of him 1632 01:30:24.800 --> 01:30:32.880 and the US organization, they thought were FBI spies and 1633 01:30:33.840 --> 01:30:39.359 they were torturing them to get confessions. There was nothing 1634 01:30:39.439 --> 01:30:42.960 to confess. These women had no ties to the FBI. 1635 01:30:43.600 --> 01:30:49.720 And he was a bit crazy for this one after 1636 01:30:49.880 --> 01:30:53.800 he got out of jail, A bit, a lot, a lot. 1637 01:30:53.920 --> 01:30:57.800 These women were beaten, like most of the reports I 1638 01:30:57.880 --> 01:30:59.760 find would say within an inch of their lives, they were, 1639 01:31:00.039 --> 01:31:05.439 and they were whipped. They were beaten with batons, not 1640 01:31:05.640 --> 01:31:08.479 like little twigs, not like a switch like, No, with sticks, 1641 01:31:08.560 --> 01:31:14.239 like with proper closet dowels. Bones are broken, hair was 1642 01:31:14.319 --> 01:31:18.079 ripped out. I've heard possible rape. I don't know. I 1643 01:31:18.199 --> 01:31:21.640 don't know, because again it depends on the source. But 1644 01:31:21.800 --> 01:31:25.880 like I said, this is the kindest account that I 1645 01:31:25.920 --> 01:31:28.439 could find on the internet. And we didn't need to 1646 01:31:28.479 --> 01:31:32.720 bring it up because later on Karrenga himself did in 1647 01:31:32.880 --> 01:31:36.520 fact work for the FBI. Perhaps that was a part 1648 01:31:36.560 --> 01:31:38.560 of the plea deal to why he only served a 1649 01:31:38.720 --> 01:31:40.199 few years in prison for this. 1650 01:31:43.199 --> 01:31:45.239 I mean I could see it. I could see them 1651 01:31:45.279 --> 01:31:47.800 coming to him and being like, hey, look, you have 1652 01:31:47.880 --> 01:31:50.119 to serve something because on paper, we have to make 1653 01:31:50.159 --> 01:31:53.399 it look like there's some justice was served and now 1654 01:31:53.479 --> 01:31:54.600 you're in our pocket. 1655 01:31:56.159 --> 01:31:59.560 Which he later on did help the FBI try to 1656 01:32:00.960 --> 01:32:05.359 wrangle in and shut down certain chapters of the Black 1657 01:32:05.399 --> 01:32:08.600 Panther Party, which was no skin off of his nose 1658 01:32:08.680 --> 01:32:14.239 because he hated the Black Panthers anyway. So turning snitch 1659 01:32:14.760 --> 01:32:18.840 to go against your already enemy and you get off 1660 01:32:19.199 --> 01:32:21.359 with a way lesser sentence. I think he only served 1661 01:32:21.399 --> 01:32:24.720 like three years for these two assaults. Wow. 1662 01:32:26.000 --> 01:32:32.359 Yeah, So maybe somebody better could like revitalize Kwansee name 1663 01:32:32.399 --> 01:32:33.079 it something else. 1664 01:32:33.479 --> 01:32:37.439 Well, you know it is revitalized, if nothing else. People 1665 01:32:37.479 --> 01:32:40.560 are still celebrating. It's somewhere. Some estimates are saying twelve 1666 01:32:40.640 --> 01:32:44.880 million people every year celebrated. So although this guy did 1667 01:32:44.960 --> 01:32:48.319 some crazy, heinous shit, it didn't take away from all 1668 01:32:48.359 --> 01:32:50.760 of the amazing things that we talked about that Kwanza 1669 01:32:50.840 --> 01:32:56.159 represents for the community itself. Right, the author continues to say, 1670 01:32:56.199 --> 01:32:58.640 my stomach lurches I read about the trial and his conviction. 1671 01:32:58.760 --> 01:33:01.960 Kurengo has found guilty of violence against black women. How 1672 01:33:02.039 --> 01:33:05.359 could Quansa's inventor be that person? What did it mean 1673 01:33:05.399 --> 01:33:08.159 about the celebration I had embraced. Why did no one 1674 01:33:08.239 --> 01:33:10.479 talk about his history? And I couldn't help but wonder 1675 01:33:10.520 --> 01:33:15.199 if Karenga's history was elighted because Kwansa's viability was deemed 1676 01:33:15.239 --> 01:33:19.680 more important than Black women's safety. The discovery felt like 1677 01:33:19.720 --> 01:33:21.960 a personal loss and a loss for black culture, and 1678 01:33:22.079 --> 01:33:25.039 it left me with a dilemma to embrace Kwansa or not. 1679 01:33:25.840 --> 01:33:28.279 In ways, it's similar to the dilemma faced by those 1680 01:33:28.319 --> 01:33:30.920 who admire the work of an artist who have been 1681 01:33:30.960 --> 01:33:34.239 accused of a sexual assault or harassment in the hashtag 1682 01:33:34.359 --> 01:33:37.560 me too era, should we continue to admire the work 1683 01:33:37.640 --> 01:33:43.239 of a person who has done unconscious ofble things. Last year, 1684 01:33:43.439 --> 01:33:45.520 the author did not celebrate Kuwansa. But this year I 1685 01:33:45.560 --> 01:33:48.479 will again light the candles every night starting December twenty sixth. 1686 01:33:48.920 --> 01:33:51.560 Kwansa's originator may have a dark side, but the holiday 1687 01:33:51.560 --> 01:33:54.119 itself is a beacon. My yearning for it is a 1688 01:33:54.199 --> 01:33:57.479 sign that it fulfills its goals. It reminds African Americans 1689 01:33:57.520 --> 01:34:01.239 of their crucial connection to each other. I have to 1690 01:34:01.319 --> 01:34:04.720 agree with that, and I'm not saying that this is 1691 01:34:04.840 --> 01:34:07.079 the same as like the hashtag me too, movement, like 1692 01:34:07.680 --> 01:34:11.520 especially like listening to p Ditty's music. Now knowing things 1693 01:34:11.560 --> 01:34:14.640 about Diddy, No, I can't listen to his music anymore. 1694 01:34:14.920 --> 01:34:19.800 It resonates different for me personally. But that's also because 1695 01:34:20.720 --> 01:34:24.159 nothing that, nothing of his music resonated with my soul 1696 01:34:24.640 --> 01:34:26.720 to a level that was like filling a void or 1697 01:34:26.760 --> 01:34:28.800 anything like. It was just you know, something to bobbyr 1698 01:34:28.800 --> 01:34:30.720 Head too, as you're driving down the road. It's not 1699 01:34:30.840 --> 01:34:33.920 a big loss for me for Kwanza, for anybody who 1700 01:34:33.960 --> 01:34:40.359 does celebrate Kwanza, it shouldn't take away from the communal grouping, 1701 01:34:40.960 --> 01:34:44.239 right and for all these seven principles, which again going 1702 01:34:44.279 --> 01:34:46.359 down the list of these seven principles is something that 1703 01:34:46.600 --> 01:34:49.960 everybody of every race, of every socioonomic background, for with 1704 01:34:50.039 --> 01:34:53.079 every religion, whatever. If you apply these to your life, 1705 01:34:53.239 --> 01:34:55.600 you will be a better person as a result. I 1706 01:34:55.680 --> 01:34:56.960 think we can all agree with that. 1707 01:34:57.079 --> 01:34:59.079 I do you agree with her when she said that? 1708 01:34:59.199 --> 01:35:02.840 I think that is very true, at least to the 1709 01:35:02.920 --> 01:35:06.920 principles of it. I don't know if I personally, if 1710 01:35:06.960 --> 01:35:11.079 I was of African American background, if I would want 1711 01:35:11.159 --> 01:35:15.720 to participate in a holiday in which he actually harmed 1712 01:35:17.319 --> 01:35:22.159 black women and to that level, and that hate like, yeah, 1713 01:35:22.279 --> 01:35:25.640 to be that that horrible. I don't know personally if 1714 01:35:25.680 --> 01:35:28.439 I would want to celebrate something that's attached to that person. 1715 01:35:28.600 --> 01:35:32.359 But I mean, to each your own and the I mean, 1716 01:35:32.560 --> 01:35:37.079 the holiday itself sounds fantastic in everything that we've read. 1717 01:35:37.199 --> 01:35:42.319 But I don't know if I wanted to associate myself 1718 01:35:42.399 --> 01:35:43.119 with something like that. 1719 01:35:43.359 --> 01:35:46.159 That's just me. I get it. I get it. But again, 1720 01:35:46.640 --> 01:35:50.079 the author says, I decided that hating Coranga's crimes didn't 1721 01:35:50.199 --> 01:35:53.920 or Kerenga's crimes didn't mean abandoning the good that he accomplished. 1722 01:35:54.159 --> 01:35:57.800 The US Organization or the US Organization's nineteen sixties petitions 1723 01:35:57.880 --> 01:36:01.000 for black study courses in US colleges and universities is 1724 01:36:01.119 --> 01:36:04.439 one reason those classes existed for me to take in college. 1725 01:36:04.920 --> 01:36:09.520 His emphasis on Ujama cooperative economics the fourth principle is 1726 01:36:09.640 --> 01:36:13.479 why I quote unquote by black whenever possible. Quanta calls 1727 01:36:13.479 --> 01:36:16.359 on African Americans to see one another and uplift one another, 1728 01:36:16.560 --> 01:36:19.840 something we particularly need right now. It beckons us to 1729 01:36:19.960 --> 01:36:23.640 the heights of our humanity, petitioning us to imagine ourselves 1730 01:36:23.680 --> 01:36:26.279 in our communities in ways white American culture cannot and 1731 01:36:26.359 --> 01:36:29.319 will not. We need to acknowledge Kerenga's full story, but 1732 01:36:29.439 --> 01:36:32.000 it shouldn't tarnish the value and beauty of the holiday 1733 01:36:32.039 --> 01:36:34.520 that promotes collective action for the collective good. 1734 01:36:35.840 --> 01:36:38.680 And so it's truly I think it's well written, yeah, 1735 01:36:38.680 --> 01:36:42.159 and and holds really good points. So I mean, I 1736 01:36:42.600 --> 01:36:46.840 think it's just a personal choice for whoever actually participates 1737 01:36:46.880 --> 01:36:50.760 in Kwanzaah, I do agree that you know, this does 1738 01:36:50.960 --> 01:36:54.920 help their community and help strengthen it. And yeah, I 1739 01:36:54.960 --> 01:36:57.960 think it's great. I agree the holiday. Let me let 1740 01:36:58.039 --> 01:37:00.319 me refreeze the holiday. 1741 01:37:00.159 --> 01:37:03.239 Right right right, And I mean other articles that I've 1742 01:37:03.279 --> 01:37:08.079 found that were shitting on Korenga himself, although it's deserved, 1743 01:37:08.720 --> 01:37:13.479 one hundred percent deserved, they also decided to take jabs 1744 01:37:13.600 --> 01:37:16.720 at Kwansa as a holiday and basically say that it's 1745 01:37:16.760 --> 01:37:19.520 all fake, it's all made up. He just stole something 1746 01:37:19.560 --> 01:37:21.439 from this group and this group and threw it together. 1747 01:37:21.520 --> 01:37:23.960 Why is corn on the table? Why we got jewish 1748 01:37:24.000 --> 01:37:27.199 looking candles? And it was and also written by black authors. 1749 01:37:27.239 --> 01:37:30.359 I should mention, but I didn't want that to be 1750 01:37:30.479 --> 01:37:32.960 the vibe as they're talking about Kwanza, because there are 1751 01:37:33.039 --> 01:37:36.119 so many awesome things about this holiday. But I also 1752 01:37:36.199 --> 01:37:40.000 couldn't especially how this is the cult of conspiracy. We 1753 01:37:40.159 --> 01:37:42.439 do need to mention the fact that Krenga was working 1754 01:37:42.680 --> 01:37:45.479 with the FBI after his arrest for the assault on 1755 01:37:45.560 --> 01:37:49.199 two women that he thought was FBI agents, which again, 1756 01:37:49.279 --> 01:37:51.479 if you want to do your own research into the 1757 01:37:52.319 --> 01:37:59.640 incident itself, this was the kindest quotes that I could find, 1758 01:37:59.760 --> 01:38:03.119 for it goes as far as your imagination wants it 1759 01:38:03.199 --> 01:38:07.000 to go, depending on the author. And he absolutely was 1760 01:38:07.199 --> 01:38:11.039 an FBI plant designated to help them shut down factions 1761 01:38:11.079 --> 01:38:14.479 of the Black Panther Party which went against the Black culture. 1762 01:38:14.920 --> 01:38:17.920 And so it's as talking about the cult of conspiracy here. 1763 01:38:18.880 --> 01:38:22.439 There were some absolute conspiratorial connections on this, but Kwansa itself, 1764 01:38:22.600 --> 01:38:24.159 as far as I can tell, as not anything of 1765 01:38:24.199 --> 01:38:28.000 the conspiratorial nature. It is something of a non religious, 1766 01:38:28.600 --> 01:38:32.640 cultural cultural holiday, and I think it does in fact 1767 01:38:32.720 --> 01:38:35.560 reach out to the best of the community, and I 1768 01:38:35.800 --> 01:38:40.880 like it. I do anyway. Next Good Cult Members, we 1769 01:38:40.960 --> 01:38:44.199 are going to be talking about Christmas across Native America 1770 01:38:44.279 --> 01:38:46.960 and we are going to talk about some more more 1771 01:38:47.000 --> 01:38:49.920 obscure tribes on the next episode. But for this one, 1772 01:38:50.319 --> 01:38:52.920 Raven Lee actually did a little bit of research into these. 1773 01:38:53.159 --> 01:38:58.279 This is this kind of just a general overview of 1774 01:38:59.159 --> 01:39:02.920 just kind of how Christmas is celebrated in Native American tribes, 1775 01:39:03.000 --> 01:39:07.000 kind of like how it came about. It's it's not 1776 01:39:07.119 --> 01:39:10.479 a super deep dive there, you know, there was a 1777 01:39:10.640 --> 01:39:13.880 lot of information if we dove relled deep into it, 1778 01:39:14.119 --> 01:39:16.880 right of some of the different things and aspects that 1779 01:39:16.960 --> 01:39:21.239 they do. But overall, a lot of people don't celebrate 1780 01:39:21.399 --> 01:39:24.560 Christmas in the same sense, obviously because it is a 1781 01:39:24.640 --> 01:39:29.279 Christian holiday, and how Christianity was kind of forced fed 1782 01:39:29.439 --> 01:39:33.359 down their throats by not everyone. You know, some people 1783 01:39:33.439 --> 01:39:36.600 converted wanting you know, wanting to convert themselves, but a 1784 01:39:36.720 --> 01:39:40.319 lot of them their traditions were erased and eradicated for sure, 1785 01:39:40.359 --> 01:39:42.920 and they suffered a lot, you know, so they aren't 1786 01:39:42.920 --> 01:39:46.520 really keen on celebrating Christmas in and of itself, but 1787 01:39:47.399 --> 01:39:51.039 Winter Solstice is more or less what they've always celebrated, 1788 01:39:51.399 --> 01:39:54.000 you know, seeing with a lot of cultures around the world, 1789 01:39:54.079 --> 01:40:00.439 and so the Smithsonian there was like several Native Watch 1790 01:40:00.560 --> 01:40:04.319 McCall it websites and they all kind of reference back 1791 01:40:04.399 --> 01:40:07.119 to this particular article over and over again. So I 1792 01:40:07.239 --> 01:40:08.399 was like, you know what, I'll just pull up the 1793 01:40:08.479 --> 01:40:11.960 actual Smithsonian article instead of just you know, keep referencing 1794 01:40:12.039 --> 01:40:12.800 back and forth to it. 1795 01:40:13.000 --> 01:40:16.000 So no doubt way, they're so pretty and I love 1796 01:40:16.079 --> 01:40:19.119 their earrings. Yeah, I will say, And this is not 1797 01:40:19.479 --> 01:40:23.159 my taking an opportunity to take a jab at the Catholics. 1798 01:40:23.239 --> 01:40:25.880 But hear me out here. If you listen back to 1799 01:40:25.960 --> 01:40:29.159 our Thanksgiving episode and we talked about King Phillip's War, 1800 01:40:29.800 --> 01:40:36.279 there were Iroquois that or Iroquois that became uh, praying Indians. 1801 01:40:36.720 --> 01:40:39.640 They were Indians that were not forced converted. They converted 1802 01:40:39.680 --> 01:40:41.720 out of their own free will, and they were welcomed 1803 01:40:41.720 --> 01:40:45.800 with open arms by the settlers. This being said, there 1804 01:40:46.000 --> 01:40:49.800 is at least as far as American history is concerned, 1805 01:40:49.840 --> 01:40:53.039 there is a clear dividing line between which groups forced 1806 01:40:53.159 --> 01:40:56.880 conversions i e. The Jesuits at the schoolhouses that the 1807 01:40:57.079 --> 01:41:00.720 Native children were forced to go to, and the Puritans 1808 01:41:00.800 --> 01:41:05.359 and Protestants, and how they converted the native population. One 1809 01:41:05.439 --> 01:41:07.960 of these was through kindness, and one of these was 1810 01:41:08.039 --> 01:41:11.159 at gunpoint. Do your own history to find out who 1811 01:41:11.279 --> 01:41:14.560 did what. I'm just gonna say, we can't lump all 1812 01:41:14.560 --> 01:41:16.439 of them into the same grouping. But yes to your point, 1813 01:41:16.560 --> 01:41:19.079 raven Lee. Some of them were, some of them were 1814 01:41:19.600 --> 01:41:22.479 very much of their own fruition, some of them very 1815 01:41:22.560 --> 01:41:25.640 much were not. That is absolutely a fact, all right. 1816 01:41:25.720 --> 01:41:28.439 So reading in from the Smithsonian magazine here. For the 1817 01:41:28.520 --> 01:41:31.560 last few years, Native friends have shared their Christmas plans 1818 01:41:31.600 --> 01:41:35.239 and traditions with Smithsonian voices. This year we have updated 1819 01:41:35.279 --> 01:41:39.039 the story with new photographs and quotes. The introduction of 1820 01:41:39.119 --> 01:41:42.920 Christianity to the Americans and the origins of Christmas can 1821 01:41:43.000 --> 01:41:47.600 be controversial to native circles. Europeans knowingly replaced native people's 1822 01:41:47.680 --> 01:41:50.119 existing spiritual beliefs with the beliefs taught in the Bible, 1823 01:41:50.479 --> 01:41:54.479 cruelly and brutally often accompanied or cruelty and brutality rather 1824 01:41:54.640 --> 01:41:59.760 often accompanied this introd indoctrination. Yet it is also true 1825 01:41:59.800 --> 01:42:03.000 that some tribes, families, and individuals embrace the Bible and 1826 01:42:03.239 --> 01:42:08.079 Jesus teachings voluntarily. This complicated history is reflected here. All 1827 01:42:08.159 --> 01:42:11.319 throughout Indian country, native people have gathered in churches, missions, 1828 01:42:11.439 --> 01:42:13.600 and temples to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by 1829 01:42:13.640 --> 01:42:17.960 singing carols and hymns in their native language. In some churches, 1830 01:42:18.039 --> 01:42:20.720 the story of Jesus Birth is recited in native languages. 1831 01:42:21.000 --> 01:42:24.439 That's cool. Some Native churches also host Nativity plays using 1832 01:42:24.560 --> 01:42:27.960 Natives settings and actors to reenact the birth of Jesus 1833 01:42:28.039 --> 01:42:32.680 Christ among Catholics. Christmas Eve Mass traditionally begins in Indian 1834 01:42:32.720 --> 01:42:35.920 communities at midnight and extends into the early hours of 1835 01:42:36.000 --> 01:42:41.640 Christmas Day. In Tippis Hogans and houses, the Native American Church, 1836 01:42:41.800 --> 01:42:45.840 or the NAC, members also hold Christmas Services ceremonies that 1837 01:42:45.920 --> 01:42:49.439 begin on Christmas Eve and go all night until Christmas morning. 1838 01:42:49.880 --> 01:42:52.920 And I will say this about the NAC. They may 1839 01:42:53.119 --> 01:42:58.359 hold true to Christian beliefs, but they still blend them 1840 01:42:58.479 --> 01:43:03.399 with their ancestral Native customs and cultures. For instance, the 1841 01:43:03.520 --> 01:43:06.960 sharing of communal peyote. Even though the NAC is a 1842 01:43:07.079 --> 01:43:13.520 Christian denomination. When they do their massive like things, everybody, 1843 01:43:13.640 --> 01:43:16.359 including the small children will get their spoonful of peyote. 1844 01:43:16.840 --> 01:43:19.760 So keep in mind, they're still holding true to their 1845 01:43:19.800 --> 01:43:22.359 traditions as much as they can. So that's good things. 1846 01:43:24.079 --> 01:43:28.600 Let's see. Continuing on, music played in an important part 1847 01:43:28.640 --> 01:43:32.000 in converting Native people, establishing their practice of worship, and 1848 01:43:32.159 --> 01:43:35.000 teaching them how to celebrate the Christmas season. Perhaps the 1849 01:43:35.119 --> 01:43:38.600 earliest North American Christmas Carol was written in the why 1850 01:43:38.720 --> 01:43:46.520 a dote y undot language of the Huron winded people. Okay, Jesus, 1851 01:43:47.399 --> 01:43:51.720 Jesus ahtaniah Yeah, Jesus. 1852 01:43:51.600 --> 01:43:53.119 He is born. This is why I didn't want to 1853 01:43:53.159 --> 01:43:53.399 read it. 1854 01:43:53.600 --> 01:43:58.079 Yeah, thanks Dick. Popularly known as Noel Huron or the 1855 01:43:58.279 --> 01:44:01.239 Huron Carol, is said by oral traditions to have been 1856 01:44:01.279 --> 01:44:05.039 written in sixteen forty three by the Jesuit priest Jean 1857 01:44:05.159 --> 01:44:10.439 de bre beauf Okay. In contemporary times, traditional powow singing 1858 01:44:10.520 --> 01:44:13.880 groups have rearranged Christmas songs to appeal to native audiences. 1859 01:44:14.199 --> 01:44:17.479 I do love powow music, like the drums in. 1860 01:44:17.479 --> 01:44:21.319 The same fantastic. I have a girlfriend of mine that 1861 01:44:21.920 --> 01:44:26.640 I think lives in Wyoming, and she she's high, like 1862 01:44:26.800 --> 01:44:29.239 her family's high up, and I believe in a tribe. 1863 01:44:29.640 --> 01:44:33.079 But she makes traditional moccasins for all different sizes, mainly 1864 01:44:33.159 --> 01:44:37.039 she makes them for children, and her daughter just went 1865 01:44:37.119 --> 01:44:40.279 to her first powowt and oh my god, it's so cute. 1866 01:44:40.359 --> 01:44:40.760 I love it. 1867 01:44:40.880 --> 01:44:43.239 But I have actually quite a few friends that are Native, 1868 01:44:43.359 --> 01:44:47.720 and I just absolutely think that all of their different 1869 01:44:47.800 --> 01:44:50.199 tribes are so fascinating and they have some of the 1870 01:44:50.319 --> 01:44:54.880 best culture, and I just love listening to their dances 1871 01:44:54.920 --> 01:44:56.920 and the way they sing and everything that they do 1872 01:44:57.159 --> 01:44:57.920 is so awesome. 1873 01:44:58.479 --> 01:45:01.000 Shoot, I want to go. I want to get some moccasins. 1874 01:45:03.800 --> 01:45:06.600 I mean, if you're you, I don't know if you're 1875 01:45:06.640 --> 01:45:08.479 recognized by the tribe, but if. 1876 01:45:08.319 --> 01:45:10.359 You are, you can. You have to be recognized. My 1877 01:45:10.439 --> 01:45:12.760 money ain't green enough, asshole. 1878 01:45:13.000 --> 01:45:15.119 You have to be recognized by the tribe. You have 1879 01:45:15.199 --> 01:45:18.079 to have your certification to be able to attend a powow. 1880 01:45:18.279 --> 01:45:21.199 Oh no, no, not to attend a pow wow, to participate, 1881 01:45:21.279 --> 01:45:23.880 you got to, but you can show up as a spectator. 1882 01:45:24.279 --> 01:45:26.399 Oh I'm not trying to participate. I don't know the 1883 01:45:26.520 --> 01:45:28.399 dances of the songs, the language, any of that stuff. 1884 01:45:28.479 --> 01:45:31.239 But no, just to own a pair of moccasins and 1885 01:45:31.279 --> 01:45:34.560 wear them around the house like loafers. She I've found 1886 01:45:34.640 --> 01:45:38.840 some by Oneida and these are traditionally made the same 1887 01:45:38.880 --> 01:45:42.600 way that the Oneida tribe made them. But they're so expensive. 1888 01:45:42.640 --> 01:45:46.359 Harrison Ford consistently wears a pair. If you ever see 1889 01:45:46.399 --> 01:45:48.840 him out and about in town, and he's wearing these moccasins. 1890 01:45:50.039 --> 01:45:51.640 That's this one brand, And I. 1891 01:45:51.680 --> 01:45:54.880 Want one honestly, I honestly could probably reach out to 1892 01:45:54.960 --> 01:45:57.560 her and ask her and like, you know, commission her 1893 01:45:57.640 --> 01:46:02.000 for him, because her beadwork is so phenomenal. Oh my gosh, 1894 01:46:02.279 --> 01:46:05.359 oh I love looking and she did these really cool 1895 01:46:05.399 --> 01:46:07.640 ones for her daughter for the pow Wow Yeah, and 1896 01:46:07.800 --> 01:46:11.000 it's such intricate little details in the bead work. It's 1897 01:46:11.479 --> 01:46:12.359 absolutely awesome. 1898 01:46:12.439 --> 01:46:14.000 Okay, So yeah, I wouldn't want anything with the bead 1899 01:46:14.079 --> 01:46:15.960 work because it's sitting for pow wow us. This is 1900 01:46:16.000 --> 01:46:18.960 for like me, like hunting in the woods or walking 1901 01:46:19.000 --> 01:46:20.600 around the house or something like that. It would be 1902 01:46:20.680 --> 01:46:23.680 like as bare bones they come so like perhaps, oh. 1903 01:46:23.640 --> 01:46:26.279 Yeah, but she, yeah, she does that. And then actually 1904 01:46:26.319 --> 01:46:29.479 one of my best friends, one of my honestly, she 1905 01:46:29.640 --> 01:46:33.239 probably is my oldest best friend. Actually she is Native 1906 01:46:33.239 --> 01:46:39.520 American and she actually she made the traditional board. So 1907 01:46:39.640 --> 01:46:43.239 when she had her baby, she one of her kids, 1908 01:46:43.680 --> 01:46:45.880 they actually did like the whole ceremonies and all this 1909 01:46:45.960 --> 01:46:50.800 stuff for her being pregnant and her now ex but 1910 01:46:51.079 --> 01:46:55.000 he is like high up in the tribe itself, and 1911 01:46:55.279 --> 01:46:57.960 she brought over because our kids were only like a 1912 01:46:58.000 --> 01:47:01.319 few months apart, and she brought over the actual like backpack, 1913 01:47:01.439 --> 01:47:04.079 the traditional wearing and stuff, and she showed me how 1914 01:47:04.119 --> 01:47:06.439 to do all the laces and how how it is, 1915 01:47:06.640 --> 01:47:09.600 and she gave me all sorts of like so she actually, 1916 01:47:09.800 --> 01:47:11.520 you know, I got to use it and pack around 1917 01:47:11.600 --> 01:47:13.239 my kidne it and stuff, and it was it was 1918 01:47:13.319 --> 01:47:16.079 really cool. It was It's really cool to learn about stuff, 1919 01:47:16.119 --> 01:47:18.800 and I constantly am asking questions and like, what does 1920 01:47:18.880 --> 01:47:21.760 this to, what's this? Yeah, it's it's really awesome to 1921 01:47:21.800 --> 01:47:23.920 be able to have people that are close to me 1922 01:47:24.039 --> 01:47:26.640 that have such rich cultures and be able to learn 1923 01:47:26.720 --> 01:47:28.199 so many different backgrounds of people. 1924 01:47:28.560 --> 01:47:32.560 Absolutely. Continuing on to the article, it says a humorous 1925 01:47:32.600 --> 01:47:36.560 example is War Scouts n d N Twelve Days of 1926 01:47:36.640 --> 01:47:41.159 Christmas from their album Red Christmas. Native solo artists also 1927 01:47:41.239 --> 01:47:46.039 performed Christmas classics in native languages. Ronda Head Cree, for example, 1928 01:47:46.319 --> 01:47:51.279 has recorded Old Oh, Holy Night, and johna mashby Lumbee 1929 01:47:51.399 --> 01:47:56.600 and tuscarro roh Yeah has recorded Winter Wonderland in a jibway. Oh, 1930 01:47:56.680 --> 01:48:00.520 that's kind of cool. Native communities host traditional trap dances, 1931 01:48:00.720 --> 01:48:03.680 round dances, and powwows on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1932 01:48:03.800 --> 01:48:07.359 all among the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest, special dances 1933 01:48:07.439 --> 01:48:11.720 take place, such as Buffalo eagle, antelope, turtle, and harvest dances. 1934 01:48:12.039 --> 01:48:17.680 Well that's cool to see, right. The eight Northern Pueblos 1935 01:48:17.720 --> 01:48:22.560 of New Mexico perform Los Mati Mada Chinez. Yeah, a 1936 01:48:22.680 --> 01:48:27.119 special dance drama mixing North American, Moorish, Spanish and Pueblo cultures, 1937 01:48:27.359 --> 01:48:30.119 which takes place on Christmas Eve along with a pine 1938 01:48:30.239 --> 01:48:35.079 torch procession. Ah, I bet that thing go up. Oh wow, 1939 01:48:35.079 --> 01:48:37.159 there's a lot of really cool pictures here too. For 1940 01:48:37.279 --> 01:48:40.680 Native artisans, this is traditionally the busy season as they 1941 01:48:40.760 --> 01:48:44.720 prepare special Christmas gift items. Artists and crafts people across 1942 01:48:44.800 --> 01:48:50.680 the country create beadwork, woodwork, jewelry, clothing, basketry, pottery, sculptures, paintings, 1943 01:48:50.840 --> 01:48:54.439 leather work and featherwork for special Christmas sales and art 1944 01:48:54.560 --> 01:48:57.319 markets that are open to the public. For seventeen years, 1945 01:48:57.359 --> 01:49:00.560 the National Museum of the American Indian annually holds It's 1946 01:49:00.560 --> 01:49:03.640 a Native Art Market in New York and Washington a 1947 01:49:03.720 --> 01:49:07.319 few weeks before Christmas, which I got to say, when 1948 01:49:07.359 --> 01:49:10.199 we went to DC, I'm so pissed that the government 1949 01:49:10.279 --> 01:49:11.840 was still shut down. We couldn't go because that's one 1950 01:49:11.840 --> 01:49:12.720 of my favorite museums. 1951 01:49:14.239 --> 01:49:17.159 Oh yeah, that you were going to get all those Smithsonians. Yeah, 1952 01:49:17.960 --> 01:49:18.359 that's all. 1953 01:49:18.439 --> 01:49:20.439 I mean, We're gonna have to make another trip one day, 1954 01:49:21.199 --> 01:49:22.399 I know, in order. 1955 01:49:22.319 --> 01:49:25.720 We have the tribes in Washington and so a lot 1956 01:49:25.760 --> 01:49:28.760 of them come down and they sell at different markets 1957 01:49:28.800 --> 01:49:31.439 and stuff. I have, actually, I think of worn one 1958 01:49:31.560 --> 01:49:34.239 set already on the colt but I have quite a 1959 01:49:34.319 --> 01:49:39.840 few earring sets that are handbeaded, beautiful earrings, because I 1960 01:49:40.000 --> 01:49:42.079 just I love them and I want to support the community. 1961 01:49:42.239 --> 01:49:47.159 So absolutely. In many communities and homes, Christian customs are 1962 01:49:47.199 --> 01:49:50.439 interwoven with Native culture as a means of expressing Christmas 1963 01:49:50.520 --> 01:49:53.560 in a uniquely native way. The importance of giving is 1964 01:49:53.640 --> 01:49:56.319 a cultural tradition among most tribes. Even in times of 1965 01:49:56.399 --> 01:49:59.840 famine and destitution, Native people have made sure their families, 1966 01:49:59.840 --> 01:50:02.880 the old, and orphans were taken care of. This mindset 1967 01:50:02.960 --> 01:50:07.119 prevails into the present. Gift giving is appropriate whenever a tribal, 1968 01:50:07.199 --> 01:50:10.560 social or ceremonial gathering takes place. You know, that's actually 1969 01:50:10.680 --> 01:50:13.239 very important to all the native tribes. As a matter 1970 01:50:13.239 --> 01:50:16.920 of fact. Most famously, when the Irish potato famine took place, 1971 01:50:17.399 --> 01:50:22.000 the Choctaw Tribe sent Ireland five hundred dollars. That was 1972 01:50:22.079 --> 01:50:25.039 all they could afford to give at that moment. There 1973 01:50:25.119 --> 01:50:29.239 is a massive monument to the Choctaw Nation in Ireland 1974 01:50:29.319 --> 01:50:31.760 right now. It's five feathers and when I say massive, 1975 01:50:31.800 --> 01:50:36.560 like they're huge metal feathers that are up And basically 1976 01:50:36.600 --> 01:50:40.159 the Choctaw tribe knew nothing of Ireland, but they heard 1977 01:50:40.199 --> 01:50:42.199 through the grapevine that there was a potato famine and 1978 01:50:42.279 --> 01:50:44.840 that these people were starving to death. So they pulled 1979 01:50:44.880 --> 01:50:47.880 a collection of whatever they could and sent five hundred 1980 01:50:47.920 --> 01:50:50.960 dollars to Ireland to help. 1981 01:50:51.920 --> 01:50:55.720 I didn't even know that. That's crazy, especially five hundred 1982 01:50:55.760 --> 01:50:59.760 dollars back then. Yeah, that's so much money. And for 1983 01:50:59.800 --> 01:51:02.000 them to not even know them or have any part 1984 01:51:02.039 --> 01:51:04.720 of them, especially everything that was going on, that's so 1985 01:51:04.960 --> 01:51:07.119 kind to do that. I didn't even know that. That's 1986 01:51:07.439 --> 01:51:08.359 I would love to see that. 1987 01:51:08.680 --> 01:51:11.239 I am very proud of my choctawl heritage if anybody 1988 01:51:11.319 --> 01:51:13.279 didn't know, and it's not a lot I'm not. I 1989 01:51:13.319 --> 01:51:16.439 don't have like the card, although I think I could 1990 01:51:16.560 --> 01:51:19.880 get it like a little Member of the Choctaw Nation 1991 01:51:20.239 --> 01:51:23.520 identification card, but I haven't gone through the process yet. 1992 01:51:24.119 --> 01:51:27.279 But but yeah, they're If you look at the Choctaw history, 1993 01:51:27.279 --> 01:51:29.600 it's really cool. And their story of the original vampire, 1994 01:51:29.680 --> 01:51:32.079 which is where mosquitoes come from, it's a really cool story. 1995 01:51:32.199 --> 01:51:35.840 But anyway, honestly, I didn't, I haven't. I don't know 1996 01:51:35.880 --> 01:51:39.159 how much Blackfoot we have in us, so I'm I'm 1997 01:51:39.159 --> 01:51:41.359 gonna have to reach out to family members and see. 1998 01:51:41.560 --> 01:51:43.439 But I guess according to you, I don't know a 1999 01:51:43.520 --> 01:51:48.399 bunch about Blackfoot, But according to you, apparently we're a 2000 01:51:48.439 --> 01:51:49.359 little bit salty. 2001 01:51:49.800 --> 01:51:54.560 It looks a little bit shit. They're known as one 2002 01:51:54.640 --> 01:51:57.840 of the if not the meanest tribe. Take that with 2003 01:51:57.960 --> 01:51:59.399 whatever grain assault you need, you know. 2004 01:51:59.479 --> 01:52:01.000 What I'm here for it. 2005 01:52:01.319 --> 01:52:04.039 I'm about to say what you're You're gonna come combat 2006 01:52:04.119 --> 01:52:04.439 me on this? 2007 01:52:04.680 --> 01:52:09.119 Oh no, I'm like, if I have more in me 2008 01:52:09.239 --> 01:52:12.800 than I thought, like, first off, okay, that's pretty cool. 2009 01:52:14.399 --> 01:52:19.359 Second off, I am not pissed that, like potentially, however 2010 01:52:19.520 --> 01:52:22.079 much I have in me, the tribe that I come 2011 01:52:22.159 --> 01:52:25.720 from is like some survely bastards that like to like 2012 01:52:25.840 --> 01:52:30.039 some warfare. That's just you know, shocking. I don't. I 2013 01:52:30.079 --> 01:52:31.479 don't know how I ever came about that. 2014 01:52:31.680 --> 01:52:33.960 Now, yeah, I don't know. I also got a little 2015 01:52:34.000 --> 01:52:37.079 bit of hacksaw on me. We cut anything anyway, moving on. 2016 01:52:37.560 --> 01:52:41.720 In the same way, traditional native foods are prepared, I 2017 01:52:41.800 --> 01:52:46.199 couldn't resist. And this is dumb. It's funny. It's funny. 2018 01:52:47.119 --> 01:52:48.680 You do you feel good about you? 2019 01:52:48.880 --> 01:52:49.039 I do? 2020 01:52:49.359 --> 01:52:52.600 I do? I actually I feel real good about yourself. 2021 01:52:52.920 --> 01:52:55.239 You know, you gotta make the jokes when you can, 2022 01:52:55.600 --> 01:53:00.279 you know. In the same way, traditional native food foods 2023 01:53:00.279 --> 01:53:08.119 are prepared for this special occasion, salmon, wileye, shellfish, moose, venison, elk, mutton, geese, duck, rabbit, 2024 01:53:08.359 --> 01:53:13.560 wild rice, collar, greens, squash, pine nuts, corn soup, red 2025 01:53:13.640 --> 01:53:17.479 and green chili, stews, bread pudding, pueblo bread, peky bread, 2026 01:53:17.920 --> 01:53:22.319 bannock or fry bread, tortillas, berries, roots, and native teas 2027 01:53:22.560 --> 01:53:24.560 are just a few of That's not just a few, 2028 01:53:24.640 --> 01:53:27.399 that's a whole list of the things that come to mind. 2029 01:53:27.720 --> 01:53:31.720 Individual tribes and Indian organizations sponsor Christmas dinners for their 2030 01:53:31.800 --> 01:53:35.399 elders and communities prior to Christmas. Tribal service groups and 2031 01:53:35.520 --> 01:53:39.039 warrior societies visit retirement homes and shelters provide meals for 2032 01:53:39.159 --> 01:53:43.359 their tribe members on Christmas day. Hell, yeah, that's awesome. 2033 01:53:43.760 --> 01:53:46.399 Many tribes begin their Christmas meal by putting out a 2034 01:53:46.520 --> 01:53:51.319 feast plate or spirit dish for loved ones who passed away. 2035 01:53:51.600 --> 01:53:54.279 As a special Christmas day of feasting. A prayer is 2036 01:53:54.359 --> 01:53:57.319 rendered and food offerings are placed outside of the home 2037 01:53:57.399 --> 01:54:00.239 on a plate or in the sacred fire for relatives 2038 01:54:00.239 --> 01:54:02.880 who are no longer with us. The respect is that 2039 01:54:02.960 --> 01:54:06.439 you allow your remembrances those who have passed to eat first. 2040 01:54:07.159 --> 01:54:10.600 Many are experience or yeah, many are experiencing their first 2041 01:54:10.680 --> 01:54:15.359 Christmas without a loved one. Wow. Alternatively, some natives do 2042 01:54:15.439 --> 01:54:18.680 not celebrate Christmas, but use this seasonal opportunity to celebrate 2043 01:54:18.720 --> 01:54:22.960 the winter solstice. Yet others in northern plains are honoring 2044 01:54:23.000 --> 01:54:26.000 their relatives with a memorial horse ride called Dakota thirty 2045 01:54:26.039 --> 01:54:29.720 eight plus two. On December twenty sixth, eighteen sixty two, 2046 01:54:30.239 --> 01:54:34.319 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in Dakota Country, thirty eight Dakota 2047 01:54:34.399 --> 01:54:37.960 men were hung all at once. This Yeah, I remember 2048 01:54:38.039 --> 01:54:41.800 reading about this. This is the largest recorded mass execution 2049 01:54:41.960 --> 01:54:46.439 in US history. And how Some natives in the Minnesota, 2050 01:54:46.800 --> 01:54:51.039 Mni Soda and the Dakotas observe this time of year 2051 01:54:51.520 --> 01:54:54.760 each December tenth, riders set out to traverse three hundred 2052 01:54:54.760 --> 01:54:58.479 and thirty miles between Lower Brulai South Dakota and conclude 2053 01:54:58.560 --> 01:55:04.520 on December twenty sixth in monk Mankato, Minnesota. Okay, wow, 2054 01:55:05.000 --> 01:55:10.760 so yeah, Abe Lincoln basically gave the go ahead on 2055 01:55:10.920 --> 01:55:16.039 this mass execution in eighteen sixty two. There's some controversy 2056 01:55:16.079 --> 01:55:18.920 around it, and I'm not you could look into it 2057 01:55:18.960 --> 01:55:21.840 if anybody's curious, But yeah, these thirty eight men were 2058 01:55:22.720 --> 01:55:25.680 mass hung all at the same time. There was actually 2059 01:55:25.680 --> 01:55:28.199 special gallows that were made. Few hundred the. 2060 01:55:28.279 --> 01:55:31.279 Two hundred people were arrested and then he chose he 2061 01:55:31.399 --> 01:55:33.479 picked like thirty eight out of the two hundred and 2062 01:55:33.680 --> 01:55:36.199 eighteen or something like that. Yeah, and then those were 2063 01:55:36.199 --> 01:55:36.479 the ones. 2064 01:55:36.600 --> 01:55:38.760 Okay, yep, yep, that's what I thought. We just talked 2065 01:55:38.800 --> 01:55:40.640 about that a couple episodes ago. I'm not mistaken. 2066 01:55:40.720 --> 01:55:44.079 That was on the Thanksgiving episode. Yep, marifion that so 2067 01:55:44.119 --> 01:55:47.239 I was like, I know, this story I just interesting. 2068 01:55:47.720 --> 01:55:51.000 It's really cool though, how they take everything to their 2069 01:55:51.079 --> 01:55:54.640 elderly and the retirement homes, and I like that. I 2070 01:55:54.920 --> 01:55:58.680 like all the other traditions of culture or cultures that 2071 01:55:59.039 --> 01:56:02.399 celebrate their loved ones that have passed with setting out 2072 01:56:02.439 --> 01:56:05.560 of food or setting a prayer, lighting candles or something 2073 01:56:05.600 --> 01:56:08.079 like that. I've always thought that was such a wonderful 2074 01:56:08.760 --> 01:56:11.000 thing to do and be able to remember your loved 2075 01:56:11.039 --> 01:56:12.239 ones that were here at one point. 2076 01:56:12.640 --> 01:56:15.479 Yeah. Absolutely, And I mean hell, even the veteran community 2077 01:56:15.520 --> 01:56:19.720 does that, right If any any chowh or any veteran gathering, 2078 01:56:20.239 --> 01:56:24.000 or or any veteran organizational gathering, you'll see the table 2079 01:56:24.079 --> 01:56:27.800 set out, the lemon, the salt, the plate, the pow 2080 01:56:28.039 --> 01:56:30.520 n I A like. That's that's the thing that a 2081 01:56:30.600 --> 01:56:34.800 lot of cultures, specifically warrior cultures do to acknowledge those 2082 01:56:34.840 --> 01:56:36.960 that are not with us. So I get down on 2083 01:56:37.000 --> 01:56:37.800 the Catholics do that. 2084 01:56:38.279 --> 01:56:41.760 No, No, the Christians don't either, don't they not? 2085 01:56:41.960 --> 01:56:47.880 Really? Per Christian liturgy, you wouldn't set anything out for 2086 01:56:48.119 --> 01:56:50.279 your loved one that's not there, because your loved one 2087 01:56:50.479 --> 01:56:52.800 is seen to be in a better place where they 2088 01:56:52.880 --> 01:56:56.319 have no want for food or drink or anything like that. 2089 01:56:57.640 --> 01:57:01.640 But again, talking about war your cultures and societies like this, 2090 01:57:02.039 --> 01:57:05.279 or those that honor the spirits of their loved ones 2091 01:57:05.319 --> 01:57:08.800 that have passed, it's a thing that you'll see for sure. 2092 01:57:10.520 --> 01:57:10.960 Interesting. 2093 01:57:11.640 --> 01:57:15.760 According to the Urban Indian Health Commission, nearly seven out 2094 01:57:15.760 --> 01:57:19.039 of every ten American Indians and Alaska Natives. I don't 2095 01:57:19.039 --> 01:57:21.199 know why they would put those as different things, but okay, 2096 01:57:22.359 --> 01:57:25.359 two point eight million people live in or near cities 2097 01:57:25.520 --> 01:57:28.640 that and that number is growing. During the Christmas holidays, 2098 01:57:28.680 --> 01:57:31.640 many urban Natives travel back to their families, reservations, and 2099 01:57:31.720 --> 01:57:36.439 communities to reconnect and reaffirm tribal bonds. They open presents 2100 01:57:36.479 --> 01:57:39.119 and have big family meals like any other American Christian. 2101 01:57:39.720 --> 01:57:42.039 This year we ask our native friends how important is 2102 01:57:42.159 --> 01:57:44.600 Christmas to you? Here are some answers preceded by the 2103 01:57:44.680 --> 01:57:47.439 locations that they were submitted from net. 2104 01:57:48.560 --> 01:57:50.640 So this is what I was talking about. So this 2105 01:57:51.000 --> 01:57:54.039 talks about it's people from different parts of the country 2106 01:57:54.119 --> 01:57:57.199 and they kind of just share light of if they 2107 01:57:57.880 --> 01:57:59.800 celebrate or not. I don't know if you really want 2108 01:57:59.840 --> 01:58:02.399 to read into that, but it's just different places that 2109 01:58:02.560 --> 01:58:05.640 kind of Some of them say that family is important, 2110 01:58:05.760 --> 01:58:07.720 some of them say that they don't celebrate at all. 2111 01:58:07.880 --> 01:58:10.159 Some of them say that Christmas is for the children. 2112 01:58:10.840 --> 01:58:13.000 You know, it just depends on where it's at. So 2113 01:58:13.680 --> 01:58:15.439 that's kind of the end of what I was going 2114 01:58:15.520 --> 01:58:16.640 to put on that article. 2115 01:58:17.039 --> 01:58:18.880 Okay, I mean we don't really have to dig into 2116 01:58:18.920 --> 01:58:20.239 it if you don't want to, but I mean it 2117 01:58:20.640 --> 01:58:21.000 does go. 2118 01:58:22.039 --> 01:58:24.560 Yeah, I mean you can. It's just it's just different 2119 01:58:24.600 --> 01:58:27.960 people talking about their different family experiences. It's not like 2120 01:58:28.039 --> 01:58:30.399 speaking for the entire tribe of each location. 2121 01:58:31.600 --> 01:58:32.359 So yeah. 2122 01:58:32.920 --> 01:58:35.720 And I guess that's also they'd be like asking a 2123 01:58:35.800 --> 01:58:40.119 group of you know, people from all over the country 2124 01:58:40.199 --> 01:58:42.640 how they celebrate Christmas. You're going to get a wide 2125 01:58:42.720 --> 01:58:43.199 variety of. 2126 01:58:43.239 --> 01:58:48.399 Answers, right, I mean, hell, like as one street just 2127 01:58:49.279 --> 01:58:52.760 just in town, like in a subdivision, as one single street, 2128 01:58:53.079 --> 01:58:56.479 how do you celebrate Christmas? Every single person is going 2129 01:58:56.600 --> 01:58:57.800 to say something different. 2130 01:58:58.119 --> 01:59:00.520 Yeah, So I guess it's really good living test of 2131 01:59:01.159 --> 01:59:04.279 how Native tribesmen celebrate. 2132 01:59:04.159 --> 01:59:05.720 Its kind of why. I just you know, it's just 2133 01:59:05.960 --> 01:59:08.640 there's people that are like one reservation is in Idaho, 2134 01:59:08.840 --> 01:59:12.319 ones in like Colorado, and it's just one particular person's 2135 01:59:12.479 --> 01:59:15.399 opinion on it. And I just felt like it wasn't 2136 01:59:15.439 --> 01:59:18.720 really representing each tribe into the fullest. 2137 01:59:18.840 --> 01:59:21.000 So yeah, And it's it's not like that it says 2138 01:59:21.199 --> 01:59:23.279 like if this person holds some sort of position of 2139 01:59:23.359 --> 01:59:25.079 power within the tribe or on the rest. 2140 01:59:25.119 --> 01:59:29.199 Just random people that submitted their their knowledge in Yeah yeah, 2141 01:59:29.279 --> 01:59:29.479 so we. 2142 01:59:29.479 --> 01:59:31.760 Could bypass that all right, So now we are going 2143 01:59:31.840 --> 01:59:36.159 to shift over to Native News online warrior journalism defending 2144 01:59:36.319 --> 01:59:41.079 tribal sovereignty. Hell yeah, Okay, the winter Solstice begins a 2145 01:59:41.239 --> 01:59:44.880 season of storytelling and ceremony. Okay. 2146 01:59:45.319 --> 01:59:48.840 At this website has so much good information and a 2147 01:59:48.960 --> 01:59:54.199 lot of good articles about Native American practices, about their culture, 2148 01:59:54.319 --> 01:59:55.520 what's happening with them right. 2149 01:59:55.479 --> 01:59:56.840 Now, what they've been through. 2150 01:59:58.039 --> 02:00:00.560 It's really a very informative website. 2151 02:00:01.520 --> 02:00:05.680 Hell yeah, I like it. So in the northern hemisphere, 2152 02:00:05.760 --> 02:00:08.920 December twenty first will be the year's day of least sunlight, 2153 02:00:09.279 --> 02:00:12.039 when the sun takes its lowest, shortest path across the 2154 02:00:12.079 --> 02:00:15.119 sky north of the Arctic Circle. It will be the 2155 02:00:15.239 --> 02:00:18.720 midpoint of the period of darkness when even twilight doesn't 2156 02:00:18.760 --> 02:00:22.319 reach the horizon as we did before the solar eclipse 2157 02:00:22.359 --> 02:00:24.840 in August. This December, we ask our Native friends to 2158 02:00:24.920 --> 02:00:29.000 share traditions they've heard about Winter Solstice. Their answers highlight 2159 02:00:29.119 --> 02:00:32.239 winter as a time of storytelling. Interesting, So this is 2160 02:00:32.279 --> 02:00:34.840 actually written from what I could tell in twenty seventeen. 2161 02:00:35.479 --> 02:00:40.119 So this is from the Ajibwe, Minnesota Chippewa Chippewa tribe. Yeah. 2162 02:00:40.560 --> 02:00:43.640 This description of winter in many Native communities was prepared 2163 02:00:43.840 --> 02:00:46.800 by the Indian Land Tenure Foundation Lessons of Our Land 2164 02:00:46.880 --> 02:00:50.439 as background for teachers. Very good. Like many events in 2165 02:00:50.479 --> 02:00:53.840 American Indian culture, there is a proper time and place 2166 02:00:53.880 --> 02:00:57.279 for all activities. Traditional storytelling is reserved for the winter 2167 02:00:57.439 --> 02:01:00.760 months for many tribes. This was a practice choice given 2168 02:01:00.800 --> 02:01:03.760 the fact that during the other seasons people were busy growing, gathering, 2169 02:01:03.840 --> 02:01:06.439 and hunting food. It was in the winter, with the 2170 02:01:06.600 --> 02:01:09.840 long dark evenings, the snow and wind blowing outside, that 2171 02:01:10.000 --> 02:01:13.199 telling stories was a way to entertain and teach the children. 2172 02:01:13.640 --> 02:01:17.159 Another reason is that many traditional stories contain animal characters. 2173 02:01:17.479 --> 02:01:20.199 To be respectful, people waited until the winter when the 2174 02:01:20.279 --> 02:01:23.159 animals hibernate or become less active, so they cannot hear 2175 02:01:23.199 --> 02:01:24.560 themselves being talked about. 2176 02:01:25.079 --> 02:01:27.239 Okay, hell yeah, I thought that was super cute. I 2177 02:01:27.439 --> 02:01:28.600 was like, man, that's awesome. 2178 02:01:28.840 --> 02:01:31.600 I mean, I get it, especially if they A lot 2179 02:01:31.640 --> 02:01:34.439 of the Native tribes believe that their language is something 2180 02:01:34.479 --> 02:01:37.640 that resonates with the animals, So you want to be 2181 02:01:37.720 --> 02:01:40.960 talking about the bear when the bear is out and about. 2182 02:01:41.359 --> 02:01:43.600 Right numbers like okay, thanks. 2183 02:01:43.800 --> 02:01:43.960 Yeah. 2184 02:01:44.079 --> 02:01:47.560 Now as you're talking about like wind howling and blowing outside, 2185 02:01:48.000 --> 02:01:50.800 the wind is blowing so strong right now? Is it 2186 02:01:50.960 --> 02:01:51.359 at night? 2187 02:01:51.840 --> 02:01:52.039 It is? 2188 02:01:52.279 --> 02:01:55.039 Yeah, So it's like it's past midnight here for us, 2189 02:01:55.199 --> 02:01:59.600 and it is howling like it sounds like wolves outside. 2190 02:02:00.880 --> 02:02:02.720 I keep thinking it's going to get picked up on 2191 02:02:02.920 --> 02:02:06.520 the on the microphone because it's so loud. I was like, 2192 02:02:06.760 --> 02:02:09.920 is there a draft somewhere in my house? Is that far? 2193 02:02:10.039 --> 02:02:10.359 So good? 2194 02:02:10.880 --> 02:02:14.000 As as we're sitting here doing that, I was just like, man, 2195 02:02:14.119 --> 02:02:16.399 it is it is howlin outside for sure. 2196 02:02:16.880 --> 02:02:20.359 Yeah, it'd be like that. So anyway, continuing, it says 2197 02:02:20.439 --> 02:02:22.800 to have a storyteller tell you a story is like 2198 02:02:22.840 --> 02:02:26.119 receiving a gift. To be respectful, a gift of tobacco 2199 02:02:26.399 --> 02:02:30.279 is offered to the storyteller before the story begins. Good good. 2200 02:02:30.640 --> 02:02:33.279 The storyteller will often take the tobacco outside and place 2201 02:02:33.319 --> 02:02:36.840 it on the earth as an offering to the spirits 2202 02:02:36.880 --> 02:02:39.079 of the story. Now where I thought that next part 2203 02:02:39.199 --> 02:02:41.680 was going? But all right, fair enough, you know, save 2204 02:02:41.720 --> 02:02:43.279 the lungs for other things. 2205 02:02:43.880 --> 02:02:45.640 You want me to read these ones if you would 2206 02:02:45.720 --> 02:02:50.520 like to, Okay, seeing Carlos Apache, Arizona. This reminds me 2207 02:02:50.600 --> 02:02:53.399 when I was young, my grandfather would ask a really 2208 02:02:53.520 --> 02:02:57.520 old man to come to come visit. We would eat dinner, 2209 02:02:57.720 --> 02:03:01.359 they would visit, smoke, and then my grandpa would bundle bundle, 2210 02:03:02.000 --> 02:03:04.399 would put a bundle on his feet. Soon he would 2211 02:03:04.479 --> 02:03:06.960 start to telling stories most of the night. 2212 02:03:07.840 --> 02:03:09.479 Very good. I like that one. 2213 02:03:09.920 --> 02:03:13.920 Now, so Chunk Nation of Wisconsin is the next one. 2214 02:03:14.000 --> 02:03:17.000 We have to wait for the winter moon and there 2215 02:03:17.479 --> 02:03:20.000 has to be snow on the mother Earth for those stories. 2216 02:03:21.000 --> 02:03:22.079 Oh, very cool. 2217 02:03:22.680 --> 02:03:25.119 Yes, they actually have to wait and tell snow is 2218 02:03:25.239 --> 02:03:31.159 happening before they can even start their stories. Blackfoot, Blackfoot, Calgary, Alberta. 2219 02:03:31.840 --> 02:03:33.000 People come from Alberta. 2220 02:03:33.319 --> 02:03:35.680 Your people come from very cold climb as you got 2221 02:03:35.800 --> 02:03:40.479 Norway and Alberta, and then you'll ended up in Louisiana. 2222 02:03:41.159 --> 02:03:43.920 Yeah, I mean, well, I am French too, like a 2223 02:03:43.960 --> 02:03:47.079 good amount of French. So Francis are the same with 2224 02:03:47.199 --> 02:03:49.159 snow and stories. That's all it says. 2225 02:03:50.119 --> 02:03:53.439 Basically, they wait until there's snow on the ground before 2226 02:03:53.520 --> 02:03:55.359 they sit around the fire and listen to the old 2227 02:03:55.399 --> 02:03:56.319 man tell the stories. 2228 02:03:56.720 --> 02:04:04.199 Very cool. I'm gonna butcher that Omakumakuma Coma, Cuma Pablo Pueblo, 2229 02:04:04.279 --> 02:04:09.319 New Mexico Pueblo. Yeah, the winter solstice marks the new 2230 02:04:09.399 --> 02:04:15.840 year in Kuma at the time mark at the time 2231 02:04:15.920 --> 02:04:19.479 with ceremonies not privy to the public. It is also 2232 02:04:19.600 --> 02:04:28.039 the time for hama ha ha hamaha ha ha maha maha. Okay, 2233 02:04:28.520 --> 02:04:32.119 storytelling of the coyote, stories of heroes, stories of animals, 2234 02:04:32.199 --> 02:04:35.119 sharing of knowledge. My parents said that when you call 2235 02:04:35.640 --> 02:04:43.399 Hamama hama maha, people will arrive with pinon pignon nuts 2236 02:04:43.479 --> 02:04:46.239 gathered in the fall that are roasted and shared. 2237 02:04:47.199 --> 02:04:50.239 Interesting, So the whole chestnuts roasting on an open fire. 2238 02:04:50.359 --> 02:04:54.239 Bit that that has its own, you know, thing through 2239 02:04:54.359 --> 02:04:56.680 the through the customs and cultures, which I mean to 2240 02:04:56.720 --> 02:04:59.119 be fair nuts are more of a wintertime thing. So 2241 02:04:59.840 --> 02:05:01.840 so that makes sense. Okay. 2242 02:05:02.079 --> 02:05:07.399 So we have oh man, that is that is a word? 2243 02:05:07.840 --> 02:05:13.960 Hamaha? Oh oh the pass yep passamaquote. 2244 02:05:15.279 --> 02:05:17.840 It's a New England tribe. I'm not gonna lie to 2245 02:05:17.920 --> 02:05:20.760 you being dyslexic and then trying to actually read some 2246 02:05:20.840 --> 02:05:21.439 of these words. 2247 02:05:21.479 --> 02:05:23.520 I'm just like, oh, there's no way you could be 2248 02:05:23.600 --> 02:05:27.159 dyslexic and read the native tribes names. That's impossible. 2249 02:05:27.239 --> 02:05:29.000 I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm kind of like 2250 02:05:29.279 --> 02:05:31.039 shoe is it is. 2251 02:05:31.119 --> 02:05:35.960 A all right, So this is the passa Macati out 2252 02:05:36.000 --> 02:05:38.159 of New England. I hope I said that right. 2253 02:05:38.920 --> 02:05:43.000 In traditional calendars in Northeast, the solstice is always marked 2254 02:05:43.199 --> 02:05:47.239 for my folks. It's a sign that the frost Yep, 2255 02:05:47.279 --> 02:05:51.479 we gotta gotta do the page turn. Yeah, the frost 2256 02:05:51.640 --> 02:05:56.119 giants will be returning to the north. Especially pretty cool. 2257 02:05:56.199 --> 02:05:59.880 The New England native tribes have frost giants in their low. 2258 02:06:00.520 --> 02:06:02.800 I had no idea. I thought that was specifically a 2259 02:06:02.880 --> 02:06:03.439 Nordic thing. 2260 02:06:04.399 --> 02:06:07.600 H I didn't actually know that either. But you remember 2261 02:06:07.760 --> 02:06:10.119 right that the Vikings were the first ones to make 2262 02:06:10.239 --> 02:06:13.760 contact with tribes here in North America. 2263 02:06:14.039 --> 02:06:15.239 Yeah, but that was in Canada. 2264 02:06:16.159 --> 02:06:19.159 No, but the but they landed in Canada and they 2265 02:06:19.319 --> 02:06:23.399 came down into America, damn, near like halfway to Virginia. 2266 02:06:23.479 --> 02:06:25.680 They found remains of settlements and stuff like that. 2267 02:06:26.199 --> 02:06:26.760 Very true. 2268 02:06:27.399 --> 02:06:30.199 It could be that they actually cross cultures and they 2269 02:06:30.319 --> 02:06:33.560 had some you know, traditions potentially bleed over. 2270 02:06:34.199 --> 02:06:37.720 Very possible. Okay, let's see. 2271 02:06:39.439 --> 02:06:41.800 The I'm gonna let you do that one. 2272 02:06:41.960 --> 02:06:45.920 Yeah, Asiny Boyne sue the Sioux tribe I know of. 2273 02:06:46.079 --> 02:06:48.079 I don't know like what clan that is. So that 2274 02:06:48.800 --> 02:06:52.840 a boy as Sydney boyne blonde, I'm not sure. 2275 02:06:53.680 --> 02:06:56.079 We just be butchering everything tonight. 2276 02:06:56.319 --> 02:06:59.359 The Sioux tribe of South Dakota. Here we go, go ahead, 2277 02:07:00.439 --> 02:07:04.640 the wanna yet to or winter time for gathering ken 2278 02:07:04.880 --> 02:07:09.479 sassa or red willow bark while the thunder is gone. 2279 02:07:11.079 --> 02:07:16.840 Interesting, Okay, wintertime for gathering the red willow bark while 2280 02:07:16.880 --> 02:07:18.079 the thunder is gone. 2281 02:07:19.039 --> 02:07:23.159 So they gather the red willow bark during the winter. 2282 02:07:23.279 --> 02:07:25.560 I don't know why specifically that, but that is a 2283 02:07:25.640 --> 02:07:26.000 thing for this. 2284 02:07:26.840 --> 02:07:28.880 We'll have to look into that more, all right. 2285 02:07:29.000 --> 02:07:34.319 So now this is the seal Selks s y I 2286 02:07:34.840 --> 02:07:42.880 l X Silks Okay, Washington State and British Columbia. Do 2287 02:07:42.880 --> 02:07:43.800 you want to read this one or me? 2288 02:07:45.079 --> 02:07:47.399 What I know is that it marks the point in 2289 02:07:48.119 --> 02:07:51.680 time when our winter ceremonies can be held. My grandmother 2290 02:07:51.840 --> 02:07:55.479 sometimes held her first ceremony of the winter at this 2291 02:07:55.720 --> 02:07:59.680 powerful time. We have winter dance, ceremonies, prayers for the 2292 02:07:59.760 --> 02:08:03.439 new year to come, for the berries roots, four leggeds, 2293 02:08:04.079 --> 02:08:07.600 four legs, four leggeds, like yeah, four leggeds. I was 2294 02:08:07.680 --> 02:08:10.039 right the first time, okay, and the fish, the four 2295 02:08:10.640 --> 02:08:16.239 food chiefs, prayers for our families and ourselves. There are songs, dancing, feasting, 2296 02:08:16.359 --> 02:08:19.439 and giveaways. This is held during the evening and can 2297 02:08:19.520 --> 02:08:22.319 go all night depending on the number of sacred singers 2298 02:08:22.640 --> 02:08:26.680 who come to share. The ceremonies are called winter dances 2299 02:08:26.960 --> 02:08:31.279 or my grandfather also called them Chinook dances in our 2300 02:08:31.399 --> 02:08:39.520 territory to the south, in Washington State aroundnessipline discipline. My 2301 02:08:39.640 --> 02:08:43.199 grandfather told me one dance ceremony lasting ten nights in 2302 02:08:43.319 --> 02:08:46.880 a row. Yo, that's pretty intense. 2303 02:08:47.479 --> 02:08:51.199 They'd be getting down ten nights of ceremony just for 2304 02:08:51.319 --> 02:08:54.840 one dance ceremony. All right, Yeah, so I like to 2305 02:08:54.920 --> 02:08:55.720 throw down, I hear you. 2306 02:08:57.159 --> 02:09:01.239 I did have a quick one though. From the Apache culture, 2307 02:09:01.439 --> 02:09:04.560 marking the time of renewal and return of the light 2308 02:09:04.840 --> 02:09:08.880 missed during the season often features stories of survival, of importance, 2309 02:09:09.640 --> 02:09:12.960 and gathering as a community to share resources and knowledge. 2310 02:09:13.079 --> 02:09:18.439 Traditions during the wintertime include storytelling sessions to be passed 2311 02:09:18.439 --> 02:09:22.119 down with wisdom and knowledge, ceremonies to honor ancestors and 2312 02:09:22.199 --> 02:09:25.640 reflect on the past year, community gatherings to strengthen the 2313 02:09:25.760 --> 02:09:31.319 bonds and celebrate one another and reinforce the idea of 2314 02:09:31.520 --> 02:09:34.800 winter while the time is a time of rest and 2315 02:09:34.880 --> 02:09:37.640 also a critical part of the seasonal cycle that prepares 2316 02:09:37.680 --> 02:09:40.720 the community for renewal of the spring. So there's a 2317 02:09:40.760 --> 02:09:43.000 lot of different tribes and stuff. You have to go 2318 02:09:43.119 --> 02:09:45.760 to each tribe to break down what they actually believe in, 2319 02:09:45.920 --> 02:09:48.159 what they do, and things like that. But I kind 2320 02:09:48.199 --> 02:09:51.680 of just wanted to briefly touch on Native Americans just 2321 02:09:51.760 --> 02:09:54.800 because they you know, because we were talking about a 2322 02:09:54.920 --> 02:09:57.279 Black holiday as well, and so I wanted to kind 2323 02:09:57.319 --> 02:09:58.920 of touch on other American holidays. 2324 02:09:59.199 --> 02:10:03.960 Absolutely is a inherently American holiday. As a matter of fact, 2325 02:10:04.039 --> 02:10:07.199 I only found a few scant sources to find that 2326 02:10:07.319 --> 02:10:10.479 anybody in Canada was celebrating it. So I don't know, 2327 02:10:10.880 --> 02:10:14.920 perhaps it's gone more international. I can't find anything to 2328 02:10:15.000 --> 02:10:17.479 say so, But because we were talking about, you know, 2329 02:10:17.600 --> 02:10:19.520 tis the season, and in this week we're gonna be 2330 02:10:19.560 --> 02:10:21.640 talking about a lot of different holidays and celebrations from 2331 02:10:21.680 --> 02:10:24.159 around the world, Kwansa being an American one, we did 2332 02:10:24.279 --> 02:10:27.199 want to take a moment to acknowledge Native American customs 2333 02:10:27.239 --> 02:10:30.560 and cultures, some surrounding Christmas, some surrounding just the winter 2334 02:10:31.119 --> 02:10:34.920 solstices and this time of year in general. Tomorrow's episode 2335 02:10:34.960 --> 02:10:36.880 we are going to be talking into more of the 2336 02:10:37.039 --> 02:10:41.279 obscure celebrations and things of the customs and cultures and 2337 02:10:41.359 --> 02:10:44.079 things and stuff. So I find this to be a 2338 02:10:44.159 --> 02:10:46.520 good transitional episode, Like. 2339 02:10:46.560 --> 02:10:49.119 I'm really excited about that. That's like the one I'm 2340 02:10:49.159 --> 02:10:52.159 looking forward to the absolute most. Oh yeah, because there's 2341 02:10:52.199 --> 02:10:56.720 a lot of different celebration There's some that are really 2342 02:10:57.000 --> 02:11:00.479 there's like fifteen of them that are pretty bizarre. But 2343 02:11:00.600 --> 02:11:04.960 there is a lot of different cultures that celebrate Christmas 2344 02:11:05.039 --> 02:11:09.039 in different ways or winter Solstice, and they obviously have 2345 02:11:09.239 --> 02:11:11.399 changed through the times. So I was really pumped to 2346 02:11:11.439 --> 02:11:15.159 get into that history and different cultures and stuff like 2347 02:11:15.239 --> 02:11:17.600 that in the backgrounds and so yeah, this is a 2348 02:11:17.640 --> 02:11:20.199 good segue to go. You know, Native American tribes will 2349 02:11:20.199 --> 02:11:24.119 be mentioned, probably as most likely, but there's definitely a 2350 02:11:24.279 --> 02:11:29.960 lot of interesting historical backgrounds into the quote unquote Christmas. 2351 02:11:30.479 --> 02:11:33.520 Absolutely, So as we wrap up this episode, good cult 2352 02:11:33.600 --> 02:11:36.840 members or talking about gift giving, multiple tribes, multiple cultures, 2353 02:11:36.880 --> 02:11:39.079 hell even Kwanza and if you would like to get 2354 02:11:39.119 --> 02:11:42.760 your family member a good gift. Silver and gold is 2355 02:11:42.840 --> 02:11:45.359 a really good gift as well as a good investment 2356 02:11:45.439 --> 02:11:47.840 to give your loved ones or yourself. And the best 2357 02:11:47.840 --> 02:11:49.520 place to get your starting the buying and selling of 2358 02:11:49.600 --> 02:11:51.039 gold and silver, boy, you would be to go to 2359 02:11:51.119 --> 02:11:54.079 Lincoln the description to ccsilver dot com when you fill 2360 02:11:54.119 --> 02:11:56.159 out transformation. Our homeboy Wayne Clark will be the one 2361 02:11:56.199 --> 02:11:57.600 to reach out to you and get you squared away. 2362 02:11:57.960 --> 02:12:00.239 Like I said, it is a good investment. To your 2363 02:12:00.279 --> 02:12:03.119 financial advisor, your account in your CPA, who's ever handling 2364 02:12:03.199 --> 02:12:05.680 your retirement and ask them if they think that this 2365 02:12:05.840 --> 02:12:07.640 is a wise investment. I promise you they're going to 2366 02:12:07.680 --> 02:12:10.239 tell you at least a portion of your retirement portfolio 2367 02:12:10.359 --> 02:12:13.399 needs to be invested in precious metals. Right now, silver 2368 02:12:13.600 --> 02:12:16.479 is over sixty dollars an ounce. When we started this 2369 02:12:17.079 --> 02:12:20.840 sponsorship with the seven K Company, it was a little 2370 02:12:20.880 --> 02:12:23.159 over thirty dollars an ounce. In one year, it's doubled 2371 02:12:23.239 --> 02:12:25.920 in price. That's only going to continue to go up 2372 02:12:26.000 --> 02:12:29.119 because that's the way this goes. While it's still affordable. 2373 02:12:29.359 --> 02:12:32.399 Get some for yourself. Cocsilver dot Com is the best 2374 02:12:32.399 --> 02:12:34.600 place to get your start if you are somebody that 2375 02:12:34.760 --> 02:12:37.039 like we are, learning about the libations that you might 2376 02:12:37.119 --> 02:12:41.119 have during Kwanza, or perhaps the tobacco that is being 2377 02:12:41.199 --> 02:12:44.039 handed over in some of these native tries for these stories. 2378 02:12:44.319 --> 02:12:46.039 If you're somebody that likes to get down with the 2379 02:12:46.079 --> 02:12:49.479 blessed erb but may not like the scent that it 2380 02:12:49.560 --> 02:12:51.960 leaves your breath smelling like a skunk and things like that, 2381 02:12:52.359 --> 02:12:55.479 but you still want to experience the positivity of the THCHC, 2382 02:12:56.000 --> 02:12:57.279 then what you need to do is go to link 2383 02:12:57.279 --> 02:12:59.640 in the description to Good Feels cannabis Seltzer. 2384 02:13:00.199 --> 02:13:00.319 Uh. 2385 02:13:00.800 --> 02:13:04.039 I don't particularly partake in this myself, Jonathan has he 2386 02:13:04.159 --> 02:13:06.399 swears by the product, and if you will like twenty 2387 02:13:06.439 --> 02:13:08.640 percent off your order, then you go to the link 2388 02:13:08.720 --> 02:13:10.720 in the description. Usually with promo codes, you have to 2389 02:13:10.760 --> 02:13:13.000 type in cult at checkout to get an order off 2390 02:13:13.079 --> 02:13:16.880 or whatever the percentage off. With this, you click the link, 2391 02:13:17.000 --> 02:13:18.880 it's already giving you the twenty percent off and they 2392 02:13:18.920 --> 02:13:20.800 have a wide variety of flavors and they will ship 2393 02:13:20.840 --> 02:13:22.640 them right to your door. If you'd like to get 2394 02:13:22.640 --> 02:13:25.359 to your own go to Good Feels cannabis Seltzer link 2395 02:13:25.439 --> 02:13:28.680 in the description below. But another way to support the show, 2396 02:13:28.760 --> 02:13:30.479 good cult members and let us know what you think 2397 02:13:30.520 --> 02:13:32.560 about this episode. What do you think about Kwanza, What 2398 02:13:32.600 --> 02:13:34.239 do you think about some of these native tribes? What 2399 02:13:34.319 --> 02:13:37.079 do you think about the controversy surrounding Krenga. I want 2400 02:13:37.119 --> 02:13:39.439 to know, good cult members. Hit us in the comments section. 2401 02:13:39.600 --> 02:13:43.079 The best place would be too, Please hit the five Stars, 2402 02:13:43.119 --> 02:13:45.119 hit the shares of li ssuscribes comments, leave a post reviewer, 2403 02:13:45.119 --> 02:13:46.920 shares at the friends of family, shriffes if we're here's 2404 02:13:46.960 --> 02:13:49.520 the deal. The more activity the algorithm sees across all 2405 02:13:49.600 --> 02:13:51.640 of our listening platforms, the more we get promoted to 2406 02:13:51.680 --> 02:13:54.399 more potential listeners. Who could that become potential cult members like. 2407 02:13:54.439 --> 02:13:54.760 The rest of you. 2408 02:13:54.880 --> 02:13:56.760 Finallys and gentlemen, why are you ready to go check 2409 02:13:56.800 --> 02:13:58.680 out menimistics Jonathan's of the show and give them the 2410 02:13:58.680 --> 02:14:00.239 same level of respect over there with the five started 2411 02:14:00.319 --> 02:14:02.680 using the positivity in the comments, Come check out the 2412 02:14:02.760 --> 02:14:05.560 Cage to Night that comes Joint Egyptus for individual patron 2413 02:14:05.640 --> 02:14:08.119 lives we host every Wednesday night. I'm hem Central. Links 2414 02:14:08.159 --> 02:14:09.840 to those are in the description as well, and we 2415 02:14:10.079 --> 02:14:12.600 thank you. Everybody's already gone done so. With all of 2416 02:14:12.680 --> 02:14:16.479 this being said, good cult members, hamar Ghane, Happy holidays, 2417 02:14:16.680 --> 02:14:21.319 Merry Christmas. And this was another Buke episode of the 2418 02:14:21.520 --> 02:14:23.680 Cobs of Conspiracy. 2419 02:14:23.359 --> 02:14:26.239 And I am the Cage of Night amazingly, and there's 2420 02:14:26.279 --> 02:14:28.720 one very import extremely by of these things make much 2421 02:14:28.760 --> 02:14:30.640 to learn just as him as human