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Haitian culture
was showcased for three consecutive weeks (June 27-July 03)
in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this year. The exhibition
entitled Haiti: Freedom and Creativity from the Mountain to
the sea was a huge success. The exhibition presented an opportunity
for more than a million and half people of all walks of life
to experience the Haitian culture first hand. Among the participants
of the festival were Haitian musicians, artisans, cooks, storytellers,
vendors, and scholars. Visitors of the festival did not only
get a chance to glimpse at the culture, but also they had
ample opportunities to learn in a more meaningful way the
struggle for freedom and creativity in the Haitian way of
life. Visitors learned about the root of the Haitian language,
Creole, and as well as how to say a few word in Creole by
attending tutorial sessions. Some learned how to cook Haitian
food. Many attended lectures on the Haitian revolution, voodoo
ceremonies and others participate in discussions relating
to the continued struggle of the Haitian in the Diaspora.
Two presentations in particular were devoted to discuss issues
pertaining to intellectual property and the Haitian culture.
Particularly, Mr. Jean Homere and Mr. Albert DeCady, both
directors of HAIPA, led the two discussion panels on the subjects
of “Traditional Knowledge: Owning it and Passing it
on” and “Who owns Haitian Culture.” respectively.
During these two discussion sessions, many artists, artisans,
musicians, and dancers used this forum to voice their opinions
regarding the lack of protection for their work in Haiti and
in the world at large.
During the first session, the panelists took the opportunity
to discuss how traditional knowledge, if protected in Haiti,
can provide these Haitian artisans with an economic edge.
The panelists discussed how these various traditional knowledge
came into being and how they have been preserved and evolved
over time. The panelists also discussed that traditional knowledge
would be the best medium of protection for Haitian artisans,
and recommend that Haiti take a more active role in ongoing
effort to extend intellectual property protection to traditional
knowledge. During the second session, the panelists discussed
the origin and evolution of Haitian Culture. Particularly,
the panelists discussed how indigenous cultures, influences
from Africa, France, Spain, England, and the United States
have impacted the Haitian culture over time. The panelists
also noted that over time, the Haitian art and culture have
dynamically evolves to reflect and capture the political and
economic atmospheres in Haiti.
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