.jpg) Cowra POW Camp
Set in the peaceful pastoral countryside of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the remains of the WWII Cowra Prisoner of War Camp is listed as one of the state’s top heritage sites. Peace.
Is there such a thing?
At the moment – at least in my corner of the world – there is an absence of war.
Given the current political climates internationally, this absence of war does not feel like “peace”. It feels like a precarious balance of competing tensions: a temporary truce, while one holds ones breath. All around the world, there are military or authoritarian governments in power; there are people trying to live in cities that have been reduced to rubble; and there are people on the move, trying to escape conflict. And Australia, which is ostensibly “at peace”, has thousands of ADF (Australian Defence Forces) personnel deployed to various overseas and internal operations aimed at protecting Australian national interests and borders.
In her 1994 book Time on our Side, Dorothy Rowe, renowned Australian psychologist and writer, posited that true peace is not really possible while we raise children on what she considered “the violence” of bribes and threats, and while governments attempt to subdue each other through trade sanctions (bullying) and more powerful weaponry (force). I fear she is right, but I can’t see an alternative while we have such difficulty with finding common ground across so many domains.
These and other musings on the impossibility of drawing an agreed clear line between concepts integral to the human condition (nature vs nurture; the personal vs the societal; freedom vs responsibility; etc., etc.) whirled around my head after a visit to Cowra, a small town in the Central West of New South Wales, surrounded by fields of grain, orchards, vineyards, vegetable-growing and pastoralism.
Cowra was the site of the bloodiest — and largest — prison escape[s] in British and Australian War history. At the behest of the British Government, Australia built 28 Prisoner of War camps across the country to house soldiers captured in North Africa and the Pacific. Camp Number 12 was built at Cowra in 1941, not far from a Recruit Training Battalion.
At 1:50 in the morning of August 5th 1944, 1,104 Japanese Prisoners of War (POWs) staged a mass breakout from Compound B at the Cowra POW camp. Three hundred and seventy-eight Japanese POWs made it over or through the fence, and 231 died during or as a consequence of the attempt. Five Australians died; all of the escapees who survived were eventually rounded up.
This rather tragic episode was later attributed – in part – to a misunderstanding, but it also highlights some of the enormous differences possible in societal world-views.
Even today, Japanese society is experienced as collectivistic by Western individualist standards; at the time of WWII this was even more the case. Although the country was not without anti-imperial dissidents, Japanese were raised to revere the Emperor as a living deity, and to see war – ideologically – as an act of purification. Following the practice of Bushido, the ancient samurai code of ethics, surrender to enemy forces was unthinkable. In the Field Service Code of 1941, General Tojo instructed: Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave no ignominious crime behind you.
In practice, whether Japanese soldiers agreed with these views or not, they had little choice, and surrender would not only disgrace themselves but also bring shame to their families. Most fought until they were killed, or they committed suicide: those who were taken prisoner were often too ill or injured to kill themselves.
Although the captured Japanese in Allied POW camps were treated in accordance with the 1929 Geneva Convention governing the treatment of POWs, their country was not a signatory, and they were expected to vigorously resist incarceration.
This resistance led to the planned mass attack on the camp guards, the Australian soldiers of the 22nd Garrison. What we call the “Cowra Breakout” might better be referred to as the ‘night of a thousand suicides’.
Either way, like most episodes in war, it resulted in tragic loss of life.
.jpg) Cowra Information Centre
Visitors to Cowra are encouraged to follow “The Cowra Breakout Trail”, which starts at the Information Centre with a delightful 9-minute hologram and explanatory sign boards. (iPhone6) .jpg) Entry to the Japanese War Cemetery
The Cowra War Cemetery includes a section for the remains of all Japanese prisoners of war who died in Australia during World War II. This includes those killed during the Battle of Darwin: the Japanese bombing of Darwin in the Northern Territory on 19 February 1942.  Fallen Leaves
Autumn leaves and dappled light add to the sense of respectful quiet. Ishi-Dōrō
This is the only Japanese war cemetery maintained in Australia: the land was ceded to Japan in 1963. Memorial : Japanese War Cemetery Japanese POWs
There are 523 graves here, including those of the 231 Japanese soldiers who were killed during the 1944 Cowra Breakout. The Cowra General Cemetery
The general town cemetery is at the same location, … “Cause of Death: Illness”
… as are the markers for Australian WWII service personnel. These include those who died in training at the local Military Camp, and the four who were killed during the Breakout. Garrison Walk
Nearby, a one-kilometre walk leads around the old garrison and the prisoner of war camp. Remains of the Electrical Switching Hut
Most of the buildings in the camp and garrison were rather make-shift and have long since disappeared, but this one was more sturdily build by Italian POWs from recycled materials scavenged in the area. Camp Ruins
It is a peaceful walk around the ruins: even on an Autumn day, the sun radiates heat through the clean air, while a graceful tree shades the foundations of a POW hut. Nature’s Artworks : Almost Abstract Japanese Gardens
My next stop was at the Japanese Gardens – an enduring symbol of reconciliation between Australia and Japan designed in Edo-period style by Ken Nakajima. Ducklings
At 12 acres (5 hectares), these are the largest Japanese gardens in the Southern Hemisphere. Galahs – Eolophus Roseicapilla
A variety of Australian native birds make themselves right at home here. Eastern Rosellas – Platycercus Eximius Red-Rumped Parrot – Psephotus Haematonotus Waterfalls
The first stage of the garden was opened in 1979, and a second section was opened in 1986. Coi Pond Little Pied Cormorant – Microcarbo Melanoleucos Cowra from the Hill
At the top of a small hill near the gardens, a lookout allows views over the Lachlan Valley and the town. World Peace Bell
Made from melted coins from the 103 member countries of the United Nations, Cowra’s Peace Bell is a symbol of the town’s commitment to international understanding. It is the only one of its kind outside a capital city. Thomas William Wood’s Portrait of Thomas Walker (Copy)
War and Pieced: The Annette Gero Collection of Quilts from Military Fabrics was in the Cowra Regional Art Gallery when I visited, and was a special treat! Often called “soldiers’ quilts” or “convalescent quilts” these stunning blankets pieced from remnants of uniforms from historical wars show that beautiful things can come from conflict. Soldier On by Lucy Carroll
My favourite quilt was the modern artwork made in 2012 by Australian quilter Lucy Carroll in honour of the ANZACs (Australian New Zealand Army Corps). That ANZAC quilt brought my Cowra visit to a perfect end: it was a reminder of the losses and sacrifices on all sides in times of conflict.
Somehow, we never learn.
Lest we Forget
Pictures: 12-13April2019
Posted in Australia,History,MemorialTags: Australia,bird,history,landscape,memorial,museum,Photo Blog,POW,remembrance,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,war,WWII
Young Boy in Face Paint and Bird Feathers
The children along the mighty Sepik River in central Papua New Guinea take joy and pride in following the cultural traditions of their small communities. If you are like me – or, indeed, like the majority of people in the modern world – you spent most of your childhood in a standardised classroom.
Schools are so “alike” all around the world that it is hard to remember that it wasn’t always this way: for hundreds of thousands of years, children educated themselves through self-directed play and exploration, and learned the ways of their “tribe” or community by working alongside their elders. Cultural traditions were passed down through the oral media of story-telling, dance, song, and sometimes art and artefacts. The world-history of formal education is closely tied to literacy; societies without written language had little need for formal classrooms.
Today, measures of adult literacy are used to assess the economic success of a community. As such, Papua New Guinea, with a literacy rate of just over 64%, falls behind all its neighbours in Oceania. School attendance (63%) is the lowest in the Asia and Pacific region, and only one in three children complete their basic education. Since 2012, schooling from age seven has been tuition-free and conducted in local language up to middle school, but it is not compulsory. About half of primary school-aged children don’t attend, which is attributed to geographic distance from school, lack of security, and lack of parental support for formal education. Almost 30% of schools are run by churches that do not necessarily reflect the indigenous belief structures.
Of course, as is the case with most types of “development” or “modernisation” in traditional communities, formal education is a double-edged sword: it gives people access to opportunities outside their immediate environments, but risks alienating them from their heritage and roots. Papua New Guinea’s constitution declares the desire for traditional villages and communities to continue to function as viable units of society. Balancing educational outcomes with the needs of more than 820 language and cultural groups is a big ask!
I didn’t see any schools during my time in the remote Middle Sepik region of Papua New Guinea. I had journeyed the two-days of plane-, bus- and boat-travel required to access the region from Port Moresby. I was with a small group of intrepid photo-enthusiasts and photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Tours, and was staying in the small, but important, village of Kanganaman: a village of simple stilted bamboo huts with no electricity or running water; a village comprising not one, but two spirit houses (see: Welcome to the Spirit House), but lacking a school. The river is the area’s lifeline, and those children who attend school probably do so by boat.
I was there to enjoy the newly-developed Sepik River Festival (established 2014) and was really pleased to see so many children enthusiastically involved in the traditional story-dances. Through their participation in their clan’s activities, they were learning the fundamentals of their cultural history.
Come join me (and them!) at the dance.
Dancing around the Cassowary
On the green in front of the Little Spirit House, the village women and children dance around the totem cassowary. Child Watching
The children who are not dancing watch the performers with rapt attention. Face Paint and Betel Nut
Many youngsters in PNG start chewing the ubiquitous areca nut-tobacco mix from a very early age, … Betel Nut Smile
… and their teeth and lips show the effects. Cassowary Dancers
The women and children dancing with the cassowary totem continue their circuit of the village … Solemn Child in Face Paint
… as other performers watch on. Face Paint and Greenery Face Paint and Green-Leaf Headband
There is quite a variety of paint and headdress styles. Cassowary Dancers
As the cassowary dancers continue … Crocodile Men and Boys
… men with crocodile scarification, wearing crab-claw flower necklaces and feathered headdresses, are gathered in another quadrant of the green. Dancers on the Green
It is all very informal, as local spectators and tourists mix in with the clumps of dancers, … Little Girl-Child
… and participant children wander in … Girl on the Green
… and out of the dances. Woman in the Dance Boy on the Garamut (Slit Drum)
Everywhere I look, youngsters are being given a turn. Wild-Duck Woman
A “wild duck” sounds innocuous enough as a totem, but even on the women, the face paint is frightening! Wild Duck Women
I’m not sure which is more disconcerting: the straight face or the betel-nut smile! Bow and Arrow
One of the the most popular dances with the local audience seemed to have a story attached. Snake Head
Behind the leader with the bow and arrow, there followed a creature with a small crocodile (or large snake?) head and a rope-like body. Bird Masks
Many of the dancers wore masks with bird-like beaks, as the creature wove its way around the green, threatening to attack people. The audience was in fits of laughter. Women’s Skirts Flying
The singing, dancing, and drumming continues long into the afternoon. Local House
The locals who are not dancing gather in the patchy shade around a typical house, with their wares laid out for sale. They seem unaffected by the heat – which (to me) is oppressive. Drumming
In a flail of leaf fronds, the drumming continues … Drumming and Dancing
… and the dancers keep time. Wild Duck Man Group Shot
After a day of heat and exertion, much of the face- and body-paint has worn off. Tired, but elated, one of the groups pauses to have their picture taken together … Walking Home
… before people head home through the jungle. It was wonderful watching the performers of all ages, but especially the youngsters practicing their stories. Hopefully, they can integrate this traditional learning with a meaningful path forward.
Until next time,
Here’s to their Future!
Pictures: 14August2017
Posted in Culture,environmental portraits,Papua New Guinea,TravelTags: animism,animist,architecture,arts and crafts,culture,dance,environmental portrait,face paint,landscape,Middle Sepik,Papua New Guinea,Photo Blog,PNG,Religious Practice,Sepik River,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
Sleeping Koala
Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), Australia’s iconic arboreal marsupials, spend most of their time up in the tree-tops, where they sleep as much as 18 hours a day. It is always nice to explore ones own “back yard”.
I relish the opportunity to get up close to animals, and I don’t need much excuse to take a road trip, so when I saw a Groupon advertisement for a day-trip to Phillip Island – ninety minutes out of Melbourne, I jumped at it. I had visited the island many years ago, and had alway wanted to go back.
About 140 km (87 mi) south-southeast of Melbourne, this popular tourist destination has a humid subtropical climate, consistently reliable surf beaches, a plethora of sea birds, and a variety of marine and land-based wildlife. Joined to the mainland by a long bridge, it is probably best known for its breeding colony of adorable little penguins (Eudyptula minor). Every evening, after their hours – or days – at sea fishing and feeding, groups of penguins return to the shore at Summerland Beach and waddle back to their burrows. This nightly “penguin parade” has attracted visitors since the 1920s.
Over-enthusiastic tourism – as well as the development of local housing and the increased traffic when the first bridge was built in 1939 – put enormous stress on these little birds, and their numbers were greatly reduced. By the 1950s, the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife recognised the need to introduce concerted conservation efforts. Viewing stands and fences were introduced to manage the public. More recently, scientific study and management groups have been formed and a residential buy-back program has removed all the housing in the Summerland Beach area. Attempts have been made to control foxes, and the vegetation has been rehabilitated.
Today, the Phillip Island Nature Parks offers complementary ecotourism experiences on Phillip Island, operating as a peak-body for a number of wildlife attractions. The local Tourism Authority also touts the scenery, the motorsports, and other activities. You can pack a lot of activity into a day on the island!
Of course, Australia is a big country, and Melbourne is a full day’s driving from my house. But there were a couple of other things I wanted to do in that general area, so I loaded up the car and made a proper trip of it.
Join me for a few of the sights:
Almost Abstract: Melbourne Reflections
I always enjoy visits to Melbourne: the downtown is compact, attractive and full of parks along the river that winds through it. Almost Abstract: Melbourne Traffic
The traffic trying to escape the city – even on a Saturday – was no joy! Feeding the Kangaroo
Our first stop was at the Maru Koala and Animal Park, just before Phillip Island. Visitors can buy food to give to the native wildlife. Tammar Wallaby (Macropus Eugenii)
Some of the animals are well fed, and need a little coaxing Koala in a Tree
This park allows visitors to have their pictures taken with koalas – in controlled circumstances: the same claws that keep the marsupials from falling out of their trees could do you a real damage! Kookaburra behind Wires
Not all the animals roam free! The kookaburra has a large wired-in enclosure. Long-Billed Corella (Cacatua Tenuirostris) San Remo Fishing Fleet
As we cross the 26 km (16 mi) long San Remo Bridge to Phillip Island, we have views over the fishing fleet – and swimmers in the harbour. Walkway – Koala Conservation Centre
At our next stop – the Koala Reserve – I take the opportunity to walk the tracks through the woodlands. Woods – Koala Reserve
The eucalyptus – swamp gums, mana gums, and blue gums – are just beautiful in the afternoon light. Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia Bicolor)
I’m rewarded with a sighting of a skittish swamp wallaby, … Short-Beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus Aculeatus)
… and a glimpse of an elusive echidna. Sleeping Koala
Elevated walkways allow visitors to get near the treetops where the koalas are all snoozing. Their specialised diet of eucalyptus leaves is high in fibre and low in nutrients. As a consequence, they spend much of their time sleeping to conserve energy. Koala Feet
It amazes me how they drape themselves around the branches, sleeping without falling. Koala in a Tree
They can be hard to spot as they nestle into the nooks of the tall gums. … and Another Sleeping Koala!
They may be emblematic of Australia, but koalas only live around the Eastern and Southeastern coastal regions of the country. They are increasingly vulnerable – mostly because of habitat loss, and I’ve only ever seen them once in the wild (see: The Great Ocean Road). Even in zoos they can hide, so it was nice to get so close to these balls of fluff. Wetlands
It is great to see so much of Phillip Island semi-protected these days. The Koala Reserve borders on to the Rhyll Wetlands and Bird Sanctuary. The Nobbies
Our penultimate stop was at Point Grant, at the western-most tip of the island. An extensive boardwalk allows views over Bass Strait, and out towards Seal Rocks – home to the largest colony of Australian fur seals in the country. The Nobbies Visitors Centre
A very modern-looking visitors centre sits high on the bluff, giving people who wish to pay for the use of the cameras a “seal cam” view of the fur seals on Seal Rocks. Waves at the Nobbies
I settled for a windy walk on the boardwalk – taking in the power of the waves … View from the Nobbies
… and the beauty of the endless expanse of ocean. Wind and Shadows on the Boardwalk
Hang onto your hats! The winds off the Bass Strait are ferocious as people check under the boardwalk for penguins. Little Penguin Hiding
And there is one there, hiding out of the wind: the first we’ve seen. Little penguins moult between February and April, staying ashore for about 17 days while they replace their feathers. You can just see fluffy feathers like fresh snowflakes on the grass. Blue Sea, White Waves, Black Rock
The shoreline here is like an intricate lacework: the constant wave action has worn away the softer rocks, leaving only the black basalt laid down by eruptions of lava between about 48 and 40 million years ago. Autumn Colours
In contrast to the black basalt, the hills are covered with succulents, classified as “Bird Colony Succulent Herbland”. In the Glare of the Afternoon Sun
The little penguins come in at sundown, so we all need to move: it is time to walk back up the boardwalk, into the wind and the glare of the lowering sun, towards the waiting cars and buses. Swamp Wallaby from the Bus
Any driver will tell you that from late afternoon through to twilight is the time to watch for unpredictable macropods on or near roadways. Inside the Penguin Parade
This was all new since my last visit! Being in the Penguin Parade Visitor Centre is a bit like being in an airport terminal – complete with shiny surfaces, souvenir shops, clumps of confused people, and over-priced food. There are some informative displays, but mostly it is a fancy “holding pen” until people are let onto the viewing decks. Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis Novaehollandiae)
Native to southern Australia, these lovely geese (or shelducks – the taxonomy is uncertain) mate for life, so are usually seen in pairs. Little Penguin (Eudyptula Minor)
This is what we are here for! As the light drops, little penguins – also known as fairy penguins because of their size, or blue penguins because of their colour – poke out of their homes to work on their preening. In the past, the little penguins lived in sandy burrows they fashioned themselves, but they have always been opportunists: making use of caves, rock crevices, or nesting under logs or piles of rubble. Wooden nesting boxes have been located all around Phillip Island to help encourage penguins to return to their previous nesting grounds, which were for a long time disturbed by too much human presence. Moulting Little Penguin
These are the smallest of all the penguin species – and the only ones with blue plumage. No photography is allowed on Summerland Beach after the sun lowers and the rafts of penguins start to make their way ashore.
We sat on the cold bleachers for an hour while one little group stood out in the surf, trying to decide whether to cross the short expanse of sandy beach between them and home.
Once they waddled past, the whole crowd oohed and ahed appreciatively – these little nocturnal carnivores are very cute!
Thank heavens Phillip Island has managed to protect them –
for now.
Photos: 23March2019
“See the Music”
Gail Christofferson’s commissioned artwork in the Nashville Airport immediately conveys the beauty and importance of music in this southern city.
(27May2015 – iPhone6) Nashville wears its love of music – especially country music – on its sleeve.
The moment you arrive at the International Airport, you know you are in country-music country, with exhibits and installations tipping their Stetsons to local stars and luminaries: mostly from the country music scene. Turn on the rental-car radio, and the the pre-sets will mostly be country stations. Take to the streets, and you’ll see more boots and hats than you can count. And you’ll see guitars – lots and lots of guitars.
Even the local architecture contributes to the music theme: the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is shaped like a giant keyboard!
But, there is more to the city than country music – or even music in general. True, the downtown area is replete with music bars and music venues of all sizes – some with historical significance – and there are numerous museums to the artists and the art form itself. But, every time I’ve been in the city, the Bridgestone Arena has been at full capacity, hosting a football game or some other sporting event. The city is the state capital, and the Tennessee State Legislature is an integral part of the downtown, along with the expanses of green parks, and historical tributes that form a long corridor through the city.
The most surprisingly anomalous building (in my mind) is the Parthenon in Centennial Park: a full-scale replica of the Athenian original, built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition and a tribute to the city’s nickname at the time: the “Athens of the South”.
One of the things I love most about Nashville is its apparent lack of pretensions – the Parthenon aside! I’ve never watched the eponymous TV show, so I don’t know the “true story” of the city and the music business – my perceptions could be all wrong. But, on every visit I have made to the city, I’ve felt completely comfortable walking around the sights and wandering in and out of venues. Every-second bar and eatery has a performer playing; many of these bars and taverns are simple places with wooden floors and wooden benches. The music starts early and runs late: if you don’t care for a performer, just walk up the road to the next venue!
On my first visit to the city, many years ago, my husband and I had wandered into a real “country” performance: a female singer with big-blond hair and a sparkly belt on her low-slung jeans was singing the standards – releasing one hand from the mike to hoist her jeans at regular intervals. As she introduced a song, my husband and I looked at each other: we had been away from “the South” too long, and had not understood a single word she had said! We had to back-channel through the run-on sentence and parse it into words – a challenge made easier once she started singing and we could identify the original artist. “Ayye’ve binaysked tesingsuum lerredaliyn.” Loretta Lynn it was. When we had had our fill of the angst and heartbreak, we moved up the road, where the accents represented a completely different segment of the South’s people, and a small band of brothers was laying down some solid blues.
That’s Nashville!
Into Nashville
The city’s downtown is compact, making it easy to get around. At the left of the skyline is the 33-story AT&T Building completed in 1994. It is nicknamed the “Batman Building” – for obvious reasons.
(11May2016 – iPhone6) Guitars are Everywhere!
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum pays tribute to all genres of music, and includes many instruments played on original recordings.
(12May2016 – iPhone6) “Birth of Bluegrass”
Important buildings that have had a role at seminal moments in music history are dotted around the city and marked with informative signposting.
(12May2016 – iPhone6) Twisted Sister Metal Sculpture
Quirky artworks are a constant fun surprise around the city. Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
Originally known as Mom’s, Tootsie’s was renamed after it was was accidentally painted purple – I have no idea how you can “accidentally” paint a building!
(12May2016 – iPhone6) Inside Tootsie’s
It is dark inside the most famous honky tonk in downtown Nashville, but the three stages – decorated with photos and memorabilia from countless performers who have played there – are filled with great sounds and good vibes. Nashville Street Scene
The upper level at Tootsie’s has an outdoor area that gives great views over the street life on Broadway. Broadway Boot Company
As well as numerous bars (most listed on Google as “unpretentious”), Broadway is home to a number of leather-boot shops, … ♫ These Boots ♫
… selling boots in all manner of styles and colours; yes – I did find the perfect pair!
(12May2016 – iPhone6) The GooGoo Shop and Desert Bar
Nashville is also home to the GooGoo Cluster: … Making GooGoos
… a wonderful concoction of chocolate, peanuts and caramel. Johnny Cash Museum Guide
Across the road from our GooGoo break, we wait for our turn into the Johnny Cash Museum. Johnny Cash Records
I’m not a particular fan of the singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author Cash, but I was impressed by what I learned in the small, but well laid out museum. He was/is one of the best-selling music artists of all time in all musical formats. (iPhone6) Riverfront Station
A Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour is a good way of covering more ground and seeing more city sites. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Tennessee State Capitol from under the James Robertson Parkway
The State Capitol building sits on a small hill; the rain keeps everything green.
(12May2015 – iPhone6) Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
The 19 acre park that runs several blocks towards the State Capital includes a number of tributes to elements of Tennessee history, … World War II Memorial
… including a rather beautiful remembrance of World War II, and America’s role in it. Hop On Hop Off Trolley The Parthenon
The scale model of the Parthenon is the central feature of Centennial Park. Fun at the Parthenon
The building – which houses exhibits – was closed the day we were there, so visitors made do with posing outside. Couple at the John W Thomas Statue
It is a beautiful day – which is lovely, as it rained on our last visit – and people are enjoying the sunshine. The John W Thomas Statue
Thomas was a local businessman and the president of the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in 1897. Confederate Soldier’s Monument Guitars on the Lawn
Outside the central downtown, our trolley takes us past various recording studios … Musica
… and past the joyful bronze sculpture in the Music Row Roundabout. Musica, by Alan LeQuire, represents the physical expression of music. The Musica statue has not been without controversy: it was privately and anonymously funded, but still raised the ire of some who objected to the nudity.
I see it as joyful and exuberant.
But, that is Nashville: elements you may not care for or agree with, but with an unpretentious “homespun” charm, and honest musical joy.
I always leave humming.
To the Music!
Photos: 16May2016
Posted in Landscapes,Museum,Travel,USATags: architecture,art,city,museum,music,Nashville,sculpture,Tennessee,TN,travel,Travel Blog,urban,Ursula Wall,USA
Young Woman Biting her Thumb
Even by Ethiopian standards, the Mursi tribes are remote; even by Omo Valley standards, they are considered fierce. If I had to choose one word to describe the Mursi people of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, I’d have to say “proud”.
There are roughly 7,500 pastoralist Nilo-Saharan Mursi living across approximately 1900 square kilometres of semi-arid land in an isolated corner of southwestern Ethiopia, close to the border with South Sudan. A tall, good-looking people, they are linguistically and culturally related to the more-populous Suri. The Mursi are a proud group with a rather aggressive reputation. Other tribes fear them, and tourists approach them with caution. They are prepared to have their pictures made – but it will cost you!
I was indeed visiting to make pictures.
I was travelling on a Piper Mackay photographic tour under the direction of photographer Ben McRae. My six fellow-travellers and I had got into our Grand Holidays Ethiopia Tours & Travel vehicles early – very early – to drive from Jinka, across Mago National Park, and into Mursi lands, arriving at our designated village before the sun – or the villagers – were up.
The Mursi measure their riches in cattle and are considered among the wealthiest groups in the Omo Valley. Virtually every important life-event is marked by the exchange of cattle.
But, tourists – especially photographic groups – are the real cash-cow! For many years, all the Omo Valley tribes have operated a “pay-per-click” tourism business, and the Mursi are experts at it. They are also in demand because of their remarkable headdresses, and because their women are among the few groups who still wear lip-plugs. They will face the camera: fierce and magnificent. They won’t necessarily engage with the photographer. Or smile.
I’ve talked before about the dilemmas of pay-for-click tourism, and have posted some of the pictures I “bought” in this Mursi village (see: The Mursi and Mursi Men). One of the biggest problems I had was the transactional nature of the exchanges, and the fact that it encourages “model shoots” rather than fostering any real cross-cultural understanding.
But, I had only a few hours and a lot of Ethiopian birr in small notes; it was not my place to completely change the socio-cultural dynamic. When the black back-drop, the off-camera flashes, and the soft-boxes came out, I took my turn in the queue.
Even so, I tried to interact with people, instead of just seeing them as photo-subjects – or worse: objects to be photographed. I’m not entirely happy with my pictures, but I am pleased that I tried to honour the people, rather than just trying to mould them into stylised shapes for the sake of “pretty” pictures.
This post – my last from this village – includes a few of the people I met and photographed, and hopefully captures a little of their mighty attitude!
Mursi Village Morning
Mornings in the village get off to a slow start. The fires outside the simple huts are small, the utensils are few, and the treasured water bottles are reused many times. In full face- and body-paint, women grind grain for the staple sorghum porridge or fruit for the local fermented drink. Baby, No Lip-Plate
I haven’t yet found a definitive explanation of lip-plate wearing, but among Mursi women it is said to be an expression of maturity. Although inserting the plate is not compulsory, women are thought to be more “graceful” if they do. Beads, No Lip-Plate
Even women who have cut and stretched their lips and ears for plates do not wear them all the time. The skin hangs loose when the plates or rings are not in. I found this woman – with her beaded fringe and steely expression – transfixing. Old Woman
Eye problems, dental problems, and a sagging lip: ageing is no fun anywhere, and I have to wonder about the additional difficulties faced in these remote communities with inadequate access to health services. Woman in a Headdress
The women wear some extraordinary headdresses, constructed from some unlikely materials. Woman in a Metal Headdress
Each headdress is more fantastic than the last! This one of metal, fruit, and horns was a winner. Woman with a Lip Plate
The woman wearing it demonstrates how she puts her lip plate in. Young Women
These young women were determined to show off their scarification – and to earn double pay-per-click! Woman in a Beaded Headdress
So many people have red eyes! Probably from the smoke and dust in the environment. Stretched Earlobes
There is a simple elegance in these faces; … Fruit and Horn Headdress
They hardly need the elaborate headdresses to highlight their beauty! Woman in a Doorway
The low doors to the huts are small; the lip plates are large. I can’t help but wonder how people get in and out of their houses! Family Tableau
In and outside the village compound, people just seem to drape themselves into groups in the glaringly-bright morning light. Youngster with Cow Horns
Fierce attitude against a searing sky – there is nothing tame about the Mursi people! The popular nilla headdress of warthog tusks joined with iron fittings to a leather and rope headpiece is worn by men and women, and even made to decorate cattle. In this instance, the look is embellished with cow horns. The Look
The proud gaze, framed by the nilla headdress, meets the camera head-on. Beads, Bangles, and a Baby Sister
Everywhere, you see young children in charge of their younger siblings. Even the very young know how to collect the requisite photo money: this little one has it rolled up and tucked into his arm bangles.
Mursi Scarification : Natural Light
As the light grew more harsh, I made use of it to highlight the keloid scars.
(ISO200 110 mm 1/400sec at f/11 -3EV Bright natural light) Mursi Scarification : Natural Light
Traditionally, only girls had kitchoga on their stomach and on their backs. If the young women decide it is too painful a process, the full designs may be left unfinished.
(ISO200 200 mm 1/400sec at f/18 -3EV Bright natural light)
Mursi Man and his Weapon
I’ve posted this shot before (see: Mursi Men): it is such a prototypical portrait of a Mursi warrior with his automatic weapon.
(ISO200 63 mm 1/125sec at f/7.1 + Off-Camera Flash) Young Mursi Mother
It is not quite noon, but the day is already unremittingly hot and bright. We run out of time to “pose” everyone in front of the black cloth – this young mum was happy to be photographed where she sat against the greenery of the surrounding bush.
Ethiopian Mountains
And so, with our last portraits made, we piled into our vehicles to drive back to Jinka, and from there, to catch a flight back to Adis Ababa. It was ironic that only after that Mursi village visit – the last tribal visit of our whole Omo Valley trip – while we were lunching in Jinka, we found a little book that explained a little about the customs of each of the Southern Ethiopian groups: Omo Valley: a Guide to the Ethnic Groups by Minalu Adem.
Of course, nothing in that booklet, or in the reading I have done on line, gives any kind of clue as to how these remarkable and unique tribal people will travel into a future of state-sponsored development and global capitalism with their cattle and their AK47s, and with their cultural traditions and animist practices that have changed little over hundreds of years.
I wish them luck.
Pictures: 23October2018
Posted in Africa,Culture,Ethiopia,PortraitsTags: environmental portrait,environmental portraits,Ethiopia,Mursi,Omo Valley,people,Photo Blog,portrait,portraits,scarification,travel,Travel Blog,tribal life,Ursula Wall
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