Stories about Indigenous from March, 2008
Armenia: Sevan Museum
Robert Dietrich posts photographs of some of the treasures he recently discovered at a small museum outside of the capital. The Peace Corps Volunteer says he was overwhelmed by the amount of items dating back thousands of years and in urgent need of being displayed properly.
Libya: Wedding Blues
“Libyan weddings are BORING. They are all the same – the same food is served, the same music is played, the brides all look the same. BORING… sigh,” writes Khadija Teri, who had to attend two ceremonies.
Kurds Attacked on Newroz
Kurdish blogger Goran reports on Syrian and Turkish attacks on Kurds celebrating Newroz, a traditional festivity which marks the beginning of spring.
Bahamas: Carifesta Confirmed
Nicolette Bethel reports that the Bahamas will host the regional Carifesta XI festival after all…
Guyana: Baccoo
Guyana-Gyal says that “bandits is the new baccoo” – one of the most feared creatures in Guyanese folklore.
Latvia: Musings on Ethnic Homogeny
Among other things, Marginalia muses on the “basic bonds between peoples and their languages, lands, beliefs, cultures and even cuisines” and how it relates to Latvia.
Bahrain: Kindest People Ever
Sous, a Swedish woman living in Bahrain, wonders about the impact of development on Bahrainis. “Bahrainis … are the most kind people I have ever met. They are polite, educated, funny and friendly. There is no pretend and they are really down to earth which I appreciate. I hope this...
Arabeyes: Rebelling the Saudi Way
On the occasion of the International Women's Day, Saudi activist Wajiha Huwaidar, had herself videotaped driving a car in a rural area in Saudi Arabia, to draw attention to the plight of Saudi women, who are banned from driving, and posted it on YouTube.
Bahamas: Creation Station
“There are none so blind as those who do not see,” writes Nicolette Bethel, as she blogs about Bahamian creativity.
Jordan: Wife Seeking in the Middle East
“One of the most hated rituals in the middle east is the dreaded “Wife seeking”. Not only is it nerve wrecking for the potential groom and his family. But it's also considered humiliating for the ladies who find in the ritual demeaning to the woman,” writes Qwaider, from Jordan.
Jamaica: Dancehall
The recent Global Reggae Conference, held at the University of the West Indies, has Agostinho Pinnock blogging about whether or not dancehall music is Jamaica's “solution to civil society”.
China: Fire on the streets of Lhasa, Tibet
With the Tibetan capital now reportedly largely cut off from the outside world, information regarding the ongoing situation in Lhasa slowed to a trickle over the weekend. Some updates, however, having been coming out over blogs and other online channels.
Jamaica, Haiti: Felix Morisseau-Leroy
“Although the controversy still rages in Jamaica about English vs patwa or ‘nation language'…from as early as 1958, Felix Morisseau-Leroy was writing plays and poems in Kreyol”: Jamaican Geoffrey Philp pays tribute to the Haitian writer.
Israel: Bedouin Youth Use IM to Bypass Cultural Prohibitions
Instant Messaging is opening new windows for a Bedouin community in South Israel, writes Gilad Lotan, who tunes into a fascinating research and brings us its findings in this post.
Taiwan: Hunter Action
Peopo.org puts up a video on the weekend music concert organized by indigenous groups in Taiwan. The ethnic minorities are claiming their land right [zh].
Jamaica: Ackee
Montego By Day By Day blogs about the national fruit of Jamaica.
The Balkans: Secession and National Self-Determination
Greater Surbiton writes about “an undeniably thorny issue” of the right of national self-determination.
Kuwait's Double National Day Celebrations
Two national day celebrations were marked in Kuwait last week - one on February 25 and the second on February 26. Kuwait's bloggers were quick to dig into the history of the celebrations.
Taiwan: Digitalize Aboriginal Groups
A report from Bnext about the effort of LA17 (A group called Life Abundance) in bringing computer equipments to Taiwan aboriginal groups in the mountainous areas [zh].
