Moadsf africa continuum curriculum guide

Copyright © 2010 Museum of the African Diaspora. All rights reserved. 1

African Continuum Continuo de Africano

Curriculum

Resource Guide

BY DEMETRIE BROXTON - EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER


Contents How To Use This Guide When Visiting MoAD ……… 3

About the Exhibition ………………………………….. 4

Fact Sheet: The Language of African Continuum ...…. 5

Questions To Use While At MoAD ………………….. 6

Reflection Questions – After Your Visit ….………….. 7

Images ......................................................................................... 8

Constructing a Diaspora: Grades 6-12 Lesson Plan…..... 16

Slave Trade Distribution Map....................………………... 20

The Yoruba People of Nigeria …………............................. 21

The Creation of Vodou ..………………........................… 23

Drapo Vodou: Grades 6-12 Lesson Plan ...............................25

Additional Resources ..……....…………........................… 28

California State Standards Addressed ……………...….. 29

Cover Art: A babalawo recites the mojuba. Havana, Cuba. 2003. Photograph by Bryan Wiley


How to Use This Guide When Visiting MoAD

The Fact Sheet, Question Sheet, and Lesson Plans should be used to prepare

students for a focused museum visit. MoAD group tours can be used to introduce

students to the exhibition and related MoAD core exhibitions. The Fact Sheet can be

used to give students a more knowledgeable approach to the subject matter of the

exhibition that will in turn help students look more carefully at the photographs found in

the exhibition. The Language of African Continuum introduces students to some of

the terms and objects they will come into contact with throughout the exhibition and the

curriculum.

While visiting MoAD, give each of your students a copy of the Questions To Use

While At MoAD to further engage them in the context of the exhibition. Younger

students can draw pictures in lieu of words. Be sure to have your students answer the

Reflection Questions as soon as possible after your visit to the Museum. These are

designed to further students understanding and awareness of what they have seen.

You may also opt to choose either of the grade level specific projects to complete before

(recommended) or after your Museum visit. Again, these can be used as presented or

modified to accommodate other age groups or your particular classroom objectives.

We sincerely hope you find this resource helpful and welcome any comments or feedback

you may have. Additionally, we would love to hear how you have chosen to implement

this material in your classroom. If you have developed any handouts or found new

resources you would like to share with other educators, please feel free to send us an

email including that information.

Enjoy!

Demetrie Broxton

MoAD Education Program Manager


About the Exhibition

MoAD proudly presents African Continuum: Sacred Ceremonies and Rituals

Bryan Wiley is a photo historian who has traveled the Atlantic Black diaspora documenting its

sacred arts. In African Continuum, he has assembled his photographs from Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, South

Carolina, and New Orleans. In doing so, he illuminates continuities in the beliefs and customs of those

whose ancestors were slaves. Wiley uses the concept of the altar—a highly venerated place—as a

vehicle to illuminate intersections between his personal aesthetics and historical spiritual beliefs. As they

do in many cultures, these altars represent sites of ritual communication that open pathways for divine

consciousness with the supernatural world. The objects assembled on an altar have specific meanings and

should be read collectively, not individually. The meanings of the altars expose both the cultural

disruptions and continuities of African peoples and their descendants.

Deity worship and intervention are central to the secular lives of many practitioners, and Wiley’s

work reveals the blurred lines between sacred and secular worlds. His photographs focus on the power

of the natural elements--earth, wind, fire, and water—as they are manifested in the deities venerated in

the altars. Large images of the locales and the surrounding landscapes of the communities that Wiley

documents offer further context for the photographs and create a quiet atmosphere of reverence. After

studying about the convergence of Christian, Yoruba and Kongo beliefs in college, Wiley traveled to

these countries to investigate and document the African continuum in people’s personal and communal

spiritual expressions and practices. ―Since I’ve been on this journey, I have listened to my spiritual voice

more,‖ said Wiley, as he reflected on the impact of visiting these countries and gaining access to the

rituals, ceremonies, and the people. This exhibition is Bryan Wiley’s personal view of what he saw and

absorbed, expressed in the captions of the photographs.

Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins, Ph.D.

Guest Curator


The Language of

African Continuum Student Fact Sheet

Orisha

A spirit or deity in the Yoruba

religion, or any of its related

religions. Each Orisha

represents one aspect of the

Yoruba supreme deity,

Olodumare.

Altar

An altar is any structure upon

which offerings such as

sacrifices and votive offerings

are made for religious purposes,

or some other sacred place

where ceremonies take place.

Diaspora

Diasporas are movements of a

group of people sharing

common national and/or ethnic

identity. Diasporas may include

refugees as well, but the term

refers to people who are

permanently displaced from

their original homeland.

Batá Drums Double-headed drums shaped

like an hourglass with one end

larger than the other. Batás are

used primarily for religious

purposes in Yoruba and Yoruba

Diaspora cultures. Batá music

is usually polyrhythmic, with two

or more rhythms playing

simultaneously.

Babalawo

Babalawos are Priests in Yoruba

and Yoruba-related religions who

can read the future and how to

deal with it by communicating with

Orishas.

Divination

The process a Babalawo uses to

read the future. Divination is

different than fortune-telling,

because it is part of a religious

process.

Saints

People who embody god-like

qualities are known as saints in

many religions. Catholicism has

thousands of saints. When

enslaved Africans arrived in the

New World, they often found that

Catholic saints had similar

characteristics to the Orishas.

Vévé A Vévé is a religious symbol used

in the Vodou religion of Haiti. They

are derived from symbols of the

Kongo people of Central Africa.

Vévés act as a request for spirits to

descend to earth during religious

ceremonies. They are drawn on the

ground using cornmeal, flour, or

gunpowder.


Questions to Use While At MoAD

1. Where do the Yoruba people originally come from? What countries featured in this exhibition feature people whose ancestors came from Yoruba lands?

2. Find the photo of red fabric tied to tree branches in Haiti. What do strips of

hanging material indicate when they are tied to the branches of sacred trees?

(Read the label text to find the answer)

3. In which of the five countries featured in this exhibition do religious practitioners create altars?

4. In the religions featured in this exhibition, what happens when a person or an

animal dies? Explain.

5. Use the space below to sketch something you find interesting in the 2nd or 3rd Floor gallery.


Reflection Questions

1. What did you choose to sketch at the museum? Why did you choose this image or

object?

2. Why are there images and statues of Catholic Saints featured in some of the

Altars? What do these tell us about the Yoruba Diaspora?

3. Why do practitioners of the Yoruba religion, Vodou, Santeria, and Candomblé

sacrifice animals? What are your thoughts about this practice?

4. After seeing the exhibition, has your perception of Vodou (voodoo) changed? If so,

how?

5. What did you learn from the exhibition? Does this exhibition help you to

understand practitioners of these religions better? If you need more space, use the

back of this sheet to write out your thoughts.


Images

BRAZIL

Above: Flowers wash back

on the shore after being

offered to the goddess, Yemaya, asking for

blessings for the New Year.

Santos, Brazil

Left: Bottle trees are used to

protect homes and areas

from evil spirits by trapping spirits inside the bottle,

where they can do no harm.

Cachoeria, Brazil


Young Bahianas dress in

traditional white dresses and head wraps, waiting for the start of Lavagem

de Santo Amaro, which ends with the cleaning of the church.

Santo Amaro, Brazil

Spinning skirts at a

Candomblé ceremony. Cachoeria, Brazil


CUBA

A Santero (practitioner of Santeria)

walks through the streets of Havana, Cuba dressed in the regalia of Shango, the Yoruba god of

thunder and lightning, drum and dance. Havana, Cuba

A babalawo recites the extended

chant known as mojuba, in recognition of the ancestors, before beginning a ceremony.

Havana, Cuba


The staffs in this altar represent

Eshu/Elegua and his insatiable appetite. An iron machete represents Ogun, god of iron.

Next to it, a vessel adorned with seashells symbolizes Olokun, owner of the ocean’s mystery.

Havana, Cuba

Ibeji twins. The Yoruba have the

highest birth rate of twins in the

world. It is believed both twins share one soul, so if one twin dies

at a young age, the balance of the

soul is thrown off or disturbed. The Yoruba priest (babalawo)

chooses a carver to create a small

figure that symbolizes the dead child. If both twins die, then two

figures are made. The soul is

transported into the figures by the Babalawo. The children’s parents

must treat the statue as if it were

real, so it is bathed, fed, and clothed just as it would be in life.

Havana, Cuba


HAITI

―After the dance, the

drum is heavy,‖ is an old Haitian proverb. Drums play a primary role in

ceremonies and are often believed to carry a soul within them. The

highest rank of salutation goes to the

drums, with the Hougan or mambo sometimes

kissing the ground or pouring libations before them.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

An old bottle is now a sacred Vodou

bottle held in the hands of a Hougan (male priest). Sacred objects are often put into clear bottles to ward off evil

spirits, or used as tools by priests. Gonaives, Haiti


A sacred tree is wrapped with bottles used as

ceremonial offerings that can sometimes carry divine powers, acting as safeguards for the temple.

Petit Goave, Haiti

An imitation concrete tomb with offerings for

Gede outside a sanctuary. Gonaives, Haiti


SOUTH CAROLINA

The altar to Sango,

Yoruba god of thunder and lightning. Sango is represented by the

colors red and white as well as drums and the double-headed axe.

Oyotunji African Village, South Carolina

Altar to Esu-Obatala

represented by the clay

heads with cowry shells as the eyes and mouth.

These Esu figures open

the path to the energy

of Obatala, enabling

clarity, peacefulness and calmness.

Oyotunji African Village, South

Carolina


NEW ORLEANS

Mardi Gras Indians and

their mourners pay respect for their late Chief.

New Orleans, LA

A Vodou altar for the Haitian

Petwo spirit Bawon Samdi, the most powerful magician of the Haitian pantheon of divinities. He

rules over death and sexuality and is recognized by his black hat, sunglasses and cigar.

New Orleans, LA


Constructing a

Diaspora

“Until the lion learns to write, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter.”

-African Proverb

Time Allotted: Three – 45 minute class blocks

Learner Population: Middle School, Grades 6-8 & High School, Grades 9-12

Curricular Context:

This unit may be used as an extension to a unit on the slave trade and/or immigration. This unit serves as

an introduction to the exhibitions at Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. It may also be

used as a peace building tool to increase understanding between different ethnic groups.

Introduction:

The Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco holds a mission to connect all people to the art,

history, and culture of the African Diaspora. However, most visitors do not go to the museum with a

solid understanding of what the African Diaspora means. A great number of visitors enter the museum

only thinking of Africa, expecting to see masks, headdresses, carvings, and drums. Another group of

visitors expects to find a comprehensive African American museum, complete with shackles and

information focusing on the experiences of former slaves. Instead, what the visitor finds is an overview of the original African Diaspora, where all mankind originated. Additionally, there are exhibitions touching

on various time periods when people of African descent left Africa and the cultural items and ideas they

brought with them.

This unit will introduce students to the concept of the African Diaspora in two different phases

beginning with the 16th century Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Students will consider the contemporary

movements of people both out of and into Africa. Finally, students will read and interpret written

material, examine maps, and interview or research a recent immigrant to determine whether the person

is part of a Diaspora or a transnational group.

Guiding Questions:

What is the African Diaspora? How many Diasporas were there? What conditions produced the African

Diaspora? What parts of Africa did enslaved Africans come from? How have people of African descent

had an effect on the history and culture of the United States? How did the slave trade affect Africa? Is

there a continuing legacy of the slave trade present today?

Diagram of the Slave Ship, Brookes


Learning Objectives:

Students will understand:

What the word Diaspora means

How to identify a Diasporic community

The economic forces which led European nations to enslave Africans

How the system of chattel slavery changed both Africa and Europe

That people are still moving from Africa for various reasons

That the movement of people is both out of as well as into Africa

Materials needed:

Internet access

PROCEDURE:

DAY 1

Vocabulary (30 minutes):

The following terms will be used throughout this unit. Break students into groups of 2. Have the groups

read each definition and come up with their own definition. If your class has access to computers and/or

dictionaries, allow students to look up definitions they do not understand. Have students write their

own definition for each word or term. Allow 20 minutes for this first part. Now, have students share

out definitions for each term. Write agreed upon definitions on the classroom board and have students

write the final definitions in a notebook.

Vocabulary (from Merriam-Webster online dictionary):

Migration – the movement of people from one place to another

Immigrant – a person who leaves one country to settle in another. Usually by choice.

Slavery – a system which forces a person to work for someone for little or no pay and against the

person’s will.

Chattel – someone who is the property of another person

Diaspora – the scattering of a group of people (who share a common nationality and/or ethnicity)

from their original homeland to new lands where they become a minority. People of a Diaspora keep

stories and myths about their homeland to maintain a connection and identity and usually cannot

return for some reason.

Slave Trade – the buying and selling of people as slaves

Citizen – a member of a city or nation who has the full rights guaranteed by all freemen

Colonization – when a nation sends its citizens to dominate and live in a new land.

Race – a category of people sharing distinctive characteristics


DAY 2

PART 1 (10 minutes)

Have students read about what the African Diaspora is, by looking up “African

Diaspora” on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_diaspora

As a class, review the definition of African Diaspora together, the African Slave Trade

Map may be projected at the front of the class or printed and handed out to each

student. Note for students that enslaved Africans were taken to wide ranging countries:

PART 2 (35 minutes)

Next, break students up into groups of 4-5 students. Assign each group one of the following

sections of the Wikipedia article:

Dispersal through slavery

Dispersal through migration

Definitions

North America

Latin America and Europe

Canada

The teacher may choose to have students look up the article online or print out each section in advance

and hand out printed sections to each group.

Have students read their section and hold a quick (10 minute) discussion in their small

groups. Each group will then present their section to the larger class. Students may choose

to add their own comments about the section. Is this history that they already had prior

knowledge about? Is this history in their class textbooks?

As a class, discuss the difference between a voluntary (economic) immigrant and an

involuntary (forced) immigrant (10 minutes). What are some possible factors which would

force someone to migrate to a new country? How might a voluntary immigrant have a

different experience in America than an involuntary immigrant? What similarities would

they share?

“The African Diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to

places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to

Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe.

The term is applied in particular to the descendents of the Black Africans who

were enslaved and shipped to the Americas by way of the Atlantic slave trade,

with the largest population in Brazil (see Afro-Brazilian). People of Sub-Saharan

descent number at least 800 million in Africa and over 140 million in the

Western Hemisphere, representing around 14% of the world's population.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_diaspora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Africans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Brazilian

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-Saharan


Day 3

At this point, the teacher may choose to take his/her students for a visit to Museum of the

African Diaspora to gain a more solid understanding of the concepts covered above.

Alternately, the teacher may choose to proceed with the next section before making a visit

to the museum.

Part 1 (45 minutes)

Students will research African immigrant stories online to complete this assignment. Each student will

research a contemporary African immigrant story and a story collected from a formerly enslaved

African. Some excellent resources featuring interviews with immigrants can be found on the following

sites:

Museum of the African Diaspora (Slave narratives, including 21st C slave, Francis Bok)

http://moadsf.org/salon/exhibits/slave_narratives/flash.php

Library of Congress (20th and 21st Century immigrant stories)

http://memory.loc.gov/learn//features/immig/interv/toc.php

Library of Congress (Slave narratives) http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/

New Deal Slave Narratives: http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/index.htm

Part 2 (Homework)

Students will write a reflection paper, as homework, comparing and contrasting the two stories.

Questions to consider when writing the reflection paper are:

What are the main differences between the two stories?

What parts of the story tells you whether the person was a voluntary or involuntary immigrant?

Are there any details in the story which speak about the person bringing aspects of their home

culture with them? What are those details?

Does the person enjoy the rights of a full citizen in their new nation?

Has colonialism affected the person’s life in any way?

Extensions

The project can be taken further by having students create a PowerPoint presentation about their two

immigrant stories. Additionally, students may choose to interview a living African immigrant, if available.

An extensive Curriculum Guide, “Africa Enslaved” a Curriculum Unit on Comparative Slave Systems for

Grades 9-12 comparing slavery in nations outside the United States can be downloaded from:

http://www.outreachworld.org/Files/u_texas/AfricaEnslaved.pdf

http://moadsf.org/salon/exhibits/slave_narratives/flash.php

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/interv/toc.php

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/

http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/index.htm

http://www.outreachworld.org/Files/u_texas/AfricaEnslaved.pdf


Source: http://coursedocs.slcc.edu/huma/1100/African%20slave%20trade.jpg

http://coursedocs.slcc.edu/huma/1100/African%20slave%20trade.jpg


The Yoruba People of Nigeria

Yoruba people (Yorùbá) are one of the largest ethno-linguistic or ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language. The Yoruba constitute around 30

million individuals throughout West Africa and are found

predominantly in Nigeria making up approximately 21 percent of its

total population.

While the majority of the Yoruba live in western Nigeria, there are

also substantial indigenous Yoruba communities in the Republic of

Benin, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, USA, the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana,

Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Puerto Rico,

Ghana and Togo.

Yoruba Religion

Yoruba religion and mythology is a major influence in West Africa, chiefly in

Nigeria, and it has given origin to several New World religions such as

Santería in Cuba and Puerto Rico, Voudoun in Haiti, and Candomblé in

Brazil.

Itan is the term for the sum total of all Yoruba myths, songs, histories, and

other cultural components. These mostly originate from the ese (verses) of

the Odu Ifa.

The Yoruba Diaspora

Ethnic Yoruba people were among the largest in number of African peoples who were enslaved and

taken by European traders to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Haiti, Trinidad and the rest of the New World

(chiefly in the 19th century). The enslaved Africans carried their Orisha religious beliefs with them.

These concepts were combined with pre-existing African-based religions, Christianity, and Native

American mythology into various New World lineages which are Lucumí (Cuba, Puerto Rico), Oyotunji (U.S.), Anago (Nigeria), Candomblé (Brazil), Umbanda (Brazil), Batuque (Brazil) and Kaaro oojire (Nigeria).

The popularly known Vodou religion of Haiti combines the religious beliefs of the many different African

ethnic nationalities taken to the island with the structure and liturgy from the Fon-Ewe of present-day

Benin and the Congo-Angolan culture area, but Yoruba-derived religious ideology and deities also play an

important role.

Yoruba Deities

Yoruba Orishas (deities) include one creator God (Olodumare) and approximately 400 supernatural

spirits. Some of the most prominent spirits are:

Olorun - God of Heaven Eshu - The Trickster

Ogun - god of Iron

Participants honouring Obatala

Yoruba woman

Yoruba drummers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethno-linguistic_group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_language


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Benin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Benin


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_and_Barbuda

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahamas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voudoun


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candombl%C3%A9


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_mythology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orisha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyotunji

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candombl%C3%A9


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbanda


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batuque_(religion)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit


Obatala - Spirit of justice

Yemonja - Spirit of fertility and waters (Mermaid)

Ọya - Spirit of wind and storm Orunmila - Spirit of divination or fate

Ibeji - Spirit of twins

Ọsanyin - Spirit of medicines and healing

Ọsun - Spirit of love, protector of children and mothers Shango - Spirit of thunder and lightning

Ochosi - Spirit of the hunt

Some of these deities actually lived amongst the people, often as warriors with

fearsome reputations. These reputations often lead to them becoming deified

(made into gods) in death, with people naturally trying to harness their abilities.

For instance Shango (Spirit of thunder and lightning) was known to emit fire from

his mouth when he spoke, and was able to initiate and control thunder and

lightning.

Human beings and other sentient creatures are also assumed to have their own

individual deity of destiny, called "Ori", who is venerated (honored) through a

sculpture symbolically decorated with cowry shells. Traditionally, dead parents

and other ancestors are also believed to possess powers of protection over their

descendants. This belief is expressed in veneration and sacrifice on the grave or symbol of the ancestor, or as a community in the observance of the Egungun

festival where the ancestors are represented as a colorful masquerade of costumed and masked men

who represent the ancestral spirits. Dead parents and ancestors are also commonly venerated by pouring

libations to the earth and the breaking of kola nuts in their honor at special occasions.

Today, many contemporary Yoruba are Muslims and Christians evenly population-wise. A small number

of Yoruba, especially in the remote or rural areas, retain many of the cultural concepts of Yoruba pagan

traditions.

Critical Reading Questions

1. Besides Nigeria, what are some of the other countries where you can find the Yoruba people? In what

ways do you think Yoruba culture has influenced the cultures of these other countries?

2. Why did Yoruba people syncretise (blend) their traditional gods with the saints of Christianity?

3. When Shango spoke, do you think fire really came out of his mouth, or do you think this description is a

metaphor? Why or why not? If not, why do you think people described him in this way?

Ochun, by unknown artist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sango

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ori_(Yoruba)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian


The Creation of Vodou

Haitian Vodou was created in the sixteenth century when

enslaved Africans brought their religious traditions from

West and Central Africa to the Americas. The term Vodou

means "sacred, spirit, or divine creation" in the Fon

language. Like members of the Yoruba Diaspora, the

enslaved Africans brought to Haiti were forced to convert

to Catholicism. The enslaved Africans had such a strong

connection to their traditional practices and beliefs that

they resisted losing their beliefs. Vodou is based upon a

merging of the beliefs and practices of the Fon, Ewe, and

Kongo peoples of West and Central Africa with Arawak

Indian1 religious beliefs, and European Catholic practices.

The enslaved Africans found the symbols and saints of Catholicism to be so similar to the symbols and

deities in their own beliefs that it was easy to syncretise (merge together) the two religions. The Vodou

concept of a supreme God, Bondye became conflated (mixed up) with the Christian concept of God and

the Loa (Vodou deities) became conflated with the Catholic saints.

In Vodou the deities, symbols, and art practices which have survived are one which come from multiple

origins. Concepts such as the veneration of ancestors, protective magic, the crossroads, sacred

cosmography (the science of mapping the universe), and the concept of balancing hot and cool energies

are present in the spiritual practices and the arts.

In Vodou belief, Bondye is unreachable. Consequently, Vodou practitioners direct their prayers to the

loa. Some of the most important loa include:

Ogou – the spirit of Iron, Fire, Politics, and War. The clearer of paths.

Papa Legba - guardian of the crossroads

Erzulie Freda (also Ezili) - the spirit of love

Simbi - the spirit of rain and magicians

Bawon Samdi – the loa of the dead, the ancestors

The Marasa - divine twins, considered to be the first children of Bondye

In 1987, Haiti passed its current constitution which guarantees religious equality, including the practice of

Vodou. Although films produced by Hollywood have falsely presented Vodou as black magic which

emphasizes turning people into zombies and voodoo dolls, the religion is actually more about celebrating

life and teaching morals. Stories and songs in Haitian Vodou teach practitioners of the religion about the

1 The Arawak Indians were the original inhabitants of the Caribbean islands.

Fon/Ewe

Kongo


evils of greed and dishonor. Keeping a cool head is highly valued, although the religion teaches

practitioners to protect oneself and one’s family if necessary. Community and giving back to support the

community are highly valued qualities for Vodou practitioners.

Critical Reading Questions

1. Vodou is the result of merging which cultures? What caused these cultures to merge?

2. How is the formation of Vodou in Haiti similar to the formation of Yoruba-derived religions in the New

World?

3. What do the teachings of Vodou emphasize? Is the religion individualistic or community-oriented?

4. THINKING CRITICALLY: Why do you think Hollywood has portrayed Vodou as black magic and

emphasized demon possession and zombies? Does this have some connection to the slavery system?


Drapo

Vodou Grades 6 – 12 Lesson Plan

Objectives:

Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the symbols and techniques employed to create Haitian

ceremonial flags (drapo Vodou). Students will make their own version of Drapo Vodou using symbols

either derived from the Haitian vévés or symbols important to their own lives and beliefs.

Overview:

In this lesson, students will:

Learn about and discuss various vévés (Haitian Vodou symbols)

Learn about Drapo Vodou and how they are employed in Haitian culture

Consider symbols that are important to their own lives and culture

Create their own drapo Vodou

Background:

Drapo Vodou are ritual flags which are paraded around at the beginning of a Vodou ceremony to

summon the Loa (deities). Made of satin, velvet, or rayon, and adorned with sequins, beads, or appliqué

fabric, these flags have become one of the most widely recognized forms of Vodou art. Although the

flags are beautiful works of art, Drapo Vodou are most powerful in the religion because of the spiritual

power they carry. The flags not only represent the deities which they are made to honor, they also

represent the strength and identity of the community.

Each drapo is typically dedicated to a single Loa, incorporating the Loa's sacred colors and symbols

(vévé). Most Vodou societies own only two flags and usually one of the flags is dedicated to Ogou. In

Vodou, balance is essential. Ogou represents hot energy, so the other flag paired with Ogou usually

represents a cool loa such as Erzulie Freda.

Drapo to Ogou by Yves Telemak, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Erzulie Dantor drapo by Georges Valris

Port-au-Prince, Haiti


Vévés of Haiti

Agwe Damballah-Wedo

Ogou

Ogou

Gran Bwa

Damballah-Wedo

Papa Legba

Papa Legba

Erzulie-Freda

Ayizen

Marassa

Gede/Bawon Samdi

Damballah-Wedo

Maman Brijit

Erzulie-Freda

Simbi

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Agwe.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Damballah-Wedo.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Ogoun--Image-2.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Gran-Bwa.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Damballah-Wedo.--a1.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Legba.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Legba-2.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Agwe.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Damballah-Wedo.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Ogoun--Image-2.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Gran-Bwa.htm

http://altreligion.about.com/od/symbols/ig/Vodoun-Veves/Damballah-Wedo.--a1.htm


Time: Two 45-minute class periods

Materials:

Art paper (8 ½‖ X 11‖)

Vévé sheet

Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

Sequins and beads

White glue and/or hot glue guns

DAY I

Discussion (10 minutes)

Discuss the power of a symbol with your students by considering some of the most familiar and

powerful symbols throughout history. Also have students consider some of the symbols they encounter

in everyday life. Be sure to discuss religious symbols such as the Cross or the Star of David as well as

not so positive symbols, i.e. swastikas.

Draw Designs (30 minutes)

1. Pass out the vévé sheet.

2. Give each student a piece of art paper

3. Instruct students to either draw out one of the vévés on their paper or create their own

symbols. If students opt to create their own symbols, these can be created by combining letters

and symbols or imagery important to them. For more information on how popular symbols have evolved see the following

link: http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/peace.html Outlining the development of the Peace symbol from the letters ―N‖ and ―D‖ from

the Nuclear Disarmament movement.

4. Remember to have students use their entire sheet of paper for their designs. Symmetry is important

in vévé designs, because with symmetry comes balance. Vévés are representations of the balance

between forces of life and death, good and evil, heaven and earth. They provide a point of focus and

unsymmetrical designs could be chaotic and out of balance.

DAY 2

Embellishment

1. Have students work out a color scheme for their drapo. These can be added directly to their

designs for reference.

The Loa are represented by specific color schemes. Hot loa are represented by hot colors such as red and cool loa are

represented by cooler colors like blue. For example, Ogou is represented by red, Erzulie is represented by blue with

touches of red.

2. Pass out glue and sequins and have students fill in their designs. Let them know that each area

does not need to be completely filled in. Variation also creates balance.

EXTENSION: If you want to take this lesson plan further and offer your students a more authentic

version of a Drapo Vodou, you can do this project on fabric and have students sew sequins and

beads to the fabric. Fabric designs will likely double the amount of class periods needed.

http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/peace.html


Additional Resources The MoAD Education Department creates curriculum resource guides for all of our special exhibitions. Below is a list of lesson plans created for other exhibitions that tie into the content of African

Continuum. Other curriculum resource guides may be downloaded as pdf’s from the MoAD website at:

http://www.moadsf.org/education/curriculum.html. We have also listed some useful links to resources on

the web.

Double Exposure Curriculum Resource Guide: ―The Revolution Will Not Be

Televised‖ (Grades 5-12) located on page 15.

Decoding Identity Curriculum Resource Guide: ―Who Am I, Really?‖ (Grades 6-12) located on page 11.

The Art of Richard Mayhew: ―Place, Power, and Race‖ (Grades 8-12) located on page

26.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Amazing examples of Drapo Vodou may be found on the Indigo Arts website:

http://www.indigoarts.com/gallery_haiti_main.html

The Center for Black Studies Research at UC Santa Barbara has an extensive list of resources and

scholarly articles relating to Haiti and Haitian art forms:

http://research.ucsb.edu/cbs/projects/haiti/kosanba/index.html

Afro Cuba Web is a thorough resource about the African Diasporas present in Cuba. The site

particularly focuses on the Yoruba and Kongo influences and connections to music, food, and the visual

arts of Cuba: http://afrocubaweb.com/

The University of Michigan has developed an extensive online timeline of the African presence in the

Americas (including the five places covered in African Continuum):

http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Schomburg/text/timeline-start.html

The Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library system has

resources and additional curriculum, many of which tie directly into the content of African Continuum:

http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/64/node/62877

http://www.moadsf.org/education/curriculum.html

http://www.indigoarts.com/gallery_haiti_main.html

http://research.ucsb.edu/cbs/projects/haiti/kosanba/index.html

http://afrocubaweb.com/

http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Schomburg/text/timeline-start.html

http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/64/node/62877


California State Standards

Addressed In This Guide

NOTE: The following is meant to serve as a map to guide educators toward specific

standards addressed in this curriculum guide. In most cases, specific sub-strands are

omitted in the interest of saving space. To get more in-depth content standards

information, please visit the California State Content Standards online at

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/.

Constructing a Diaspora (Grades 6-12) Grade 6-8 History / Social Studies Content Standards

Chronological and Spatial Thinking 1. Students explain how major events are related to one another in time.

2. Students construct various time lines of key events, people, and periods of the historical era they are studying.

3. Students use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of neighborhoods, cities,

states, and countries and to explain the historical migration of people, expansion and disintegration of empires,

and the growth of economic systems.

Research, Evidence, and Point of View 1. Students frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research.

2. Students distinguish fact from opinion in historical narratives and stories.

3. Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from incidental

information, and verifiable from unverifiable information in historical narratives and stories.

4. Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw sound conclusions from them.

5. Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events and determine the context in which

the historical statements were made (the questions asked, sources used, author’s perspectives).

7.11 Students analyze political and economic change in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and

eighteenth centuries (the Age of Exploration, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason).

1. Know the great voyages of discovery, the locations of the routes, and the influence of cartography in the

development of a new European worldview.

2. Discuss the exchanges of plants, animals, technology, culture, and ideas among Europe, Africa, Asia, and the

Americas in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the major economic and social effects on each continent.

3. Examine the origins of modern capitalism; the influence of mercantilism and cottage industry; the elements and

importance of a market economy in seventeenth-century Europe; the changing international trading and marketing

patterns, including their locations on a world map; and the influence of explorers and map makers.

8.6 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people from 1800 to the mid-1800s

and the challenges they faced, with emphasis on the Northeast.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/


4. Study the lives of black Americans who gained freedom in the North and founded schools and churches to

advance their rights and communities.

8.7 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the South from 1800 to the

mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.

2. Trace the origins and development of slavery; its effects on black Americans and on the region’s political, social,

religious, economic, and cultural development; and identify the strategies that were tried to both overturn and

preserve it (e.g., through the writings and historical documents on Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey).

4. Compare the lives of and opportunities for free blacks in the North with those of free blacks in the South.

8.9 Students analyze the early and steady attempts to abolish slavery and to realize the ideals

of the Declaration of Independence.

1. Describe the leaders of the movement (e.g., John Quincy Adams and his proposed constitutional amendment,

John Brown and the armed resistance, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Benjamin Franklin,

Theodore Weld, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass).

6. Describe the lives of free blacks and the laws that limited their freedom and economic opportunities.

Grades 9-12 Chronological and Spatial Thinking 1. Students compare the present with the past, evaluating the consequences of past events and decisions and

determining the lessons that were learned.

2. Students analyze how change happens at different rates at different times; understand that some aspects can

change while others remain the same; and understand that change is complicated and affects not only technology

and politics but also values and beliefs.

3. Students use a variety of maps and documents to interpret human movement, including major patterns of

domestic and international migration, changing environmental preferences and settlement patterns, the frictions

that develop between population groups, and the diffusion of ideas, technological innovations, and goods.

4. Students relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.

Historical Research, Evidence, and Point of View 1. Students distinguish valid arguments from fallacious arguments in historical interpretations.

2. Students identify bias and prejudice in historical interpretations.

3. Students evaluate major debates among historians concerning alternative interpretations of the past, including

an analysis of authors’ use of evidence and the distinctions between sound generalizations and misleading

oversimplifications.

4. Students construct and test hypotheses; collect, evaluate, and employ information from multiple primary and

secondary sources; and apply it in oral and written presentations.

Historical Interpretation 1. Students show the connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and larger social,

economic, and political trends and developments.

2. Students recognize the complexity of historical causes and effects, including the limitations on determining cause

and effect.

3. Students interpret past events and issues within the context in which an event unfolded rather than solely in

terms of present-day norms and values.

4. Students understand the meaning, implication, and impact of historical events and recognize that events could

have taken other directions.


Drapo Vodou (Grades 6-12) Visual Arts Content Standards

2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION

Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts

Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original

works of art.

Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools 2.1 Use various observational drawing skills to depict a variety of subject matter.

Communication and Expression Through Original Works of Art

2.4 Create increasingly complex original works of art reflecting personal choices and increased technical skill.

2.5 Select specific media and processes to express moods, feelings, themes, or ideas.

Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools

2.1 Develop increasing skill in the use of at least three different media.

2.3 Develop skill in using mixed media while guided by a selected principle of design.

3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of the Visual Arts

Students analyze the role and development of the visual arts in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting human diversity as it relates to the visual arts and artists.

Role and Development of the Visual Arts

3.1 Identify similarities and differences in the purposes of art created in selected cultures.

Diversity of the Visual Arts

3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and discuss how the issues of time, place, and

cultural influence are reflected in selected works of art. 3.4 Discuss the purposes of art in selected contemporary cultures.

Documents

Moadsf africa continuum curriculum guide