‘Culture for Identity: From Soil to Soul’ celebrates the Indigenous spirit
The terrace slowly filled with people, with members of different indigenous communities and Bengalis alike. A white wooden shed displayed the main artworks of the exhibition, while the rest of the walls were lined with photographs capturing indigenous life and culture. In front of a hand-painted banner promising a day of art, poetry, music, and discussions, the event "Culture for Identity: From Soil to Soul" began.
To honour the spirit of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Artists' Unity organised the event "Culture for Identity: From Soil to Soul" yesterday at Sangskriti Bikash Kendra Bhaban, featuring an art exhibition, symposium, movie screenings, and a musical performance.
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The exhibition showcased a diverse range of media, including acrylic, digital prints, sketches, photographs, and mixed media. The themes ranged from indigenous traditions, livelihoods, and culture, to monochrome portraits, as well as military suppression and enduring stereotypes. The vivid visual narrative set the tone for the day's soulful art and deeper discussions about the soil.
The event started with poignant poetry recited by indigenous poets about their land in their mother tongue, including Ananya Drong, Badhon Hajong, and Bithi Kujur. While Bithi emphasised the importance of the Kurukh language in her identity, and Badhon recited the poem "Amra Adivasi", to represent the diversity of the adivasis, Ananya described in her poem, the legend of the bird 'Doamek'- when the rarely sighted bird flies over your house, it is believed that guests are to come and spread positivity around you.
Behind the rich cultural tapestry, often escaping the discussion are the restrictions on the community that have instilled an inherent self-censorship within the members. The second segment, titled "Censorship, Self-Censorship, Surveillance and Other Difficulties", featured a panel discussion on the matter moderated by Adit Dewan. The panel included Antani Rema from the band Madol, Augustine Murmu from Santal Musicians Association of Bangladesh (SAMAB), photographer Denim Chakma, and Pinky Chiran from the all-female Indigenous community band F-Minor.
Sharing experiences from his 12 years as a member of Madol, Antani described the scrutiny and additional requests organisers have asked over the years. He recounted, "Once when we were about to participate in the National Folk Festival, the organisers asked if we could arrange young indigenous girls dancing in front of us while we sang behind them. This was a concert; no Bengali bands were asked to do the same thing." Pinky Chiran added that she makes it clear to any potential organiser from the very beginning that she belongs to a feminist band that isn't meant to please everyone.
Denim Chakma is regularly interrogated during his photographic expeditions, including one incident in which his camera was snatched. As a precaution, he keeps a memory card filled with photos of nature to be able to show if someone asks; he clicks the real photographs afterwards. Denim remarked, "I once asked the interrogating officer where he was from. When he replied 'Khulna', I found it quite ironic that a man from outside the region was asking me what I was doing in the place where I have lived all my life."
Augustine shared a rather different experience from organising the National Santal Music Festival every year. Several new bands perform their original songs in their mother tongue without the interference of law enforcement agencies. He noted that avoiding the term "indigenous" and instead highlighting the Santal identity helps ensure the event's success. However, many bands choose to break the self-censorship to perform songs with bold lyrics and social commentary.
The panel emphasised the effect of stereotypes about indigenous people that have become normalised. Even primary and secondary school books portray the indigenous members as strange and nothing beyond 'hill people' who wear colourful clothes and eat frogs and snakes. Moreover, there is a tendency, year after year, to get caught up in semantics. Antani Rema said, "Every year, they debate about what box to fit us in, what term will not stir up a controversy. This has contributed to self-censorship, and it is a shame we could not refute it with our art."
The following segment, however, offered a counterpoint, screening two nuanced films made by young indigenous filmmakers. As part of 'Indigenous Screen'—a platform of Indigenous Artists' Unity showcasing films by indigenous filmmakers—the featured films were "Will Menle Return?", directed by Zopari Lushai, and "A Snail without Shell", directed by Mohine Rakhaine. Lushai's directorial highlights the facade of community-based tourism, resulting in the eviction of indigenous communities. Using real footage, the film documented the Mro community's protests against land grabbing for constructing a five-star hotel, and the Lushai community's suffering due to the construction of Sajek Valley.
On the other hand, Mohine Rakhaine's "A Snail without Shell" provided a glimpse into the quiet life of an aged Garo couple in their elements. All the while, there was a silent reminder of the displacement of indigenous people and a tribute to the fire service officers who gave their lives in the 2022 Sitakundu explosions. After the films were shown, Mohine Rakhaine joined in for a discussion titled 'Crafting at the Edge' moderated by Santua Tripura. Discussing the experiences, limitations, and authentic portrayal, Mohine shared, "Simplicity works best for making films about indigenous people. I have seen portrayals of our people that I could not connect to. Being there is really important to show who we are."
The eventful day concluded with a musical segment graced by the presence of indigenous musicians Suchi Marma, Sabuj Maji, Thiam Bawm, Hridoy Soren, and Lapol Kora. The crowdfunded congregation, organised by Indigenous Artists' Unity, fostered a warm space for indigenous art and artists to come together, celebrate, and raise their voices through art.
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