The Native Iowan

Im seeing a whole bunch of tribalism on our planet. I am thinking we are regressing in many ways, as the world spins and wobbles out of control, the Tribalism that is in our DNA, to me, becomes apparent…

What is tribalism?

After reading quite a bit I am leaning toward thinking tribalism is part of what we are as humans. We are tribal in nature and nurture. This is from my reading: “We often scorn tribalism, seeing it as a primitive relic of who we once were. When, in fact, tribalism is a fundamental aspect of human identity. If you’ve ever been at a game with thousands of others cheering for a team or against another team, you’ve been experiencing tribalism.”

Haiti is a good example. Lets do some research:

Did you know:

In the midst of the French Revolution, enslaved persons, maroons, and free people of color launched the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), led by a former slave and general of the French Army, Toussaint Louverture. Napoleon’s forces were defeated by Louverture’s successor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines (later Emperor Jacques I), who declared Haiti’s sovereignty on 1 January 1804, leading to a massacre of the French. The country became the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, the first country in the Americas to eliminate slavery, and only country established by a slave revolt.President Jean-Pierre Boyer attempted to expand Haitian influence over the eastern part of Hispaniola, which eventually led to the Haitian–Dominican Wars. Haiti recognized Dominican independence in 1867, following their declaration in 1844. Haiti’s first century of independence was characterized by political instability, ostracism by the international community, and payment of a crippling debt to France. Political volatility and foreign economic influence prompted the US to occupy the country between 1915 and 1934. François ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier took power in 1957, ushering in a long period of autocratic rule continued by his son, Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, that lasted until 1986; the period was characterized by state-sanctioned violence against the opposition and civilians, corruption, and economic stagnation. After 1986, Haiti established a relatively more democratic political system.

Happy place by the looks of it…

And more…

Haiti is a founding member of the United Nations, Organization of American States (OAS), Association of Caribbean States, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. In addition to CARICOM, it is a member of the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Historically poor and politically unstable, Haiti has the lowest Human Development Index in the Americas, as well as widespread slavery. The country endured a 2004 coup d’état, which prompted U.N. intervention, as well as a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that killed over 250,000 people and a cholera outbreak. With its deteriorating economic situation, Haiti has experienced a socioeconomic and political crisis marked by riots and protests, widespread hunger, and increased gang activity. As of February 2023, Haiti has no remaining elected government officials and has been described as a failed state.

quote unquote… Haiti has no remaining elected government…

So we fall into Tribalism.

Im reading about the “history of cannibalism in Haiti”. I did not know Haiti has/ had a history of cannibalism, and am kinda shocked that such it a reality…

I find this:

Secte Rouge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Secte Rouge, also called the Cochon Gris or the Vinbrindingue, is or was a secret society in Haiti, which Zora Neale Hurston described in her 1938 book Tell My Horse.[1] Hurston’s sources of information were lore related by Haitians, as well as a few earlier books.

Overview
She described them as a fearsome group of cannibals who performed rites distinct from vodoo practiced by many Haitians. According to Huston, Secte Rouge used counterfeit vodou ceremonies to hide their presence, and moreover that many of the practices abhorred by outsiders and attributed to vodou were actually committed by Secte Rouge (e.g., the robbery or desecration of graves).[2] Hurston provided descriptions of Secte Rouge ceremonies to the gods Maitre Carrefour (Lord of the Cross Roads) and Baron Cimetière, a deity involved with graveyards.

The Secte Rouge was held to have originated among slaves captured in the Mondongue region, now part of the Central African Republic, said to have practiced cannibalism in their homeland.[3] Their behavior was held in check by slavery during the 1700s when France ruled the island, but with the Haitian Revolution and independence in 1804 the Secte Rouge were unleashed. The tenure of President Fabre Geffrard (1859-1867) was said to have been the peak years of the Secte Rouge. Anecdotes include stories of a midwife near who murdered newborn infants specifically to consume their flesh, and human fingernails being discovered in food sold as pig’s feet.

Hurston relates a conversation with an unidentified “high official of the Guarde d’Haiti” who said that police keep suspected Secte Rouge members under surveillance, hoping to gather evidence or observe criminal activity.[4] The Secte Rouge members kept a strict code of secrecy.[5]

Two earlier works are cited as containing references to the Secte Rouge: Description topographique, physique, civile, politique et historique de la partie francaise de l’isle Saint-Domingue (Tome Premier) (1796) by Médéric Louis Élie Moreau de Saint-Méry and Life in a Haitian Valley (1937) by Melville J. Herskovits.

Interesting.

In my reading I cam across a most interesting piece… I’ll share it here and highly encourage you to read it…

Tribalism: Definition, Examples, and What Makes Someone a Free Thinker

enough words for this fine Sunday…

more later

big smiles