March 15th, 2019

March 15th, 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand, a day that changed New Zealand, changed me.
On this day I was driving on the left for the first time in many years and was a bit shaken when I arrived at my destination in Linwood. Confusion set in when the door to the shop I was headed for was locked and I was told the lockdown was in place, best to go home. Lockdown? As it turned out I was only a few blocks from the second mosque, the mosque the shooter had driven to calmly after murdering those at prayer in central Christchurch. The police had only just begun the lockdown and I had no idea of what had happened until I had access to a television an hour later.

What was the change for me and why? For all of my adult life there have been mass shootings, increasing in numbers and intensity over the years. Murder of innocents, inconceivable acts which have perplexed and horrified the world. I well remember that gut wrenching reaction to the first mass shooting I experienced, the tower shooting at The University of Texas, 1966. That event affect me in my heart and soul. I did not analyze it, I reacted to it. And so I did again on March 15th, 2019.

The day after the shooting I was invited to sing with a group of those who live from their hearts. And the singing was a balm to our souls. We were invited to sing in Christchurch, not for a particular purpose but to share our songs and sing for joy and comfort. And sing we did, beautifully and with great heart and all of us, spectators as well, felt the relief in the singing.

Jacinda Arden, the Prime Minister of New Zealand , interpreted this event in her own natural way, as an humanitarian. Her words, her actions set the tone for the country and the country responded in kind.

For me, a person living in a place where events like this are common place and are no longer shocking to the same extent, no longer have the effect a first time occurrence can, no longer seem out of the ordinary, this tragic loss of life was a revelation. The shooting of innocents while at prayer that Friday made me realize how immune I had become to these appalling acts. I realized this because the reaction overall in New Zealand was one of empathy and solidarity for the victims and their families. It was a reaction of caring and inclusiveness. It was not pronounced platitudes, it was sincere. Of course in America and any place where senseless violence occurs there is grief and mourning. But what I have never felt anywhere else before this terrible day is that sense of unity and determination to not accept this assault on the people, all the people of the county. This was a first ( and pray the last) for such an incident in New Zealand, a loss of innocence? It seemed so but these resilient people will carry on as true humanitarians. I had seen us all at our very best as we reacted to the very worse.
In all that sadness the blessing for me was my heart grew a bit bigger that day.

The day before departure- heading to Tanzania!

Like all days before a big trip it was busy! And sunny. And cold of course. There are snowdrops in the yard, right by the defunct pond ( soon to be rise again thanks to John). So I know spring is coming and glorious it will be.

At last I can begin to believe I will be returning to East Africa after such a long time- more than 30 years, imagine. It may be a lifetime away but to me it feels like I will be just going on safari again- back to the home of my heart. So let’s see- so much is different but I expect so much is the same.

But first there is a Birthday for a dear 7 year old, and a trip to the chocolate store and some warming up in the California rain. I say Lala salama for now anticipating the early start.

NPS

This morning former Director Jon Jarvis made this statement about recent events involving the National Park Service:

“I have been watching the Trump administration trying unsuccessfully to suppress the National Park Service with a mix of pride and amusement. The NPS is the steward of America’s most important places and the narrator of our most powerful stories, told authentically, accurately, and built upon scientific and scholarly research. The Park Ranger is a trusted interpreter of our complex natural and cultural history and a voice that cannot not be suppressed. Edicts from on-high have directed the NPS to not talk about “national policy”, but permission is granted to use social media for visitor center hours and safety. The ridiculousness of such a directive was immediately resisted and I am not the least bit surprised. So at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta should we not talk about his actions to secure the rights to vote for African Americans in the south, or is that too “national policy”? At Stonewall National Monument in New York City, shall we only talk about the hours you can visit the Inn or is it “national policy” to interpret the events there in 1969 that gave rise to the LGBT movement? Shall we only talk about the historic architecture of the Washington, DC home of Alice Paul and Alva Belmont or is it too “national policy” to suggest their decades of effort to secure the rights of women can be linked directly to the women’s marches in hundreds of cities last weekend? And as we scientifically monitor the rapid decline of glaciers in Glacier National Park, a clear and troubling indicator of a warming planet, shall we refrain from telling this story to the public because the administration views climate change as “national policy”? These are not “policy” issues, they are facts about our nation, it is how we learn and strive to achieve the ideals of our founding documents. To talk about these facts is core to the mission of the NPS. During the Centennial of the National Park Service, we hosted over 300 million visitors (now that is huge) to the National Parks and most came away inspired, patriotic and ready to speak on behalf of the values we hold most dear. The new Administration would be wise to figure out how to support the National Park Service, its extraordinary employees and their millions of fans.”

Playing Catch Up

It has been a while since I have posted- as we all know much has happened and it is still process time. This is just a note to let you know I will go live again starting with my return to Africa next month. I left Africa a very long time ago so I expect many changes and some things to be just the same. This will be followed with a report from the NAI International Conference to take place in March- this time in Baja. Judging from the line – up for this conference it looks like very interesting discussions will take place which encompass my passion for cross cultural communication.

As for following the blog – please feel free to if you like, I do nothing to encourage or make this happen because I never follow the herd, rather I pop in from time to time to check how and what individuals are doing and saying. Please feel free to do it that way or if you wish for me to update you on posts and pictures by sending me an email and I will do so. I am not in the social media game to collect followers, but do enjoy sharing stories, ideas and visuals and having these shared with me.  Meanwhile here are a few pictures from the Hoh Rainforest taken yesterday- one of the most extraordinary places on earth. A bonus was seeing salmon spawning- good to know there are a few left in this highly depleted area.

cheers

Island life at 20 degrees N – 48 degrees N

A Year Gone By

This is the time of year when we reflect upon time gone by and so I too think of changes. In April of 2013 I attended my first Board meeting as a new Board member for the National Association of Interpretation. This is an exciting time for NAI, lots of new ideas, a restructuring of our International Conference and a dynamic Strategic Plan is in process.
My biggest focus has been on the ongoing interest in my cross-cultural workshops and talks are in process to expand these, maybe with a return to “Down Under”. The content is so rich and wide in scope that it continues to enthrall me and seems to be of interest and importance to interpreters in many settings.
My other focus has been on Killer Whales since now I spend most of my time here in the Pacific Northwest. I am always learning more and love the process of putting this knowledge into an interpretative context. The Southern Resident Killer Whales who frequent the Salish Sea around Vancouver Island (Canada), the San Juan Islands (US) and the southern Gulf Islands (Canada) are salmon eaters and they are threatened by the decrease in salmon. This decease, which can be closely linked to fishing practices, the results of dams and fish farming is a serious problem which begs more public attention. It is a hot topic locally, but I don’t believe has reached the general public yet. As interpreters we have the ability to share conservation concerns in a powerful way to help preserve our environment. Killer Whales, at the top of the food chain are an indicator of the health of the waters they live in and all its life forms. In general it is heartening to hear more talk of the threats to oceans, now for the actions.
If I were to summarize how I have spent this last year it would be spending more time thinking, planning and practicing how to effectively spread what messages we wish to share; and to continue helping people to understand the world and our interconnectedness.
Lastly my passion for heritage interpretation grows. I am planning a trip to see more heritage sites- there are so very many exciting changes occurring in heritage interpretation and I want to see it all!
On a personal note my granddaughters continue to thrive, my daughter is established in her village in Senegal and family is well. And I get to live in nature every day- what could be better?

All the best for the holidays and a wonderful new year.

Inclusive Interpretation – New Zealand

Auckland participants

I was honored to be invited by INNZ to share my insights on cross cultural interpretation at a series of workshops titled Inclusive Interpretation. My fellow presenter, Joe Harawira taught us all valuable lessons, not only about Maori culture, but for me at least, about life and grace. Joe is a well known Maori storyteller and keeper of protocol whose highly esteemed international reputation speaks to his talents and insights.

We began in Auckland, North Island. Thanks to Michelle Edge for hosting us at the Auckland Zoo and to Jamie of the zoo staff. It was a special bonus to be able to see the exhibits which are rich in interpretive approaches.

Our South Island venue was truly special- Rapaki Wheke Marae near Christchurch. When I was told we were going to be hosted on a marae I had no idea of the meaning of this; I knew it was special, an honor, but did not fully understand its significance. Sarah Mankelow set up our visit and I am so grateful to her for all her hard work and kindness.
There are intangible feelings on a Maori marae which have no words to describe them. For us it set the tone, the backdrop for our understanding of the material and experience. I use this word instead of learning for the marae and our lovely hosts made the experience one of knowing, one of feeling. It was the most unique and rewarding experience I have ever had in Interpretation and I am deeply grateful.

As for our topic, well Joe and I played off each other words and actions seamlessly to share what this means. When we come from a place of respect, appreciation and understanding for those we may not know we grow, we share of ourselves at our very best. The title- Inclusive Interpretation (thank you Michelle for this) says so much- isn’t it always our goal?

I learned many lessons. What stands out the most-LISTEN, and be open to all you feel, let it guide you.

Joe Harawira Gail Richard

Gail and Joe confer

Active Listening and participation, Auckland

Field trip to Quail Island

Interpretative signs Quail Island

Learning about Quail Island

Rapaki Wheke

Meaning as Interpretation

I have been reading a blog written by a friend and colleague comparing “meaning makers” and “meaning readers” as interpreters. I wasn’t sure if I was in fact either one. This led me to think about how we interpret what we read/see/feel/touch/experience. Interpretation is as individual as the individual having the experience. The question for me is, are we one or the other, are we constructing or reading “meaning”? I think of multiple learning styles (see Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences), I think of individual ways of “being” in the world which affects our “lens”, I think of how we make sense or interpret all that we experience. My esteemed colleague implies she is more scientific in nature, I am not scientific, although I find science fascinating. I am much more connected to the human experience, and this influences my interpretations of all interactions, be they on a large or small-scale, be they in relation to one another, animals, environment, spirituality- all aspects of existence as we know it. Yet again there are millions of other ways to “interpret” what we experience, learn, know; as many styles as there are those who are having the experiences.

As interpreters by profession we think about our message, how we will share information, and meaning, how we will awaken creative thoughts and solutions in our listeners. And each one of these listeners will interpret our words in their own unique ways just as each of us expresses our understanding uniquely. This is, in my mind, the beauty of interpretation; all these many ways of constructing meaning as the speaker and the listener. By sharing this meaning through dialog we expand, grow, create, learn, change. And a large part of our art is LISTENING.

Therefore I do not see interpretation “in a box”- it does in fact have theory and formula, however it seems it cannot remain stagnantly tied to these. Rather they are foundations, not the end result. Everyone is interpreting everything all the time. When we are open to the ideas of others and share ideas back and forth we are using interpretation as a powerful tool to understand. So I end where I began, I agree there are meaning makers and meaning readers and might I add meaning experiences and … and… happily it is endless.

Visit to Manoa Heritage Center, Oahu

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Saturday September 1st marked our third organized visitation with the NAI PIC! A group of twenty-four interpreters enjoyed a scenic and informative tour around the grounds of The Manoa Heritage Center – the site of Kūali`i, a historic home built in 1911 by Charles Montague Cooke Jr., and the Kūkā`ō`ō Heiau. Our guides not only shared interesting facts about the native plants bordering the property, but used pictures and stories to transport us back 100 years before Manoa Valley had been settled and cattle roamed the land. Their “bag of tricks” helped to reinforce our experience by sharing artifacts from various periods in Kūali`i’s history. Our visit culminated with a viewing of Kūkā`ō`ō Heiau, thought to be an agricultural temple built by the māpele class. Kūkā`ō`ō is the last remaining Hawaiian temple in the ahupua`a of Waikiki.
On behalf of the PIC and all those in attendance, mahalo nui loa to Margo and Sharon, our amazing guides, who did an outstanding job interpreting the land and history of a true Manoa Valley treasure.

Journeys into the world, oneself and song and dance

Travel, if this blog isn’t talking about Interpretation, all the interpretation we do all the time about everything, then it might be about travel. You may have noticed I am a wanderer. Who said it best- well the traveler himself:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain
I feel I am my travels, they shape me, influence me and make my world broader and deeper.
There is, however another journey which brings growth and satisfaction and depth. It is of course the greatest journey of all- the inner journey.
And then there is the joyful journey into dance and song. great moments- with my singing pals- really rising up in “Nelson Mandala got freedom” or the warmth of ending an evening with “Rolling Home”, all huddled together, or a perfect rendition of The Gray Funnel Line.

Ah dance. Oh my… zydeco dancing is amazingly varied-It’s so easy to swing all the way around the floor. Contra and good old fashioned square dancing just bring out the grins.
And for pure pleasure watch Let’s Dance- how perfect is this!