To commemorate this event we will construct a lakou, a large, open-air compound in Haiti used by an extended family as a social and a sacred space, which we invite you to enter. People who enter the lakou reaffirm their continuing connection to nature, to each other, to ancestors, and to the divine. The grounds of the Haiti program will be modeled on Lakou Nan Souvnans, one of the oldest traditional lakous, located in Artibonite, close to the city of Gonaïves.
The gateway entry of the lakou will be protected by symbols of Papa Legba-the guardian of openings-and the exit by symbols of Bawon Samdi-the guardian of graves (and protector of children). These symbols, called vèvès, will be drawn in flour on the ground.
During great celebrations in Haiti, processions usually follow a route that links various holy places. By entering the Lakou on the National Mall, you will be able to imagine that you are traveling in Haiti from the mountains to the sea, through the savanna and the plain. You will be able to walk the circuit from one area of the Haiti program to another and visit each of the activities. Of course, you may choose to go your own way within the Lakou instead. Then you will be following in the footsteps of the Maroons of Haiti, who freed themselves from slavery and laid the foundation for Haiti's liberation.
We invite you to attend this historical event. Haiti: Freedom and Creativity from the Mountains to the Sea will be held on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from June 23rd to July 4th. For more information regarding the festival please visit our website at www.si.edu/folklife
Thank You - For YOUR commitment to Haiti!
If you would like to support this program, checks can be sent to:
Payee: Smithsonian Institution Comment: Folklife Festival-Haiti Attn: Barbara Strickland Address: Smithsonian Institution Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Post Office Box 37012/Victor Building 4100 Washington, DC 20013-7012 Phone: 202-275-1151 /Fax: 202-275-1120