The culture of the Indian peoples arrives in the heart of Florence with the second appointment of “Villa Vittoria culture“, The review promoted by Florence Fair This offers space for reflections on rights, identities and spirituality
Wednesday 4 June welcomed the gardens and rooms of Villa Vittoria Alessandro Martireauthor of the book “The thought of Indian” (Edizioni Giunti). A meeting that promised himself as a real bridge between distant but extremely current worlds and traditions. To introduce the evening Florence Fair” Lorenzo Becattinipreceded by a greeting of Giovanni FiantantMaker of the cultural initiative.
A spiritual bridge between the Lakota Sioux and Italy
Alessandro Martire’s is not only a publication, but also the direct testimony of a life immersed in culture LacquerOne of the most important American native nations.
Since the end of the 1970s, Martelaar has started a spiritual and cultural journey that led him to be welcomed by the older Lakota to dance the sun ritualTo become the keeper of Saint Pipa, one of the most sacred ritual objects of indigenous spirituality.
Nowadays he is president of the Cultural Association Gleska NewblesThe only one in Italy and among the few in Europe also recognized the United Nations as the official representation of the Lakota Nation.
An activity that takes place after the UN statement of the rights of indigenous peoplesApproved in Geneva in 2007, and which is intended to not only recognize and protect the civil and territorial rights of Indians, but also from their spiritual, environmental and cultural knowledge.
The “Sacryy of the Woman” and respect for the earth
One of the central themes of the meeting, and of the book itself, is the vision of the indigenous world, strongly focused on the ethics of respect: for nature, for future generations, for the role of women, considered holy as a donor of life.
It is no coincidence that Florence, Tuscany and the metropolitan city have subscribed over time, no fewer than 25 protocols of friendship with the Lakota SiouxA symbolic and political gesture that confirms the attention of local institutions for a culture that defends collective rights, is a balance with the environment and the memory of oral traditions.
Lakota: a people of warriors, philosophers and preservators of the earth
Here are two in -deep sections about the Lakota culture, with special attention to the Sacra -Pipe and for some important elements of their value system:
I Lacquer They are one of the seven groups that are part of the large Sioux -Natation, historically assigned in the Great Plains of North America, in particular among the current States South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska. Also known as TetonLakota are famous for their proud mind, the community structure and the intense spirituality that penetrates every aspect of daily life.
Their culture is based on a deep feeling of Relationship with nature and with the cosmos, expressed in the holy formula Mitakuye Oyasin (All my family members), who expresses the mutual connection between all living beings: people, animals, plants, elements, spirits.
The company in Lakota has been organized for centuries around family clans, with an economy based on bison hunting and a spirituality that transmitted orally transferred by the elderly and medicines, the managers of ceremonial knowledge.
The Sacred Pipe: Symbol of Alliance and Spiritual Tool
One of the most sacred objects for Lakota is the Chanunpathe Sacra -PipeWhich is not a simple ritual tool, but a bridge between the visible and spiritual world. Legend says he was given by the people by White buffel calf woman (Vrouw Vitello di Bison Bianco), a holy figure who taught Lakota the ceremonies and fundamental values of life: prayer, balance, respect, responsibility for the community.
Smoking the pipe, in the Lakota culture, is a sacred action that serves to set up an alliance, to conclude a commitment or to request protection for the community. Each part of the pipe – the red stone stove, the wooden torch, the tobacco offered – has a precise meaning and reminds us of the four elements, the four cardinal points, the ancestors and the future generations. Only those who are spiritually recognized by the people can become preservators.
Between cinema and culture: a message that arrives in Cannes
Martelaar is not only activist and author. He recently worked as a cultural consultant and actor in the film “Head or Cross” By Matteo Zoppis and Alessio Rigo de Righi, with an international cast that also includes John C. Reilly.
The film presented to the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in the section “A certain look”This fall, projects will be projected in Tuscany, which further strengthens the connection between the region and the Lakota culture.
An opportunity to think about identity, memory and justice
“The thought of Indian” It is more than a suggestive title: it is an invitation to reconsider our idea of progress and civilizations, to compare us to a vision of the world that the center places Harmony with nature And respect for life in all its forms.
The meeting in Villa Vittoria was therefore the opportunity to listen to the martyr’s voice, not only anecdotes of an intense and extraordinary experience, but also to think about the Urgencies of our time: Climate change, the rights of minorities, the role of women and spirituality as a tool for personal and collective balance.