CULTURAL

Monday, February 23, 1998 Online Edition 94

Learning to write Honduras' unwritten languages

My 11 years of work with Honduras' indigenous groups began with a chance conversation in the hall of the National Teachers' University in 1987 where I was coordinator of a project to train English teachers. Honduran anthropologist Lazaro Flores stopped me and asked if I would be willing to help the Pech bilingual education program.

"Does Pech have a grammar book?" I asked.

"No," he responded.

"Does Pech have a dictionary?"

"No."

"Does Pech have an alphabet?"

"No."

This an amateur linguist's dream, to have someone come up and say, "Please come to my rain forest and write me a 'yet' unwritten language."

Most of the early work on identifying the sound system was done by Honduran linguistic professors of the UPN and the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), Roberto Palencia and Normanda Martinez, respectively, with the help of their undergraduate students. This was hard work since even the professors had not taken even one course in field linguistics. The only book available on this topic in Honduras was 15 years out of date and in English.

The Pech of Culmi told stories of Dr. Dennis Holt from California, a linguist who had visited them some 10 years before and had never heard from him since. From a citation in a book, we were able to find out that he had studied at UCLA in the 1970s. His university found his parents. His parents forwarded a letter to him. One day he arrived at my home in Pittsburgh, offering to help us with the sound system of Pech.

A linguist who had worked with the Summer Institute of Linguists (SIL) 10 years before in El Carbon, Stephen Echerd, also was found with the help of the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History, then SIL in Guatemala, who forwarded out request to SIL in the United States. He agreed to send us his unpublished dictionary, field notes, and sound system analysis.

All the macro Chibchan languages of northern Honduras, such as Pech, Tawahka and Miskito, have been found to haver very complicated vowel systems -- long vowels, short vowels, nasal vowels, glottal vowels or vowels with aspiration after them. Pech, however, has the additional problem that it has a high tone and a low tone, says Holt.

Although Pech bilingual education was authorized in 1987, and bilingual teachers hired, the project advanced very little because no one knew how to write Pech. University students and teachers trained the Pech how to recognize the different sounds. In 1989, the Committee of Pech Teachers of Culmi, Olancho approved an experimental alphabet by reviewing each sound and saying, "How could we write this sound?"

Some of the symbols were eventually changed. For example, the Pech teachers thought "ax" would be a good way to write an "a" that has a glottal sound, because "this way it will be hard for Spanish speakers to read Pech," said Pech teacher Santos Jacobo Duarte of Vallecito.

Still the Pech bilingual education program did not advance, because there were no materials written in Pech. So Pech teacher Exequiel Martinez of Pueblo Nuevo Subirana wrote a book to teach reading in Pech, using a syllabic method similar to that in the Spanish-language series used in Honduran primary schools.

He finished this book just as World Bank and UNDP funding became available for bilingual education in 1994. A Costa Rican linguist was brought in to rewrite the experimental alphabet. Honduran linguist Dr. Mariana Salgado also collaborated to rewrite the Pech literacy text. As Spanish speakers, they changed all those "hard for Spanish speakers" letters.

The first two books in Pech were printed using the new alphabet in 1996. Pech teachers from El Carbon met in 1997 to see whether they could agree on how to write Pech words with the new alphabet. With only one and half days of training, the teachers were easily able to write word charts for the new alphabet. The alphabet was approved by the teachers, although there are still some spelling issues to be worked out between the dialect of El Carbon and that of Culmi.

Twenty years after leaving Honduras, Holt returned in 1997, leaving with the coordinator of Pech education Blas Lopez his notes for a Pech-Spanish dictionary. Working with UNAH professor Prudencia Garcia, a Honduran linguist, Blas reports the first draft of the Pech-Spanish dictionary should be ready early this year. The Pech of El Carbon are so thankful, they have named one of their schools after Professor Garcia. The second grade books for reading Pech are almost complete as well.

The principal roadblock now to Pech bilingual education

is that although the Ministry of Education published the books in Pech, they have not yet authorized a time slot in the official schedule as to when the teachers can begin to teach the reading of Pech.

By SARA MORRIS SWETCHARNIK

Vicky was single and lived in a little log cabin with her pet bobcat. When young men came to court her, the bobcat was not happy. The cat would stay crouched on top of the refrigerator and growl at them. However, when John came to visit, the bobcat walked over and sprayed him on the leg. John is now Vicky's husband.

NOTE: The Harvin family has been in Honduras since 1992. John Harvin is general manager of Sea Farms Shrimp Farm in Punta Raton. Vicky is currently a teacher at Academia Los Pinares.

Origin of unions in Honduras dates back to '54 strike

By Melanie Wetzel

I am going to stray just a little bit this week from legal decrees, resolutions, codigos, and articles, and give my readers a little history lesson. For those who have been reading the recent articles in Honduras This Week on the variety of scandals associated with the U.S. banana companies in Honduras, this little tale might be of special interest. So gather around, and I will tell you a little story of the time in 1954 when the workers rebelled and said, "Pick your own bananas."

In the 1940s and 1950s, the banana field workers had a rough life. Employer-employee relations were completely degrading; most employers would not even speak to their employees, and any employee making requests or demands was fired. The most sought after middle-management employee was the one who would deal most drastically with his underlings. The work place was completely unhygienic, and there was no protection against work place accidents. Many employees worked double shifts, and some railroad workers and mule drivers worked up to 48 hours straight.

Salaries were unfair. There was not compatibility between the type of work realized and payment, raises were practically non-existent and there was no overtime pay. This must not be misconstrued, however, the banana companies did not pay low salaries, if fact, they paid more than any other job in Honduras. But pay and other benefits were awarded capriciously without regard for seniority or position. The fact that the wages were the highest in Honduras made employees even less likely to protest against poor treatment.

There were workers organizations at this time, but most of them were merely a form of mutual assistance, and did not confront the employers to make demands on behalf of the workers.

The political situation in the country also added to the power of the employers. Workers who protested publicly over their working conditions were often jailed as a threat to public order.

In the 1920s and 1930s there were small uprisings in various plantations, but they were largely ineffective due to lack of participation.

Finally in the 1950s the unions in Honduras began to think of themselves as a negotiating tool. Influence from Guatemala, where there were socialist groups, provided the inspiration to the workers organizations in Honduras that they could be powerful if they acted together.

In 1948, a law was passed that established a 12-hour work day, and overtime pay for extra hours. In 1954, port workers in Tela were demanding the payment of back overtime pay for having worked on a holiday. The workers organization filed a lawsuit, and the court declared that the company did not have to pay the overtime, a clear violation of the 1948 work hours legislation. As a consequence of this ruling, on May 1, 1954, the port workers went on strike. Three days later, on May 4, the workers in the fields of the Tela Railroad Company joined the strike, and on May 7, The workers for the Standard Fruit Company joined the movement.

Over 15,000 workers were involved in the strike. The workers formed the Central Strike Committee as well as sectional committees. The strikers were supported by many organizations within Honduras, as well as international organizations, such as the AFL-CIO.

As the strike wore on, the government named a mediating committee that was eventually able to win the confidence of both sectors, the workers and the companies. The workers of the Standard Fruit Co. went back to their jobs on May 12 but the Tela Railroad Co. remained on strike for 60 days. Finally the government mediating committee was able to bring both groups to agreement.

As a result of the strike, the first collective contracts were signed in Honduras. They included pay raises, overtime pay, vacation and holiday pay, fair treatment for all workers, and improvements in company owned housing complexes and educational benefits.

More importantly, the strike demonstrated to the government that labor legislation was required to maintain social stability. In the following year the National Congress passed legislation creating the Ministry of Labor, the Social Security institution, and other laws legalizing the status of labor unions.

Even though it has often been insinuated that the banana companies have control over governments, the strike proved one thing: all the government influence in the world will not help you if the bananas are rotting on the trees.

CONTEMPORARY PAINTING EXHIBIT -- THROUGH MARCH 10 -- The "impressionistic" artwork of Honduran artist Dilber Obed Padilla will be showcased at Galeria Trios in Colonia Matamoros. For more information call 36-7238.

NIGHT OF CULTURE -- FEBRUARY 26 -- The House of Culture Foundation is hosting a night of culture that will feature the presentation of the new book Favorite Recipes of the Honduran Kitchen by Teresa Gallardo de Coello; a painting exhibit by water colorist Pito Perez; and a short piano recital by Niva Serraitto. There is no admission and the show is open to the public beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Champa Swinford, zona Mazapan in La Ceiba. For more information call 42-0212.

CONCERT -- FEBRUARY 26,27 -- The Honduran musical group Trilogia will be performing at the Manuel Bonilla National Theater. Proceeds from the Feb. 25 performance will benefit the Emma Romero de Callejas Cancer Center. Call 22-4366 for more information.

CONCERT -- FEBRUARY 28 -- The upcoming concert El Orgullo de lo Nuestro will feature a variety of national and international musicians including: Guillermo Anderson, Trio Payaqui, Romero Irias, Carlos Sabillon, Grupo Exodo, Jorge Gomez, Lester Mendoza, Moises Canelo, Daniela Giron, Miguel Angel Guerra, and Voces del Picacho. The concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Coliseum Nacional de Ingenieros. Tickets cost 150, 350, and 1,000 Lps. and can be bought at Joyeria Cantero, Palacio de la Musica, Agencias Panamericanas, Induma, and Artesanias Candu (close to the Hotel Honduras Maya).

CONCERT -- FEBRUARY 28 -- The renowned Mexican singer of boleros and ranchera music, Alejandro Fernandez will perform a concert at 7 p.m. in the Francisco Morazan stadium in San Pedro Sula. This will be his first concert in Honduras as part of a Central American tour to promote his latest album produced with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Tickets are 150 and 300 Lps, and proceeds will go to the Mhotivo Foundation, which provides educational reinforcement and technical training for minors.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND -- THROUGH MARCH 22 -- The experimental theater group "Ensueno" will be presenting the play "Alicia en el Pais de Las Maravillas," (Alice in Wonderland) at the Centro Cultural Sampedrano. Performances are scheduled for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 5 p.m. from Feb. 21 to March 22. Ticket price is Lps. 25. For more information call 53-3911.

MEXICAN CINEMA -- FEBRUARY 26 -- The Mexican Embassy and the Ministry of Culture are presenting the film "Bienvenido - Welcome" by Mexican director Gabriel Retes. The movie will start at 5 p.m. in the Sala de Cine at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, and admission is free.

CHILDREN'S THEATER -- FEBRUARY 28 -- Teatro Latino under the direction of David Vivar will be presenting puppet theater this Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the D'Barro Restaurant in Colonia Alameda of Tegucigalpa Admission is Lps. 20.

FAIR -- FEBRUARY 28 -- The community of Concordia, Olancho will be having a local fair.

ORANGE FESTIVAL -- FEBRUARY 28 -- The community of Guinope, El Paraiso will be celebrating its annual orange festival.

WEIGHT WATCHERS -- Weight Watchers, an international weight loss program with over 40 years of experience in helping people maintain a healthier lifestyle is offering classes in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. To join or for more information contact Juan Cueva Membreno at 39-0161.

TOASTMASTERS - The Tegucigalpa Toastmasters Club invites the public to learn and practice techniques of effective speaking and leadership skills. Meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at the American School library in Tegucigalpa at 6:45 p.m. More information with Maggie Arbuckle at 31-5055 or 38-5114.

FAMILIES ANONYMOUS -- Families Anonymous (FA) meetings are held every Tuesday evening at the Union Church at 7:30 p.m. Call Eileen for more information at 39-9779 or 39-9778.

CIGAR SMOKERS OF HONDURAS -- WEDNESDAY -- Regularly meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Texas Barbecue restaurant on Blvd. Morazan in Tegucigalpa. Bring two cigars to trade, and contact Joe Mays at 32-6519 for more information.

KARATE CLASSES -- The karate school Shonem-E-Yoo is open for registration. Classes are held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting from 4 p.m. and all day on Saturdays. For more information call 57-8517 in San Pedro Sula.

BALLET CLASSES -- FEBRUARY -- The La Fragua Ballet School of Progreso, Yoro is currently having open registration for 1998. Tuition starts at Lps. 150, and classes are under the direction of well known dance instructor Pedro Javier Cardoza. Call 66-0974 for more information.

CHESS FOR CHILDREN -- FEBRUARY -- The National Chess Federation of Honduras is offering classes for children and young adults who are interested in learning to play the internationally popular game of chess. Classes are being held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays until March 7 on the 2nd floor of Edificio de las Federaciones next to the Ruben Callejas Valentine gymnasium in Tegucigalpa. Class fees are Lps. 200. Call 38-5290 for more information.

SPANISH CLASSES -- Spanish as a second language courses are being offered at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Learn Spanish with personal and advanced methods for Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Superior levels. For more information, call 32-2110, Ext. 217 or write to University Certificate in Spanish Proficiency, P.O. Box U 8779, Tegucigalpa.

ART/THEATER CLASSES -- OPEN REGISTRATION -- The "Leonardo da Vinci" Centro Experimental de las Artes is offering drawing, painting, and theater classes for children seven years and older who are interested in developing their art skills and creative potential. The curriculum is designed to develop imagination, creativity, and the ability to express oneself physically and verbally. For more information about registration call Samuel Trigueros or Angela Casco at 52-3074.

PORTRAIT PAINTING CLASSES -- MARCH -- North American artist William Swetcharnik is offering a portrait painting workshop at the Centro de Diseno, Arquitectura y Construccion (CEDAC). The majority of participants will be at an intermediate level, but the course is open to all painting levels. A model will be available and any painting medium may be used. The class will meet every Saturday in March from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 32-0449 or 32-6024.

ART CLASSES -- The Dr. Ricardo Redondo Licona Fine Arts Academy is offering painting, music, theater, folkloric and popular dance, singing and ballet classes in Tegucigalpa. More information at 30-3880.

INTERNATIONAL EXPO -- MARCH 26 THROUGH 28 -- The EXPOCENTRO of San Pedro Sula will be featuring producers, processors, importers and exporters of various agriculture products generated in Honduras. Several businesses and institutions that provide a diversity of services to the national agriculture sector will also be present.

MISS BEAUTIFUL -- APRIL -- The Miss Beautiful of Lago de Yojoa pageant and contest will take place April 8 through 12 at Lago de Yojoa. For more information call Reina Kattan at 56-2281.

TEGUCIGALPA

MUSEO DE HISTORIA REPUBLICANA

Formerly the National Museum and the Museum of the Honduran Republic, the New Museum of Republican History is located at the Villa Roy building in Tegucigalpa's Barrio Buenos Aries. It is open 8:30 to 3:30, Tuesdays through Sundays and features portraits, paraphernalia, and other interesting items from past presidents. Admission is Lps. 20 for non-resident foreigners and Lps. 10 for Hondurans and Central Americans. For more information, call 22-3470 or 22-1468.

CENTRAL BANK MUSEUM

The Central Bank of Honduras located at the Comayaguela annex building is open from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. It has a permanent coin and painting exhibit. For special presentations, call the Emision y Tesoreria department at 37-2270 (-78), ext. 2117 (-2120).

NATIONAL ART GALLERY

The Galeria Nacional de Arte features rock art, pre-Columbian ceramics, colonial paintings, religious art and a wide selection of 20th century Honduran painters. The gallery is located at the Plaza de la Merced in downtown Tegucigalpa. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10-2 p.m. Admission is Lps. 10 for adults, Lps. 5 for senior citizens, Lps. 3 for students and Lps. 1 for children accompanied by adults.

IGUANA FARM

The Biosfera Ecocentro Iguana Farm in Colonia La Joya invites the public to come and learn everything about iguanas. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 3 for children. The facility is open every day (except Wednesday) from 9 to 5. For more information, call 30-6346.

YUSCARAN, EL PARAISO

YUSCARAN HOUSE OF CULTURE

Yuscaran's Casa de la Cultura is located at the former Casa Fortin in downtown Yuscaran, El Paraiso department, just 45 km from Tegucigalpa on the road to Danli. It is open Mondays through Saturdays.

LA PAZ, LA PAZ

LA PAZ HOUSE OF CULTURE

The La Paz Casa de la Cultura is located in downtown La Paz. It features an attractive exhibit of the Lenca handicrafts and culture. It is open Mondays through Sundays.

SAN PEDRO SULA, CORTES

SAN PEDRO SULA MUSEUM

The Museo de San Pedro Sula is located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, 4th Street N.O. in San Pedro Sula. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is Lps. 5 for adults, Lps. 2 for students (must present valid ID) and Lps. 2 for children under 12 years of age. (Tel: 57-1496, Fax: 52-7091)

COPAN

COPAN ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Located in the village of Copan Ruinas, Copan department, the museum exhibits a splendid assortment of Mayan pieces that have been found in the Copan Ruins Archaeological Park just 1 km away.

LA PUENTE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Featuring a sizeable collection of Mayan handicrafts and photographs as well as a room with Japanese antique ceramics, this museum is located at the El Puente Archaeological Site, about an hour's drive from Copán Ruinas.

MAYAN SEPULTURAS MUSEUM

Inaugurated in 1996, this is the premier Mayan museum in the Mundo Maya, featuring the finest examples of Copán's tombs, sculptures and architecture. Located at the Copán Ruins Archaeological Park, the museum is open Monday through Sunday.

COMAYAGUA, COMAYAGUA

COMAYAGUA COLONIAL MUSEUM

Located in the city of Comayagua, 2 hours north from Tegucigalpa, the Comayagua Colonial Museum is in the building that served as home to the government in the 19th century. It contains objects used by indigenous cultures and the Spanish during the pre-Colombian and Colonial eras.

COMAYAGUA RELIGIOUS MUSEUM

Located in the Casa Cural in front of Comayagua's cathedral, this museum features religious paintings and objects dating back to the 16th century. Hours are 8-12 and 2-4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. For more information, contact Leonardo Letona at 72-0348.

TELA, ATLANTIDA

LANCETILLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Located 2 kilometers from Tela on the Atlantic coast highway, the gardens feature one of the largest collections of tropical and subtropical plants, shrubs and trees in all Latin America. It is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays through Sundays. There is an admission charge.

LA CEIBA, ATLANTIDA

BUTTERFLY AND INSECT MUSEUM

Thousands of butterflies and insects from Honduras and 18 other countries are on display in La Ceiba' private Butterfly and Insect Museum. It is located in Colonia El Sauce, 2nd etapa, casa G-12. Visiting hours are 8-12 and 2-5, Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed Wednesday afternoon. Fees are Lps. 15 for adults and Lps. 10 for students. Tel. 42-2874, e-mail: rlehman@ns.gbm.hn

ROATAN, THE BAY ISLANDS

CARAMBOLA BOTANICAL GARDENS

Possibly the only private gardens in Honduras, the Carambola Botanical Gardens and Nature Trails is located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands. A wide variety of exotic plants is featured here, including "Roatan's most extensive orchid collection." It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 45-1117 and ask for Bill or Irma Brady.

The Maya Calendar is a public service for our readers. If you would like to announce an event taking place in Honduras, please send the information to: Calendar Editor, Honduras This Week, Fax 32-2300, e-mail: hontweek@hondutel.hn

Monday, February 16, 1998 Online Edition 93

Local artist offers fresh, creative style to
Honduran art

Barely 22 years old, Dilber Padilla has produced more than 500 oil paintings some of which now grace homes as far away as Iceland, Germany, the United States, Nicaragua, and Belize. Originally from Comayagua, he moved to the capital city in 1990 to begin his formal training as an artist and was a 1994 graduate of the National School of Fine Arts.

Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh and contemporary artist Elman Rojas of Guatemala, Padilla's impressionistic style is enhancing the development of Honduran artwork. "This young painter represents the latest generation of artists with professional capacity that is offering grand possibilities for Honduran art in the next millennium," says Delmer Osvaldo Mejia, president of the Honduran Committee of the International Art Association.

Padilla has created his own signature through his use of strong colors including red, yellow, blue and purple. He expressed his intense attraction to the color red, "It can stir many different emotions and concepts such as love, hate, fire, tenderness, passion ..." Many of his scenes depict a carnival atmosphere. Padilla labeled his principal theme as, "portrayals of circus characters: magicians, trapeze artists, and tricksters that are part of a fascinating drama."

Last year, in search of new inspiration and a chance to expand his creative vision, Padilla became a 6-month volunteer with Casa Alianza, an organization that works to rebuild the lives of street children who range from temporary runaways to serious adolescent criminals. He was assigned to "La Finca", a shelter and education center located outside of the city that is reserved for kids at high risk with a critical need for intervention.

When asked where his ideas for themes and subjects come from he responded, "Everything around me can be a source of inspiration -- a bar scene, galleries, the fair, city parks, lovers, other artists, people in the streets -- whatever my surrounding environment is offering."

The youngest of five brothers, Padilla started his artistic endeavors at the age of seven. "My family did not have money, but they always supported my dreams of becoming an artist, especially my father." He was also encouraged by the late Obed Valladares, a well-known professor at the National School of Fine Arts. Padilla's current plans include pursuing a degree in architecture at the National Autonomous University of Honduras; however his main goal is to become a recognized artist.

Padilla has thus far been presented at more than 20 collective exhibits, and his first individual showcase will debut this month. Scheduled to be open for public viewing Feb. 25 through March 10, a selection of the contemporary artist's paintings will be on display at Galeria Trios in Colonia Matamoros.

TELA -- People who have grown up on the North Coast mourn the loss of Honduras' flora and fauna. Peccaries (quequeos) and anteaters used to be so common that people kept them as pets, telling funny stories like how do you stop quequeos from eating the laundry soap. Many of these animals also ended up on diner plates, while traditional dishes like soap de almejas (clam soup) are now only a memory.

Cruz Bermudez, a Garifuna painter and native of Tela, explains his choice of subjects for paintings by saying, "I am a lover of nature. I love to watch free birds carrying a worm to the little birds in the nest. This makes me think that in this world there is still hope."

He adds, "I like the animals that are currently in danger of extinction -- the land turtle, the iguanas, the scarlet macaw (guaras), the green parrots (loras). Recently, I did a picture of a manatee. I have it as a "recuerdo," a way to remember them after they are gone."

Bermudez said he also likes to paint the animals of Tela, such as pelicans, egrets, herons (garzas), sea gulls and dolphins. "I am against the elimination of these beautiful species... The only way I have to conserve them is to paint them. I have plans to go to Limon, to Sagrelaya (both Garifuna villages in Colon) to look for these species, so I can paint them."

He also hopes to help conserve the traditions, customs, and the way of life of the Garifunas through his paintings. Bermudez grew up looking at Tela's countryside while fishing, walking, and working on the banana plantations of the Tela Railroad Company, where he checked the quality of the fruit. For the last 12 years, he has lived from painting and being a mechanic.

Born in 1954, Bermudez grew up with art. His father and grandfather were well-known composers of Garifuna songs. They also both worked in wood carving. His father and his brother Gil are also self-taught painters. In fact, each of his five brothers is some kind of artist -- either in playing and/or composing music or painting.

His brother Fernando, dean of the Art Department of the CURLA University in La Ceiba, also shares his concern for the extinction of animal species. Recently, Francisco was invited to present songs from his cassette on why North Coast animals are becoming extinct at an ecology festival in Trujillo, which Cruz also attended.

One of the places near Tela that most inspired him is the Lancetilla Botanical Garden. "In this place," he said, "there is a tame river where tranquility is reflected in the water. I went to this place as a child. I said some day I will paint this place, and now I have managed to do it with all the love that it inspires in me."

As a member of the Tela Artists Association, Bermudez has had chances to share his visions and dreams through exhibitions in San Pedro Sula at the Copantl Sula, Galeria Peter, and the Feria Juniana. His paintings were also on display at the art exhibition in La Ceiba organized to celebrate the Garifuna Bicentennial last year. He also regularly exhibits at Tela's annual fair in June.

Most of his paintings he sells at home. "People see one and come to order another one," he says. However, Bermudez is encouraged by the new location of the Tela Garifuna Museum, which displays the works of the Tela Artists Association (AAT). Located near the beach off the first bridge over the river, the museum will be easier for tourists to find and the artists will be able to deal directly with potential customers.

However, the current high rate of crime in Tela is keeping many foreign tourists away. With the price of materials for painting "por las nubes" (sky-high), most of his paintings have been sold to foreigners. AAT members are exploring possibilities of doing exhibitions/presentations at restaurant locations, such as Tobacco Road Tavern in Tegucigalpa or Que Tal Cafe in Roatan. The museum in San Pedro Sula has also offered to make space available for an exhibition, reports AAT member Maria Elizabeth Henry.

Cruz Bermudez can be contacted at his home in Barrio Independencia, Casa #4064, Tela, Atlantida or through the Museo Garifuna, A.P. 127, Tela, Atlantida.

According to chronicles of the Spanish conquest, pineapples have been in Honduras since pre-Columbian times. Although the lands around La Ceiba and Siguatepeque are currently the main areas for commercial pineapple cultivation, many people including the Pech of the mountains of Olancho grow small quantities for home use. The Pech use pineapple, with manioc, to help their yuca wine ferment.

Every part of the pineapple can be used. For example, after serving fresh pineapple the outside skin can be made into pineapple tea or vinegar.

To make tea, explains Lila Larios, a native of southern Honduras, put the pineapple peels in water until they are more than covered. Add 2-4 sticks of cinnamon and boil for at least 20 minutes. Pour the liquid in cups and add sugar to taste. This can be refrigerated for later use.

One of the most popular ways of preserving vegetables is to pickle them in pineapple vinegar. Surprisingly few people now know recipes to make vinegar from pineapple.

An easy recipe was collected by Ligia and Ana Thelma Kirkconnell of La Ceiba. First put the washed peel of the pineapple in a clean pot with a lid. Add boiling water to cover and sugar. Let it ferment 15 days. Strain it and put it in a previously sterilized jar.

Pineapple preserves are commercially available, but people who make pineapple pies (pastelitos de pina) prefer to make their own marmalade filling.

5 pineapples

6 tablespoons of vanilla

4 pounds of sugar

1 spice package of cinnamon

1 spice package of cloves

Cut up the pineapples into pieces after peeling off the hulls. Put the pineapples in the blender and liquify. Add all the other ingredients. Cook until thick. Sterilize your jar and cover well. Reading the section on jams and jellies in a cookbook, such as the "Joy of Cooking," would be helpful before trying this.

When fresh pineapples can be obtained for Lps. 6 or less, it is hard to justify paying Lps. 20 for a can of pineapple slices. To make your own pineapple in syrup, try this recipe:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Boil for 5 minutes. Clean, wash and peel the pineapple, taking out all the black points. Core the pineapple, taking out its heart. Then cut the pineapple into triangular pieces.

Put the pineapple in a pot and add the syrup. Cook until tender. Then put the mixture in a sterilized jar, making sure that there are no empty spaces in the bottle. Take the bubbles out with a table knife. Close the container, then by boiling for 15 minutes, sterilize the product.

Many ideas for fresh pineapple are common, such as putting them in a blender with water and sugar to make pineapple juice. To make a jello salad with fresh pineapple, it is usually recommended to cook the pineapple first as in the recipe for pineapple in syrup.

As for pineapple tops, put them in a recipient with the bottom covered with water for about one month. If they grow roots, plant them in your backyard. Soon you will have new pineapples with which to start all over again.

Monday, February 9, 1998 Online Edition 92

Zotz group rescues teens through music and folk dance

Since the days of Socrates it has been fashionable to decry the decadence of the younger generations. With the rise of gangs, drugs, increased robberies and the use of alcohol, there are many reasons to be concerned about today's Honduran teenagers.

David Flores, director of the high school student folk dance group Zotz, tries to use dance to teach teenagers new habits. "These young people are my neighbors," he said in a recent interview. "I should help form them as people. Dance teaches them discipline, how to work in an organized manner, to work collectively as well as punctuality.

He added, "Many of the teenagers who are part of my group come from homes with few economic resources, from homes that have disintegrated, with psychological problems that result from this. Some drank (alcohol) before they came into the group and others have the habit of robbing. They need help.

"Part of what I try to teach them," Flores said, "is to not be mediocre, whatever your piece; do it not just with responsibility but also with art. I also teach them to love Honduras, seeing it through its folklore, but they do not realize this. I teach them to work with goals and objectives. No one can be recognized by others if they do nothing. If you want to gain respect, I tell them, do something.

"I see results from what I do. Some students who previously stole (for a living), stop this habit. This group has more than Lps. 80,000 invested in masks, dance costumes, carts, equipment. They help to earn this through their work and learn its value. Other students have stopped drinking."

The members of the group also say it made a difference to them. One girl said she was very shy when she entered the group. She gained a lot of confidence through her 3 years with the group and when she did her student teaching in the Normal School, not only was she calm, but she was able to calm others.

One member said her mother originally did not approve of her being in the dance group, but when she saw the girl get up early every morning of her vacation period to prepare for her part in a seminar on folk dances that Zotz sponsored in January, her mother decided that this program was indeed a good thing. "I teach them not to be idle," said Flores.

Being part of the folk dance group also opens opportunities not otherwise available to students. The Zotz Folk Dance group has travelled to the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Columbia, Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela, The Netherlands, and Spain, as well as throughout Honduras. During the period from July (month of Honduranness) to October (patriotic festivals), members of the dance group have constant performances. "I had to learn to schedule my time," said one student.

For some of the students who danced with Zotz, this training also offered career opportunities. Most members of the National Folklore Dance Group who are paid to dance by the Ministry of Culture are former members of Zotz, which was founded in 1986.

In addition, this group works to preserve elements of Honduran culture that were in danger of being lost. For example, during the dance clinic in January, they taught the "Chotis" dance, which had not been danced in Comayagua since 1918 and is now being taught to other dance teachers for use in folklore festivals.

Seeing shows with colorful elements of Honduran culture, such as Mojigangas (giant dancing dolls of Spanish origin), songs and marimba music made one viewer comment, "This made me feel proud to be Honduran, like nothing else in my life.

"Many of the teenagers who are part of my group come from homes with few economic resources, from homes that have disintegrated, with psychological problems that result from this. Some drank (alcohol) before they came into the group and others have the habit of robbing. They need help...."

Monday, February 2, 1998 Online Edition 91

TRUJILLO -- During a recent classroom discussion about the Tela Bay Tourism Development Project, one student said, "Oh, they [project developers] will leave some of the coconuts. Tourists like coconut palms." To North Coast cultures, the coconut tree is not just there for decoration. It is as basic to their cultures as cows are to European or Ladino cultures.

Coconut trees are useful from the leaves down. Coconut leaves can be used for roof thatching, but actually the cohune palm (corrozo) leaves are preferred. Among the many handicrafts made with the leaves are Garifuna woven coconut palm hats. (These fine woven hats are available in GariArte in Trujillo and doll-size ones at the Garifuna museum in Tela.)

In the area where the leaves connect to the trunk, there is a fiber-like substance. Garifuna Justo Nunez says that when he was small, boys used to make toy sailboats using the outside husk of the coconut. Here they would make a hole for another stick and use this fiber as the sail for the canoes. These toys are no longer common.

Between the leaves and the trunk is a hard finger-shaped material, which the Garifunas call rastreo or rake. It does a better job of getting all the mango leaves from among the tree roots than most commercial rakes.

Coconuts have outer shells and inner shells. Besides being the hull for toy canoes, the outer shell is dried and used as firewood, particularly when women bake coconut bread.

The inner shell is hard and brown. Some people carve these, for example so that they look like monkeys. A few Garifuna artisans know how to make jewelry items out of pieces of coconut shells, such as hair ties. Some are sold at the Garifuna Museum, hand-painted by Garifuna artist Herman Alvarez. In GariArte, there are ornaments, piggy banks and pencil holders made of polished coconut shells decorated to look like pigs.

Even the trunk of the coconut tree has uses. When cut into sections, it is a good door jamb, at the base of a palm leaf house with dirt floors. They are also popular as rollers to help move canoes in to and out of the water.

Coconuts themselves are used in several ways. After being grated up, the flaky coconut can be mixed with a syrup of grated rapadura de dulce (raw cane sugar) and cinnamon to make tabletas, a popular candy produced by Garifunas and available in Tela and Trujillo.

Grated up coconut can be mixed with heated coconut water and passed through a seive (colador) to produce coconut cream (leche de coco). Leftover coconut without any oil is feed to pigs and chickens. Coconut cream is basic to Bay Island, Garifuna and Miskito cooking. It is mixed with flour and sweet potato (camote), pumpkin (ayote), corn (maiz) sweet manioc (yuca), taro (malanga) or mature bananas to make breads (pan de camote, etc.) or pot cakes as they are called by the Bay Islanders.

Coconut cream is also mixed with spices to form the basics for soups and stews. Tapado (stew) in Garifuna, is called coconut plate or tapado by the Bay Islanders. Miskitos call this basic soup stock with coconut cream brof, from the English word "broth."

Coconut cream is boiled and the oil is skimmed off the top. Coconut oil is the main oil used for frying fish.

Copra, dried coconut meat, used to be an item of trade on the Bay Islands, says Arnold Auld of Roatan. It was also transported from Trujillo to the Blanquita Company, a subsidiary of Standard Fruit, to produce shortening (manteca). For the most part, the African palm has replaced the coconut in commercial cooking oil production, but some women still make coconut oil by hand.

There are several wives tales related to making coconut oil. For example, the oil will be ruined if a drunken man or a pregnant woman approaches it at critical stages, says Garifuna Food Restaurant owner Enrique Gutierrez.

The metal coconut grater is one of the few handicrafts left on the Islands. The Miskitos, Bay Islanders and Garifunas all used this as a musical instrument. When Bay islanders held traditional plantation dances, men wore machetes and women wore their coconut graters.

Given the importance of coconut trees in the cultures of the Miskitos, Garifunas and Bay Islanders, the continuing ravages of coconut diseases on the North Coast are causing considerable concern. The Philippine green and yellow coconuts do not seem to be much affected by the Lethal Yellow disease. For coconut cream and oil, Garifuna Sebastian Marin explains they can be used in cooking, but "no dan gusto" -- there is no pleasure in their taste. No one here knows the flavor of the new hybrids currently being used to replace the rapidly dying Jamaican talls coconut trees.

The contents of the coconut have several reported medicinal uses. It is recommended to drink coconut water in order to help the kidneys. In the book Common Medicinal Plants of the North Coast, it is stated that coconut water is used as a diuretic and to refresh the kidneys, as it doubles the production of urine within 30 minutes.

The meat of young coconuts is recommended to help get rid of intestinal parasites, notes the book Plantas Medicinales Comunes de Honduras. The meat is both diuretic and a laxative, which is why some people have problems after eating coconut soup. Garifunas use lemons to counteract these effects.

Coconut oil was rubbed on the chest of a child when it had a cough or cold before Vicks existed, notes La Lima native Betty Meigham. This treatment was so common that the Miskitos have a song called "John Brown's Baby," sung to the tune of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah." The words are "John Brown had a baby and the Baby had a cough (3 times), and they rubbed its chest with coconut oil."

During the game of "Indian Barbaro," the Garifuna man who plays the Indian role rubs his skin with annatto seed (achiote), red clay and coconut oil. This was reportedly the insect repellant of the Carib Indians. According to Garifuna Denis Gotay, coconut oil alone is an effective mosquito repellant at night. In addition, she adds, it is good for the hair.

A father and son were strolling through the Reptile Discovery Center at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. They stopped in front of the exhibit titled "Glass Lizard." The glass lizard, a shy, shiny creature that normally hides underground, was nowhere to be seen. The child was overheard asking his father, "Where is it? I don't see anything." The father told his son that they were both probably looking right though the lizard, and couldn't see it because it was transparent.

Sara Morris Swetcharnik is a sculptor and writer of narratives.