Notes From Leogane No. 9: Flag Day, Tet Kale and Pumpkin Kettle

Dear Family and Friends:

In the course of five days, Haiti will have celebrated two important events in its political history.  On Saturday, May 14, 2011, Michel Martelly was sworn in as Haiti's newly elected President.  He followed in the steps of Rene Preval, who served as President from May 14, 2006, to May 14, 2011.  For the first time in Haiti's history, a democratically elected President succeeded another democratically elected President. And, tomorrow is Flag Day, which is celebrated in Haiti each year on May 18.  We will be displaying the Haitian flag all day tomorrow in the kitchen / dining room area.

FLAG DAY

I knew nothing of the tradition of Flag Day when I arrived here seven weeks ago, so I offer the following from a Haiti-related website:

"On August 21, 1791, the Haitian Revolution began its struggle against the French occupation.  From 1791 to about 1793, the revolt became more widespread and gave rise to a number of large groups still fighting independently.  In those times, each main leader would use any piece of cloth as a flag.  Slowly the slave movement found some synergy and came to follow the leadership [of] one main person: Toussaint Louverture. (See l'Ouverture look alike! - from 14 May 11 inauguration.)  He had led his whole war with the French tricolor: blue, white and red flag.  After the capture of Toussaint, Jean-Jacques Dessalines had taken up the torch in 1802 with the same color flag, but with a slight difference: the general had simply removed the French rooster and the initials RF ‘Republique de France,’ which at that time were found on the white band of the flag of the French Republic."

According to the website's history of the flag, eventually in 1803, "[t]he white stripe was eliminated while the remaining red and blue bands were attached together. The removal of the white stripe symbolizes the abolition of the White Man's control and the union of blacks and mulattoes in Haiti.  The arms are composed of a palm tree surmounted by the Phygian cap of liberty and ornamented with trophies with a banner across the bottom "L'Union Fait La Force" (through Unity there is strength.)"

(Quoting from "Haitian Treasures: May 18 Haitian Flag Day"): Haiti's Betsy Ross is Catherine Flon.  She sewed the first official Haitian flag on May 18, 1803, during a congress of Haitian revolutionary groups held May 14- 8, 1803. The principal leaders at that time were Dessalines and Alexandre Petion.  The congress primarily addressed the unification of military command under the authority of Dessalines and the adoption of a flag by the army.

The French later were defeated on November 18, 1803, at Vertieres. Haiti's proclamation of independence followed on January 1, 1804, and thus Haitian Independence Day is celebrated on January 1st.  In the western Hemisphere, Haiti is only second to the United States as the
oldest country to have become independent of a former European colonial power.

More than two hundred years later, many of the people I have spoken to in Leogane scoff at the suggestion that there is unity of interest and control between the poorer and darker skinned African descendents in Haiti and the lighter skinned mulattoes of the upper classes, as was symbolized in 1803 by the removal of the white stripe from the Haitian flag.  In a bit of a twist of irony, a main enclave for the upper class members of Haitian society is Petionville, named for Alexandre Petion.  Since January 12, 2010, however, there have been some changes in the demographics of Petionville.  Before the earthquake, the only the golf course / golf club in Haiti was in Petionville.  It now serves as a tent city.

TET KALE

When I drove from the Port-au-Prince airport to Leogane on March 30th, "Tet Kale" was ubiquitous. As in the United States, unfortunately, even though the run-off Haitian Presidential election had been held on March 20, the political signs of the candidates, Michel Martelly and Mirland Manigat, still were posted throughout the city. While I know of course that it is an exaggeration, it seemed as though Martelly's "Tet Kale” posters were plastered on every wall, pole and building along the route we traveled through Port-au-Prince. (In this photograph of the run-off candidates, "N'ap Vote is Creole for "We're Voting" or You're (plural) Voting.")

Martelly's "Tet Kale" campaign slogan has an interesting use of what might be called a double entendre without the common risqué aspect. As you can see from the attached Tet Kale #8 poster, Michel Martelly has a shaved head.  In Creole, "tet kale" means "smooth head" or that your head has no hair whatsoever. But, "tet kale" also can mean "heart and soul," "exclusively" or "thoroughly from head to toe," causing one Haitian political commentator to remark:

"A new movement, led by the newly elected President of Haiti Michel Martelly, is also called Tet Kale. This movement may stand for thoroughness and conclusiveness."

Though not promoted in any of his posters, during the initial and later run-off elections many commentators in and outside Haiti reported on Michel Martelly's previous entertainment persona, the somewhat risqué "Sweet Micky." As recently as April 2, 2010, Sweet Micky and his band were performing "Haiti" at Sob's in New York City. (Google the YouTube live performance video of Martelly at Sob's if interested.)  Should you be a Fugees fan, as I am, you might be interested in knowing, perhaps not, that hip hop producer and singer Wyclef Jean is among the new President's friends. (Lauryn Hill's cover of "Killing Me Softly" on the Fugee's SCORE Album is the bomb – well at least in my humble opinion.) See Wyclef Jean photograph from the May 14, 2011 inauguration ceremony at right. 

As a guest in Haiti, I've tried to avoid engaging in any type of political discussions while here - whether about Haiti or the United State's previous or present role in Haiti.  My primary interest has been to assist, in a non-medical capacity, and in quite a small way, in the delivery of medical care through l'hopital Sainte Croix and mobile clinics.  But people in Haiti and members of the Haitian diaspora who are focused on improving the delivery of such care well understand the definite link between a successful Martelly presidency and improving the lot of the poor.

Whether the newly elected President of Haiti will be able to promote confidence in the world community, that meaningful reform is possible under his leadership, will have a direct effect upon the delivery of a multitude of government services funded by international donors, including medical care.  I'm sure many of you have read about the billions in international funds that have been pledged for Haitian Reconstruction.  But here many are wondering when the lion's share of those funds will be released for use in Haiti. But, on that issue, international donor countries and organizations are quite mindful of the millions moved out of Haiti during previous corrupt governments.

These concerns have been met in part by the structure of the Temporary Commission for Haiti's Reconstruction ("CIRH").  Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is Co-Chair of the CIRH.  The other Co-Chair is Jean-Max Bellerive, who until a few weeks ago was Haiti's Prime Minister. Bellevire has said that, with the formation of CIRH, for the "first time we can have clear data on the amount of money that the international donators are giving to invest in different regions of Haiti."  Governance of CIRH is equally shared by twelve voting Haitian representatives and twelve international voting members, including representation of the Unites States, Canada, Spain, France, the United Nations and the European Union.

On March 1, 2011, it was reported by English.news.cn, from Santa Domingo, that "[t]he Temporary Commission for Haiti's Reconstruction (CIRH) on Tuesday approved 13 developing projects for some 200 million in U.S. dollars, local press said.  According to the information reaching here from Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, the programs will be for the health sector and housing of thousands of homeless due to the earthquake of last year."

We all have heard from many sources that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  A lengthy Working Paper by the Rand Corporation adds flesh to that general description:

"More than half of Haiti's population lives on less than $1 [U.S.] per day.  More than three-quarters live on less than $2 per day.  Haiti's exports are small: only 10 percent of GDP.  Remittances are important, constituting some 9 percent of GDP.  Remittances are an indicator of the strength of Haiti's large expatriate community in Canada and the United States - a community that, in theory at least, could also be a source of expertise and human capital.

The vast majority of the rural population is severely impoverished, and hunger is widespread.  Children in remote parts of Haiti sometimes die from malnutrition.  Although infant mortality dropped from 152 per 1,000 in 1989 to 76 per 1,000 in 2007, Haiti still ranks 46th from the bottom in global rankings, in a range with Yemen, Pakistan and India. This is a slight improvement since 1989, when it ranked 30th worst.         

Fortunately, Haiti is not divided along ethnic or tribal lines. However, Haitian society is highly stratified, with a small economic elite and a large number of very poor.  Despite the fall in per capita GDP during the past several decades, a small number of Haitians live relatively well; in 2001, almost half the country's income went to the wealthiest 10 percent of society.  Income inequality is among the widest in the world.  The lack of a middle class is a problem not only because it weakens the economy but also because the middle class could provide a much-needed source of talent for government bureaucracies and businesses. Income inequality results in very different interests among the different classes.  Because of these different interests, these groups often have difficulty finding common ground."

When I first saw the attached May 14, 2001 inauguration photograph (see right), I thought it somewhat captured the sense of good will brought about by the pomp and circumstance of the inauguration as framed that afternoon by the reality of the earthquake's aftermath. In the forefront of the photograph is one of the hundreds of tent cities that are just in Port-au-Prince.  In the rear of the photograph is the collapsed Presidential Palace and National Assembly Building. Squeezed in between these troubling images is a temporary Dais where Michel Markelly is taking the oath of office. Observing the investiture of the new Haitian President are many international leaders, including former President Clinton, Special Envoy to the U.N., who is seated next to the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, Michael H. Merten.  On this day, do these leaders sincerely believe that meaningful reform is on the horizon in Haiti?  As they listen to President Martelly's remarks after he has been sworn in, what are they thinking are realistic goals for the development of infrastructure and the Haitian economy during the next five to ten years?  The answers to these questions, and more, whenever they can be given in a meaningful fashion, will go a long way toward whether some people will decide in their own minds that the extreme poverty in Haiti is a challenge too difficult to meet.

My rather informal poll during the last month of the ten or so Haitians who talked me about Michel Martelly's election suggested a sense of cautious optimism with a healthy dose of "let's wait and see if he is any different than the others."

Some commentators here and elsewhere have observed that in just 12 months a carnival singer named Sweet Micky became President Michel Martell. They have raised the question of whether he has the experience and sophistication to lead his country out of a big hole made even deeper after the earthquake. Others, however, have pointed to the fact that the new President received 67.6% of the votes in the run-off election, and that his popularity reflected a rejection of the past and hope in a future that Haitians are committed to working for in order to bring significant changes in civil administration, the judicial system and the economy. Which portrayal will in the end prove the more prescient awaits the direction and pace of the march forward of the Haitian people - all of them.

I leave the discussion of the inauguration ceremony with the following excerpt from an interview by Neil Conan on NPR's Talk of the Nation with Garry Pierre-Pierre, the editor and publisher of The Haitian Times, headquartered in Brooklyn:

"CONAN:  You were at the inauguration.  Could you describe it for us?  What was the scene like?
PIERRE-PIERRE:  It was extremely hot first of all. But it was positive in the sense that, you know, Haiti hasn't had much pomp and circumstance in the last several years. And it was a moment where people felt good. You know, my friends and sources describe the atmosphere as Christmas Eve. It was joyful. There was a lot of optimism in the air. You know, people want Martelly to succeed not just for Martelly to succeed but for Haiti to succeed. The country, my beloved homeland, has been through a lot. And now we hope that we can turn the corner and essentially attract investment. And we need to do all these things simultaneously hence my reservations, my sort of guarded optimism."

What Mr. Pierre-Pierre didn't mention was that just minutes before the swearing in ceremony electricity to the inauguration tent was cut off.  The ceremony moved forward with the aid of lighting from cameras and other battery powered sources. I heard someone remark here, "That
says it all," a few hours after word of the shortage was being passed around. When someone else said that there was a report that the electrical transmission line into the tent had been cut with a machete, someone else said pretty much the same thing, though the finger of this "that says it all" remark was pointed in a different direction.

PUMPKIN KETTLE

I'm pleased to close this Note with a report on how one of my favorite Haitian foods, Soup Joumou (Haitian Pumpkin Soup), "may" also have a place in the history of Haitian independence beyond its culinary reputation here and among the Haitian diaspora in Canada and the U.S. Though customarily recipes for Soup Joumou call for inclusion of ground beef, stew beef, corned beef or steak in the cooking kettle, the Haitian Pumpkin Soup usually served here at the Guesthouse is meatless.  In addition to the mashed up pumpkin and water based broth, our Joumou has carrot, turnips, celery, onions and potatoes. It knocks my socks off.

I've promised myself to cook up a batch or two when I'm back in Arizona. So, if you and I are going to the same pot luck meal this coming August or September, save some room for the meatless version of Soup Joumou. If you can't wait that long, Google the recipe.  I like the recipe "by little turtle on April 17, 2005, recipe #117705," which I found with a Google search of "Haitian Pumpkin Soup." In addition to there being some similarity with the contents of the Soup Joumou kettle here, this recipe included the following tidbit:

"The dish was created in 1804 and represents Haitian defiance of the French colonial powers, who had declared that slaves could not eat soup."

Nice recipe, nice story, and maybe bad history. Haiti's independence from France was declared on January 1, 1804. Perhaps the culinary artist / amateur historian meant to say that the dish was formally created in 1804 in homage to Haitian's earlier soup concoctions in defiance of one of the silly, or worse, French colonial directives.

I hope this note finds you and your loved ones in good health and spirits.

David

May 17, 2011