Lukumi Council of Oba Oriates of South Florida

Original letter from Christian Carrazana to Willie Ramos

To whom it may concern:

Many of us are not surprised by the recent publication of the “Accord” from the Oba Oriates of South Florida. The underlying controversy began late last year (i.e., 2009) when Willie Ramos wrote an editorial on his website at eleda.org entitled, “The Four Legged Dog Can Only Take One Path at a Time“ denouncing the ordinations of two Lucumi Olorisas into the Yoruba tradition (which took place in Miami, Florida). Mr. Ramos called for their expulsion from future Lukumi ceremonies because they “disrespected” the Lukumi tradition by their actions. In addition, Mr. Ramos called for a conference where members of the YTR and Lukumi community in Miami can discuss their differences; and perhaps, find common ground so that we can co-exist peacefully.

A conference was organized in response to Mr. Ramos’ suggestion; and when it took place a month ago, neither Mr. Ramos nor Ernesto Pichardo were in attendance. Not only was their absence irresponsible and an act of cowardice, this accord solidifies that Mr. Ramos’ call for mutual understanding and respect is disingenuous.

Let us begin by clarifying what I wrote:
“For years, I and others have continuously stressed the need for the Diaspora and Africa to sit down and discuss our religious position and future. At this point, it is imperative that we do so before these and similar despicable offenses provoke an avalanche of controversies among our priests and priestesses that will only spread greater havoc and lead to further misunderstanding and divisionism.”

Clearly, I did not call for a “conference.” I do not believe that a conference is the proper venue to discuss matters of this sort. Before this conference took place, I took the time to email Mr. Stewart and told him that it was necessary for us to meet beforehand to discuss the idea of a conference, an invitation that Mr. Stewart turned down. His reply to me was that I had not contacted him before publishing the editorial, to which I replied that he had not contacted us, including the elders of the Lukumís that were reordained in his house, before the ceremonies took place. If Mr. Stewart’s intentions had been noble, this should have been the first thing he should have done.

Willie Ramos proclaims on his website that this [Accord] is a response to the actions of a specific group of followers of Yoruba Traditional Religion and is in no way directed at any particular group on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality or gender. This is a religious issue–no more, no less … .” I now make the case that his claim is false–contrary to what he says, this is not just a religious issue. It is also an issue motivated by discrimination and the self economic interest of a certain faction within the Lucumi community.

You can make whatever claim you want, but the truth is that this is a religious issue—no more, no less. If it is any more, it seems that you are the one making it so and taking what we have said totally out of context, distorting it to suit your own ideology and place the blame on us.

Article VI of the Accord bars any Lukumi ordained Olorisa, under penalty of expulsion, from receiving rituals or initiation rites from the Yoruba tradition; but on the other hand, it does not prohibit receiving rituals or initiation rites from other African based traditions. Why is this the case? If this Accord is not an instrument of discrimination, then why does it not impose a blanket prohibition against receiving rituals from all non Lukumi traditions? Why, instead, is it exclusive to the Yoruba tradition?

Well, here we go again with the distortions: this accord has nothing to do with “receiving” orishas from other traditions. This accord has to do with re-ordination. Adoshu is adoshu—whether it is Lukumí, Candomblé or Yoruba. From our point of view, once you have been ordained—once you have made osha, to use the vernacular; reordination—making osha again—is not acceptable.

Well, here is some food for thought: Years ago, Willie Ramos went to Brazil to receive rituals & religious icons from the Candomble tradition–specifically Ori and Osumare; and since then, he has profited by giving these non Lucumi Orisa icons in the U.S. Thus, this begs the question, “how is this any different from crossing traditional lines to receive Yoruba rituals and icons?” Of course, there is no difference! But in his defense, he will insist that receiving an Orisa from another tradition is not the same as being initiated; but that excuse is a distinction without a difference with the same result. By crossing the line in his case, isn’t he guilty of questioning whether the Lucumi tradition is missing something? Aren’t his actions disrespectful of the Lucumi legacy? The answer is “yes,” if you apply the logic from his editorial. More importantly, what this shows, more than anything, is how this Accord is influenced by the self interest of those who authored it.

Let me help you. I went to Brazil in 1988. I received Oshumare and Logun Ede. I subsequently went to Brazil in 1999 where I consecrated Ori. I have never denied this and have nothing to lament. These are orishas that were lost in Cuba, for a variety of reasons that are not part of this debate, and the decision to receive them in Brazil was Shangó’s and mine. If I had to go to Yorubaland and receive an orisha, I would as well. I have no qualms with this, as you state. Now, if I were told in Yorubaland or in Brazil that I had to go through ordination once again, I would refuse. For us, there is a major difference between “receiving” or consecrating an orisha and being “ordained.”

I am not questioning whether my tradition is missing something: I was aware that these two orishas had been lost in Cuba. No question about it. Still, this does not give you or any YTR the right to tell us that our religion is incomplete or lacking a Yoruba reinfusion. This determination is for the Lukumí to make.

Disrespectful? No, by no means. The logic from my editorial does not apply in this case because I was not ordained to Oshumare or Logun Ede: I did not make adoshu for either of these two deities. Neither did any Brazilian—and I dealt with many of the most respected olorishas in Bahía, Río de Janeiro and Sao Paulo—tell me or any of my omorisha that we had to be reordained or go through a Brazilian adoshu ceremony. Had they done so, Oshumare, Logun Ede and Ori would have remained in Brazil!

Self interest—no—the only interest here is standing up for something that we as a group believe in—a religion; something that we unanimously agreed we had to defend because its integrity and honor were being called into question by others whose intentions have yet to be made clear.

Article VIII bars members of the Yoruba tradition from participating in Lucumi ordination ceremonies–but does not exclude members of other African based traditions.

Let us clarify once more: the accords address a particular grievance, not an entire community, as many people that have misunderstood them continue to stress. Our accord addresses the disrespectful actions of a group of people in South Florida; a group of young YTRs that we believe do not necessarily represent the position of the Yoruba elders.

It should not surprise anyone why the Accord is drafted in this fashion; it is no secret that years ago, Willie Ramos presented Maria Oxala, a Candomble priestess, to the Lukumi Ocha room (“el cuarto Santo”) to bridge the gap between Candomble and Lukumi.

This should not be a surprise because I made it public. I announced it myself. There is no great difference between the Brazilian ordination ceremony and ours. It is almost identical to the Lukumí ceremony, though we each have certain differences that may be attributed to geographical and regional factors. If you remember the quote from my editorial that I copied above; and if you are so familiar with my trajectory in our religion, you will understand that for years I have been a proponent of bridging the gap between the traditions, but I have proposed something that many do not find convenient: coming together as equals, not as long lost children returning home after many years of estrangement. I have to quote Chief Fama’s wisdom—someone who many recalcitrant YTRs should look up to as a role-model—from her recent post that seems to reflect this wisdom: “The two [four actually, to include Brazil and Trinidad] parts must of necessity be equal in all respects.”

I have stressed this numerous times in the past, and will continue to uphold this notion until the day I die: if we are to bridge the gap, we need to leave aside the arrogance that has been exhibited in recent years by some practitioners of YTR that continuously attempt to downplay the value of the Diasporan traditions with this notion that truth is exclusively in Yorubaland and that what we have in the Diaspora is less than orthodox because it is, to use the words of one YTR priest, “muddy water.” Our historical detachment from Africa does not make us any less worthy of respect than our Yoruba sibling, and I stress that the problem has been, and continues to be, about respect. Likewise, it does not give YTRs the right to dictate what we as an independent community must accept or reject.

Although that is not a violation of Art., VIII–since it only excludes Olorisas of the YTR–it does, on the other hand, violate the spirit and purpose of the Accord; which is intended to bar non ordained Lucumi Olorisas from the “Cuarto Santo” to protect the “integrity” of the Lucumi ordination ceremony. Besides, shouldn’t Lucumi Olorisas ask Willie Ramos the following question: “How can a Candomble priestess give what she doesn’t have?” I mean, that is the same question they pose to justify the rejection of Yoruba Olorisas from the Lucumi room. But I guess it’s okay, as a gesture of good will & respect, to allow a Candomble Olorisa into the Lucumi room, but a YTR Olorisa is not accorded the same courtesy and respect? If the purpose of Art., VIII is to preserve the integrity of the Lucumi ordination ceremony, then why does it not bar members of all non Lucumi traditions? Needless to say, not only is this Accord discriminatory, but also hypocritical. Perhaps the Oriates who drafted this Accord didn’t give this much thought–or did they?

If you are aware of the Candomblé ordination ceremony, you would not ask this question. I cannot divulge their ritual practices for it is not my place to do so. Those that are familiar with it will clearly understand what I mean. There are no major differences in terms of Candomblé and Lukumí rituals, however, it seems that there are major differences between the practices of this particular group in South Florida and Lukumí, Candomblé, and from what we have been led to understand, other Yoruba traditions. This is one of the sticky points in this debate, and is the reason why we do not believe that these particular issues should be discussed in a public forum. In fact, this is one of the issues that I wanted to discuss with Charles, had he chosen to meet with me before the conference.

Furthermore, in years past, Lukumí olorishas have traveled to Yorubaland and Brazil and been duly recognized as ordained priests and priestesses by Yoruba and Brazilian olorishas; one well-known and respected priest, Lloyd Weaver, lives in Yorubaland and has never denied his Lukumí identity and heritage. Yoruba and Brazilian orishas—the more important factors in this equation—have never questioned the status of any olorisha from Cuba or Brazil. I have yet to hear of a Brazilian priestess, no matter her status, requiring or recommending that a Lukumí olorisha be reordained in Candomblé. Why should the tradition of the leaders of this South Florida group be any different? This, Mr. Carrazana, is just as hypocritical and disingenuine as you claim our accord to be.

Now, to clarify for the record, I am not bringing this up to demand that YTR Olorisas must have access to the Lukumi room–frankly, most of us, including myself, don’t care to go there–instead, I bring this up to show that there is a bias against the YTR; and as much as I hate to pull out the “race” card, the bias is racially motivated to a certain extent; which for the life of me, I cannot understand because we all worship African divinities–and they are neither white nor Hispanic. Go figure.

Sir, I fail to recognize your race card as a valid instrument in this debate. Sadly, you are not the only one to resort to it, and in my opinion, it is quite shameful, especially in this day and age. As far as I am concerned, there is only the human race. The oriatés that make up this council, as well as the babalawos that have also already met to discuss the same issue, are people from all walks of life, all “racial” categories; of numerous ethnicities, nationalities and even sexual orientation. Sorry. The race card needs to go back to the deck.

Given the threat of ex-communication as a consequence for violating this Accord, it begs the question who gave Ernesto Pichardo, Willie Ramos & Co., the authority to impose and enforce this as a sanction? This is not the Catholic Church! God bless them if this is the course of action they wish to take; it will hurt their cause in the long run.

Actually, the orishas gave us this authority when Mr. Pichardo and I were sent to address the issue. Secondly, we did not impose this “sanction” individually. We met as a community to discuss a problem that we all felt affects our religion, and as a community, as a group united in belief and purpose, arrived at the conclusions that we expressed in the accord. This was not Ernesto Pichardo’s nor Willie Ramos’ personal agenda, as you emphasize: it was the unanimous decision of South Florida’s oriatés.

I submit that the Yoruba tradition is singled out in this Accord because of fear and the insecurities of a handful of Oriates. These self proclaimed leaders of the Lucumi tradition seek to maintain the status quo for their own self interest. If you doubt such is the case, ask yourself “why is it that no Babalawos within the Lucumi tradition were invited to the meeting to establish this Accord?” “Why was this meeting inclusive of Oriates only, and no one else; and closed to the public?”

I believe that we have been very clear as to what is “singled out” in this accord and it just seems to me that we are repeating ourselves continuously. The term “self-proclaimed” seems totally out of line. We are the representatives of this community and have been so for years. The names on the list of supporters are very well-known in the Lukumí community, in Florida and other areas of our Diaspora. If anyone has “proclaimed” our religious leadership and status, it has been our community, and above that, the orishas. By comparison, where have you acquired the authority to be the voice of elders in Yorubaland, and notion of authority to question what is Lukumí? In fact, we as recognized elders of this community have every right to ask where the Yoruba elders are in terms of everything that is going on. Did the Yoruba elders name you their official spokesperson?

You are also a bit misinformed as far as the babalawos are concerned. Lukumí babalawos actually met before we did and arrived at their own consensus. Why they have not made it public is something you will have to ask them, but please be clear that we are also counting with the support or Miami’s and Cuba’s Ifá priests.

Although the Oriates will not admit this, they perceive the spread of the Yoruba tradition as a threat because of it’s potential impact on the role of the Oriate–which truth be told, is a Cuban innovation.

Here you go again. This is the behavior that you force us to react to. This type of inflammatory accusation is unacceptable. Your source is flawed. Regardless, what gives you or any of the Yoruba Traditionalists the authority and right to belittle and disparage the role an established religious status and priest in our community? This is the arrogance that many YTRs exhibit which, in all honesty, is totally unacceptable.

For instance, we now know, as a result of studying the roots of Orisa tradition in West Africa , no bar exists against Babalawos from participating or officiating Orisa ordinations. It is a common practice in Yorubaland for Ifa priests to participate and in some cases, officiate such ordinations–but the caveat is that the Awo must have the proper training and knowledge. This of course, begs the question why Awos in the Lucumi tradition no longer officiate such ceremonies?

This too is completely unacceptable. This is a Yoruba practice, and possibly a regional and post-colonial one at that. Regardless, this would be a debate for Lukumí olorishas, oriatés and babalawos, not YTRs: Yoruba Traditionalists have no authority to question Lukumí standards and practices. This choice needs to be left to the Lukumí. The Lukumí must come to their own conclusions about their own rituals, not the YTRs. As such, your position is a clear attack on Lukumí sovereignty. Again, as you should understand, your point is another of those offensive and arrogant commentaries continuously made by some devotees of YTR.

The Yoruba tradition, moreover, teaches that there is no separation between Ifa and Orisa; and that a Babalawo/Iyanifa is an Olorisa just like a priest of Obatala and etc.

Maybe your particular version of YTR teaches this, but clearly, not all regions enforce the same practice, thus constituting another of your attacks on our autonomy.

Hence, it begs the question why a rift exists within the Lukumi tradition between Awos and Olorisas? Since the Yoruba philosophy is remarkably different on this issue than that of the Lucumi, the perception is that it poses a threat to ending the isolation that exists between Babalawos and Olorisas within the Lukumi tradition; which for many years has assured the economic security and position of the Oriate–this is so because the Yoruba philosophy brings into question in the minds of many whether this separation should continue. Hence, if a shift within the Lukumi tradition takes place where Babalawos begin to officiate or take a bigger role in Orisa ordinations, who do you think will object to this? The answer is obvious.

To put the final nail in the coffin on this point, after the Oriates met, Willie Ramos advised Ifatokun Awolola (Charles Stewart) that “they have no issue with us–i.e., the traditionalists–except for Radames.” For those of you who do not know, Radames Villega is a Babalawo who did his Ifa in Cuba and is a former Lukumi Oriate. What is their problem with Radames? Well, the problem is twofold. First, there is a photograph on Ifatokun’s webpage on Myspace where Radames esta “raspando cabeza” (shaving a head) in the ordination ceremony of an Iyawo–and mind you, it was a Yoruba ceremony, not Lucumi. But despite that distinction, that picture, from from their point of view, is a sign of what may come in the future–hence, why the Oriates met in secret to manufacture this Accord in order to stop the “cancer” from spreading before its too late.

You need to remove the nail from the coffin, sir. This is a blatant lie! If Mr. Stewart says this, he is clearly lying. My last communication with Mr. Stewart was a week or so before the May conference—to be precise, May 4th, 2010.

You continue to stress this economic issue. I think you need to refrain from this at this point. If you have not yet understood that this to us is not about economics, but rather about defending our religion and legacy, then there will never be an understanding. If Radames or any babalawo “shave” or not, that is an issue that the olorishas that accept this possibility will have to debate and confront within the boundaries of our own tradition. It affects me in no way, as I am sure that it does not affect any of the members of the council. Please stop insisting on something that you well know is not the case.

The second problem is that Radames participated, without objecting, in the ordination of two Lucumi Olorisas into the Yoruba tradition–but Radames is a believer in the Yoruba tradition, and in his and our view, the ordination does not invalidate the prior initiation because the traditions are different–and how the idosu is prepared and Osun is painted are different. The orikis and incantations for the ceremony are different. Simply put, the “ashe” is different. Of course, how can those who feel otherwise understand our point of view when they lack the necessary education and understanding of the Yoruba tradition? Further, the Oriates, and those who agree with them, appear like hypocrites by complaining about the re-ordinations in this case when historically, re-ordinations occurred in Cuba . See e.g., Obadimeji; and Oshabi. Too add more salt to their wounds, we are aware of that one of the Iyawos initiated in Ifatokun’s Ile intends to ordain herself in the Lukumi tradition; and frankly, that is a non issue for us because we are secure with the validity and legitimacy of our rituals and tradition. One Iyawo’s decision to flip sides does not bring into the question the validity of a tradition that is the parent of all Orisa traditions in the diaspora.

See, now here we have some agreement. Yes, I wrote, and continue to believe, as do all the members of the council, that as a matter of principle, Radames and the other Lukumís that were present, should not have participated in a ceremony that they well knew was offensive to us. Period. There is no debate here.

On ritual matters, this is not the forum for this type of discussion, but once again your perception is erred. You lack a historical understanding and are thus speaking based on incomplete information.

On Obadimejí and Oshabí, I have already told you that you are obviously not fully familiar with the history and are thus taking this out of context and using these two examples to support your own agenda.

Frankly, whether or not I lack “education and understanding of the Yoruba tradition” is a supposition on your part. You do not know what I do or do not know. Nonetheless, you continue to use this arrogance to defend a position that no matter how much time we spend debating, you will continue to support by resorting to the alleged ignorance of the Lukumí. Why is it that we have to understand you, and accept you, yet you make no effort to understand us? If, as you have said elsewhere, you were raised in a Lukumí ilé, then you should be able to see our position and the awkward nature of this problem we are confronting. Is it, maybe, that you too lack “education and understanding?”

Perhaps a solution to the perceived threat is that some Oriates should initiate to Ifa in the West African tradition; but this suggestion, in many cases opens another can of worms. Because of the resentment associated with exclusion of homosexuals from the Lucumi Ifa cult, many Oriates who are gay will not consider this to avoid the appearance of being a hypocrite due to years of expressing anti-Ifa rhetoric. There are other Oriates who believe they cannot initiate to Ifa because they have been indoctrinated with the belief that they cannot mount Orisa or spirits if they pass to Ifa. This too is a myth (i.e., a subject for another occasion). Hence, some feel they are in a “Catch 22” with no alternative but to go along with program.

Here we go again! This is another aggressive attack on our sovereignty as a religious community. My God! Do you not understand the arrogance that you are exhibiting here? Why is this all about Ifá? Are there no other orishas in the Yoruba pantheon? Is everything always associated with Ifá? Come on. This is getting monotonous. Please, do some proper research and some more fieldwork, in Africa and the Americas, before you express these totally arrogant, ethnocentric and biased ideas. Once again, some YTRs come with Ifá from Yorubaland and become the ultimate source of knowledge on the topic after a two week or a month or a trimester in Yorubaland? Afterward, they act like Christians, proselytizing and dismissing the Diasporan traditions as inferior to the Yoruba and claiming to have the sole access to the Divine. All those that do not heed the “Word” are damned! This is absurd! If it has not been made clear enough yet, this is one of the reasons that we find ourselves where we are.

For the record, to the contrary of what some people have been saying, and some of the blatant lies published on a number of websites and email lists, it is not only the Cuban Lukumís that are expressing these opinions. The council counts with the support of Miami based babalawos, Lazaro Cuesta and all the babalawos that make up the Comision Organizadora from Cuba, Claudia Mola, founder of Cuba’s Casa de Africa, Oyotunji, the renowned Afro-American Orisha scholars John Mason and Temujin “Obalorun” Ekunfeo; olorishas from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Brazil, Panama, Canada, Spain. It is not just Miami’s oriatés that have spoken. In a week’s time, hundreds of people, from all over the world—of all colors, shapes, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual inclination—have signed the accord.

More importantly, this Accord must be rejected because it is a catalyst for discord and resentment; which is what the Oriates want because by creating discord, it will ensure a state of isolation between the traditions which only benefits them–it ensures their survival. But their selfishness, on the other hand, will fracture the Lukumi community because many Lukumi ordained priests have embraced the indigenous Yoruba tradition and more will continue to do so in the future–which begs the question why have they embraced the Yoruba tradition? If you haven’t figured out why, then ask Willie Ramos what motivated him to travel to Brazil to receive Ori & Osumare and you’ll have your answer–assuming he is honest.

Again, as a Yoruba traditionalist your position is an attack on Lukumi sovereignty. If you reject the accord, do so because you honestly feel that our position is unwarranted. Do so because you strongly believe that your arrogance and continuous assaults on the Diaspora have had absolutely nothing to do with this problem; that the YTRs in question did absolutely nothing to merit this response. If you do, then you are the disingenuous ones, not us!

Unfortunately, the Oriates are far too near sighted to realize that they are fighting and hurting themselves.

If we are “near-sighted,” then this is a malady we both seem to share. The actions that brought about this debate are the cause of this “hurt” that you state, not our accord. The accord is a reflection of this pain that has been inflicted on us by the group in question.

The branch of the tree is smacking the trunk from which it came–where is the wisdom in this?

Where is the wisdom of your attempt to suppress us by insisting that we need are lost souls that need to be saved by YTRs? This “wisdom” sounds much Like Pat Robertson’s attack on Haitians and Vodou back in January! As a Yoruba traditionalist your position is obviously an attack on Lukumí sovereignty. We are not smacking the trunk nor its roots for that matter: we are smacking a group that claims to originate in one of the branches as well, but by no means is it the only branch, as your insistence on the orthodoxy of your ritual seems to confirm.

Although they insist that they are doing this to maintain the legacy of their ancestors, the assertion is absurd because the ancestors they speak of are African or direct descendants of West Africans. Latuan, Oba Tero. Efunshe, Adeshina, the pioneers who cemented the Lucumi tradition in Cuba , were Yoruba–they were born and ordained in Yorubaland; and they are rolling in their graves as we speak because of what is going on.

Well, in essence, given that you want to give history lessons, our ancestors did not come from Yorubaland because Yorubaland is a post-colonial creation. Our ancestors came from Oyo and Egbado; from Ifé and Ijesha; from Sabalú and Mahí. Some of them came from Calabar, Ghana, Kongo, Ashanti, Mozambique, Mali, Nupe and other areas of West, East and Central Africa. I am quite sure that Latuán and Ma Monserrate, themselves fighters in the preservation of their Oyo and Egbado traditions, respectively, are applauding us—not rolling in their graves. Regardless, this is for us to consider, as they are our ancestors. It is not you prerogative to use their names as a way to support this attack on Lukumí sovereignty. Moreover, you shame their legacy.

They also insist that the purpose of this Accord is to maintain the integrity of the Lucumi tradition and that changes will not be accepted (even though no one from the Yoruba tradition is insisting on changes). But in doing so, they overlook that the Lucumi tradition is a product of change and adaptations that took place in Cuba . The Kari Ocha Ceremony is a prime example of that; but yet, Oriates who have never been to West Africa , insist the ceremony came from Oyo royalty; which we now know is a myth because this has been thoroughly investigated by those of us who have been to Yorubaland. What is most absurd is that they point to Oyo to validate the legitimacy of their ordination ceremony, but yet they reject and insult their West African roots. How is this logical?

Please clarify to me what your understanding of “thoroughly” is. I hope you had a time machine for your travels to Africa. If you visited Oyo, you visited modern Oyo, but keep in mind that ancient Oyo was decimated circa 1830 and that there was a massive dislocation of its people within “Yoruba” territory as well as to the Diaspora. Keep in mind that during this time, the two regions that were receiving slaves from this area were Cuba and Brazil. Analyze our rituals, if you are familiar with them as you say, then go out and do the fieldwork that I have done in Cuba for over 30 years so that your argument and position are better informed. Until said time, I would respectfully ask you to be a bit more honorable when you make assertions that are not based on the reality of our history, in Africa and in the Diaspora.

Now the real question is why is there such hostility? Willie Ramos, and others who side with him, submit that the ordination of the Lucumi Olorisas into the Yoruba tradition cast doubt on validity and legitimacy of their prior initiation in Lucumi–and therefore, it is disrespectful. Although we disagree, the ordinations in my opinion are not the source of the hostility.

I continue to disagree—apparently the only thing we seem to agree on—but do not distort our intentions. There are too many honorable elders involved in this, men and women that deserve the respect denied them by some YTRs for some time now. Try resorting to some humility as Ifá verses so often recommend and realize that it was this behavior and arrogance that has brought us to this crossroad. Given that the rest of this rebuttal simply displays more of this arrogance, I think it is useless to keep beating the same old dog.

The problem, as I see it, is that there is a rift within the Lucumi community. Many within the Lucumi tradition accept the obvious fact that the Yoruba language has been lost in Cuba–no one understands what they are saying when praying creolized Yoruba; and because of this and many other examples, they are open to learning from the Yoruba to retrieve what was lost, dispel myths or “undue” the manipulations that have occurred in Cuba over the past two centuries. If this is not the truth, then again–why did Willie Ramos go to Brazil in the first place?

This is Yoruba-centrism. Do we have to become Yorubas to worship Orisha? Do we have to use Yoruba attire and eat Yoruba food and speak Yoruba? Why should we abandon our culture to adopt another one? Do we have to abandon our heritage, which includes Orisha, to adopt a Yoruba identity? I do not agree. I can worship Shangó and Oshún and Ifá, while wearing a guayabera or jeans, eating a paella, a hamburger from Macdonalds or an akará, and speaking in Spanish, Portuguese, French or English: Orisha has no language! I have yet to encounter an orisha that has opposition to any of this. I also have yet to encounter a discussion about the opposition of Yoruba orishas to the use of British gin, porcelain tureens and jars, which are growing in popularity there, Lukumí collares de mazo and other beadwork, Islamicized rituals, and other foreign imports.

If memory does not fail me, our progenitors, Lukumí and Yoruba, always taught us to venerate our ancestors. Are we then to be selective in that veneration? Are we to venerate only our Yoruba ancestors in your form and ignore all others?

As far as understanding what is being said in a “creolized Yoruba,” stop generalizing. Mr. Stewart himself came to a ceremony of mine accompanied by another Yoruba babalawo who participated respectfully in the Osayín section of the ceremony, listened gracefully to our Osayín chants, and had no trouble recognizing and understanding them. In fact, he exclaimed at several chants, which he clearly recognized and understood, without any question. Let us be clear: I have no problem with learning and growing. In fact, Ernesto Pichardo and I have probably been two of several elders in our tradition that have insisted on teaching our community and have never denied the possibility of interchanges and discourses with Africa and other areas of the Diaspora. No human being should ever have a problem with knowledge. Nonetheless, learning and growth should be accompanied by objectivity and mutual respect: not by arrogance, which in the long term is just ignorance disguised.

You ask why I went to Brazil? Why did you go to Nigeria? These are personal choices, as well as choices made for us by our orishas. In my case, it was both. Why I have not gone to Nigeria? Well, basically, because of the agendas that have arisen in the past few years that have been the cause of these rifts between us. I will once again remind you of Dr. Abimbola’s initial message to us in 1980 or 81 in Puerto Rico: The Oní of Ifé sent him to the Diaspora to see how we could help each other, not to establish Yoruba hegemony over the Orisha communities. I still have open invitation from Dr. Abimbola, from the late Eluyemí Omotosho, and from numerous other Yorubas, to visit Yorubaland, which I hope to do some day in the near future.

Now, in contrast, there are those who refuse to accept this reality, and insist on maintaining their tradition as they were taught. But in doing so, these individuals throughout the years have maintained a vicious campaign filled with untruths and hate against the Yoruba tradition to maintain the status quo. Some examples of the untruth(s) and insults I speak of are as follows:

1. The Yoruba don’t know what they are doing;
2. The Yoruba are practicing “modern” Yoruba religion;
3. The Yoruba no longer have real bata;
4. The Lucumi language is an ancient Yoruba dialect that no longer exists in West Africa – this statement comes from Ernesto Pichardo who does not speak Yoruba, and has never been to Yorubaland.
5. The Orisa community in Nigeria no longer has “Ase” because it was lost in colonialism – i.e., another statement from Ernesto Pichardo.
6. Osoosi was lost and brought back to Nigeria from the diaspora;
7. Erinle worship and priests are extinct in West Africa;
8. Women initiating to Ifa in West Africa is a recent invention;
9. The elders in Oyo do not initiate women to Ifa;
10. Now, I save the best for last–i.e., the recent comments of Hendry Caveda, a Lucumi Olorisa, which can be found on the facebook page of Oloye Ifatokun Awolola, where Mr. Caveda states the following:

“SI ALLA EN NIGERIA ES DONDE DE VERDAD ESTA EL FUNDAMENTO DONDE DE VERDAD ESTA TODO DONDE DE VERDAD SABEN HACER LOS … See MoreREZO BIEN DONDE ESTAN TODO LOS SABIO DE ESTA RELIGION PORQUE SE ESTAN MURIENDO DE HAMBRE Y LLEVAN AÑOS DE AÑOS Y LOS QUE LE FALTAN VIVIENDO EN CHOSAS EN CASA DE GUANO VIVIENDO COMO QUIERA, SI HAY TANTA GUERRA PORQUE ESOS SABIOS NO HACEN UN EBBO PA VER SI SE ARREGLA ESO ALLA NO JODA ESA TIERRA ESTA OFO, LOS MUSULMANES SON LOS QUE MANDA ALLA”
Y es la realidad.

Translation:

“If Nigeria is the place where the true foundation lies; where they know how to pray/chant well; and is the place where the wise and knowledgeable of this religion lies, then why is it that in Nigeria, they are dying of hunger, living in houses made of bird shit; why is there so much war there–why don’t they (i.e., the Yoruba) make sacrifice to see if it will fix the state of their country! Quit messing around! That land (i.e., Nigeria ) is a total “loss”; the Muslims are the ones who rule over there (i.e., Nigeria ). That is the reality.”’

Mind you, these are the words of a Lucumi Olorisa (i.e. Hendry Cavada) who has never been to Nigeria.

Neither you nor I can control what people think or say. This is no excuse for ignorance, but there is little we can do about it other than educate and hope that in time people will have a better understanding. I will once again refer you to Ogbe’dí. Do not forget, however, that similar assaults also come from your side. Remember the threat that I received from a Yoruba babalawo on account of his misunderstanding of your initial email to me? There is little difference in the nature of this behavior, whether Lukumí or Yoruba.

So in conclusion, the core of the problem lies within Lucumi community; there are those who accept the reality of the situation and are open to learning from the Yoruba; but on the other hand, there are those who are not, and insist on keeping their tradition as they were taught—but are doing so by waging a campaign of falsehoods, insults and isolationism. This Accord is an instrument of that on-going campaign; and it does not fix the problem; but instead, it exacerbates it.

The problem, sir, is not within the Lukumí community figuratively speaking, but it has come into the Lukumí community in a literal sense, in ways that attempt to infringe on our sovereignty by attempting to burrow at our very foundations with claims that are both arrogant and highly inflammatory. Had it not been for these violations, we would probably be here having a friendly interchange and not a debate, as I have had with many Yorubas throughout the years. This accord is not an “instrument of discrimination and hate” any more than the reordination of Lukumí olorishas was: the former is simply the result of the latter. The accord is a necessary statement—a sort of stitch in time many years in the making, that finally exploded when these transgressions took place.

For all the reasons set forth herein, I encourage all Orisa worshippers, regardless of whether you are traditional Yoruba, Lucumi, Candomble, Vodoun, to deliberate upon this matter; and join together to reject this Accord as an instrument of discrimination and hate. Most of all, I sincerely hope that for the next up coming conference in Miami(and there will be one soon) that Ernesto Pichardo, Willie Ramos, and especially all who agree with them, have the courage to attend so we can sit down as adults and discuss our differences so that we can find a way to peacefully co-exist with one another.

Whenever you and your group—and more importantly, the Yoruba elders which have been interestingly silent throughout this process—want to discuss these issues, the council shall be available. We will not attend a public conference because this is clearly not a matter to be discussed in a setting of this nature. That was another of the mistakes made by your group. A conference is a setting in which one presents findings or agreements; not a “brouhaha” where we attack each other to eventually end up nowhere. I must return your invitation by hoping that you and Mr. Stewart have the courage to approach us and begin a healthy and honorable discussion, “as adults,” and may I add, recognizing that we are elders deserving of the same respect that you grant to your Yoruba religious progenitors.

As far as peaceful co-existence is concerned, is that not one of the things we have already established in our accord?

Ifakolade

Willie Ramos, Ilarí Obá