Lukumi Council of Oba Oriates of South Florida

Mr. Ramos,

I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my email. First, I did not claim that you questioned the validity of the ceremonies that took place at Ifatokun’s Ile; instead, I referenced Ernesto Pichardo as the guilty party in that respect. It is no secret that Pichardo maintains a prejudice against the indigenous Yoruba tradition. During an Orisa conference that took place in September of 2008 in Tallahassee, Florida, when asked about the differences between Lukumi and Indigenous Ifa, Pichardo replied “Africans do not have ‘ase’ anymore because it was lost in colonialism.” This of course, is a statement by a man who is a scholar, but yet never set foot on African soil to study the roots of Orisa tradition. His position is absurd and academically dishonest. Given what I said about Mr. Pichardo, it is no surprise that this weekend he came out in the local Channel 10 news in Miami using the ‘snail’ controversy as a springboard to launch his hidden agenda against our tradition. No one is asleep at the wheel. We all know this is not about ‘snails’; and nor is it a ‘public health’ issue as Pichardo disingenuously claims.

In the spirit of further dialogue, I would like to address some of the points you raised in your response to my rebuttal to your editorial. Consider this my surrebuttal.

You mentioned that “[t]he Lukumis sharing in the initiation were not invited to observe: they were active participants, as evident in the photos posted on the group’s website.” In my rebuttal to your editorial, I did say that Oloye Ifafunke invited Lukumi priests to observe and ‘participate’. No one is disputing the fact that Lukumi priests did participate; but their participation, however, was under the guidance and direct supervision of a fully trained Yoruba priestess.

You also assert that the active participation of a Lukumi Ifa priest in “the re-ordination of a Lukumi olorisha, … questions the validity of her first [Lukumi] ordination.” Your assertion is based in part on a disagreement relating to a controversial subject matter within the Lukumi tradition — i.e., whether a Babalawo can participate or initiate someone as an Olorisa. It appears that in your view, the person’s prior Lukumi initiation to Obatala is brought into question or invalidated because a Babalawo, who in this case is also initiated to Sango in Lukumi, participated in her initiation to Yemoja. I disagree because there is no theological principle based on odu ifa that prohibits a Babalawo to initiate someone as an Olorisa (“coronar Santo”). That being the case, I submit that the controversy regarding this issue within the Lukumi tradition is not a disagreement over theology, but instead, one over politics and economics. Its been that way for years.

Another reason why I disagree with your conclusion is because the initiation that took place is a Yoruba style initiation to Yemoja, not a Lukumi initiation. One has nothing to do with the other. My prior email articulates why such is the case. Further, and in contrast to the Lukumi tradition, the controversy regarding the role of an Awo Orunmila in the ordination of an Olorisa is a non issue in YTR. A Babalawo can initiate a person as an Olorisa in YTR assuming the Awo has the proper training & knowledge; and such is the case even if the Awo is initiating a person to an Orisa the Awo is not personally initiated to. There are two odus of Ifa, i.e., Eji Ogbe and Ogbe Riikuu Sa (Ogbe Sa), that explains that an Awo Ifa can initiate someone to an Orisa other than Orunmila. I do not have the stanzas to recite at this time, but Ifatokun is in the process of obtaining the verses and translation from Nigeria.

I understand that you oppose what you and your supporters perceive as a conscience and deliberate disrespect of the Lukumi tradition. The problem, as you see it, is that a number of Lukumi adherents are beginning to cross boundaries and receive Yoruba traditional rituals and initiations; and are doing so because the information flowing from West Africa today is causing Lukumi adherents to question Lukumi theological beliefs and protocols.

In all due candor, I must call a spade a spade. You are right to the extent that people within the Lukumi tradition are questioning what they’ve been taught. While you and others see this as a ‘disrespect,’ others see it differently. Many in the diaspora are jumping at the opportunity to further their education and knowledge about Ifa/Orisa–and are questioning what they have been taught because of information we are getting from West Africa today; which for many years was unavailable to us.

Again, as I said in my earlier email, a great deal was lost in the diaspora; and for years questions went unanswered–or they could not be answered in a convincing and cogent manner quashing any and all doubts within the minds of many including myself. The unanswered questions, among other things, has contributed to the growing dissatisfaction of Orisa worshippers in the diaspora over the years. People don’t like it when they are told by their elders or ‘territorial’ god parents–when they themselves don’t have the answers nor the courage to admit it– “that this is the way things are done, so don’t’ question it; or this is the way we do it in our ile; or this is the way my padrino taught me blah blah blah.”

Yorubaland is the birth place of Ifa/Orisa tradition; it is our ‘Mecca’ regardless of what system you follow. It defies logic to ignore the information we have from Yorubaland today in order to perpetuate the continuance of superstitions and misconceptions that exist here. As I see it, your objection has more to do with what ordained priests within the Lukumi tradition are doing with this new information than what followers of YTR are doing. The Lukumi tradition is at a cross roads because of West African influence; there are those in the Lukumi tradition who are open to it and are embracing it, and those who are not. As an academic scholar such as yourself, I’m sure you can understand what is happening and why.

To preserve the Lukumi legacy is an honorable endeavor, but there is a better way to do it than the course of action you propose. ‘Black balling’ the individuals who crossed the ‘picket line’ is not the answer. This approach will not work for the reasons I articulated in my prior email. Besides, the threat of ex-communication throughout history never worked for the Catholic Church; therefore, it would be foolish to think that the same tactic will work here.

The last point I want to touch upon is your concern that “if we are to re-ordain everyone initiated in the Diaspora, or the Diaspora re-ordains people initiated in Africa or other regions of the Americas , then we have serious issues that do bring into question the validity of all our religious traditions.” You are assuming that a subsequent initiation casts doubt on a prior initiation. Your assumption is a faulty premise for the reasons stated in my prior email.

Your assumption, moreover, is nothing more than a slippery slope argument. There will not be a mass exodus of individuals that will cross the line like the persons in this case did. Some will cross the line, but many will not. The only viable solution to your concern is “acceptance”; and to look at the situation from a more positive perspective. What is ironic, however, is that historicaly, reinitiations occurred in Cuba because the legitimacy of the ‘old African’ way of initiation was called into question in favor of the “alleged” royal Oyo centric Kari Ocha initiation we see today in the Lucumi tradition–which, by the way, we now know is a myth because it did not come from Oyo or any other region in Yorubaland. Needless to say, there was not a massive outcry or protest against the “reinitiations” that took place in Cuba. But now, many years later, the tables have been turned and there is protest. We are not surprised by the double standard.

The only solution to the current state of affairs is that we must learn to accept our differences; and work with each other despite our differences. Indeed, there is no reason why a Lukumi Olorisa cannot participate in a Yoruba Olorisa initiation; and same goes vice versa. If we let you into “our” room, then you should extend the same courtesy because despite our differences, we are all initiated as omo Orisa. The example set forth by Ifafunke in permitting the Lukumi priests to participate and learn the Yoruba ceremony is the first step in the right direction. As I said in my last email, if the Yoruba can work together despite their regional differences, why can’t we do the same here?

I am not, however, holding my breath that both sides will come together to share drinks around a camp fire and sing “Kum Ba Yah,” in the near future.

I was recently reminded that we still have a long road to hoe because of a recent conversation I had a with an old Lukumi Oriate from Cuba who gave me the “old song & dance” that he respects my initiations in West Africa, but he won’t let me into his ‘cuarto santo’ because my initiation is ‘different.’ When I heard him say that, I thought of Ifafunke. I explained to the Oriate what Ifafunke did to ‘bridge the gap’–but it fell on deaf ears. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks. I submit that we will see meaningful changes — or shall I say an “attitude adjustment”– but in the generations to come where the prejudices of yesterday and today will be a thing of the past.

We need to have a meeting as you suggest. Ifatokun is in agreement as well. Please contact Ifatokun via email or telephonically so we can arrange it; or you can email me your number privately and I will immediately contact you to make it happen.

Odaabo
Ifakolade Sangobunmi Obatalayemi