Lukumi Council of Oba Oriates of South Florida

Oku ishe, Ifakolade.

If you read my editorial correctly, I have not questioned the validity of the ceremony as performed by the practitioners of YTR. In all honesty, I could care less what system people choose to be ordained in, given that my religious tradition and odu clearly state that a person’s Ori will lead them to where they belong. However, I do have issues with two particular aspects of the ordination in question. The 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. Secondly, if we are to reordain 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. In addition, we run the risk further dividing a religious tradition that already has numerous opponents. Therefore, I see no fallacy in my position. If the case were the other way around, I am sure YTRs would also decry a re-ordination of a person ordained in Yorubaland as a travesty.

On the banishment issue, there is a matter of economics, but not on my end. One of the individuals that participated–and I stress–actively, is a Lukumi babalawo and apuon. He is shown in one of the pictures performing some ceremony on the head of the initiate, so it is clear that he did actively participate and was not just there as an interested observer. As such, he is lending support to the re-ordination of a Lukumi olorisha, which by its very essence questions the validity of her first ordination. This same individual, clearly for financial reasons, continues to benefit from Lukumi religion on a weekly benefit by singing at Lukumi drumming celebrations. If we as a religious community are not good or valid for some things, then we are not good or valid for anything.

I extended an invitation to the communities of the Diaspora and all YTRs: I have had no reply. I do not believe we need to discuss the numerous paths to Orisha because they have existed since time immemorial. I do strongly believe that we need to discuss the future of Orisha worship, in all its variants, and come to agreements on levels of mutual respect and tolerance. This movement began in 1980 with Wande Abimbola’s first visit to the U.S., when he gathered a group of Lukumi olorishas in Puerto Rico to relay a message from the Oni of Ife. The message at that moment was that the Diaspora and Africa had the need to meet and discuss the possibility of interchanges. In his words, which I now paraphrase, Africa needed to recuperate from the Diaspora elements that were lost after the onset of colonialism and the introduction of Christianity and Islam, and the Diaspora had to recuperate elements that were lost or dissipated in the hallowing experience of slavery and its aftermath.

However, I do resent your inference that there are financial implications to the current debate. For my part, and I believe that I can speak for Ernesto Pichardo as well, we have historically come to the fore in defense of our mutual religious traditions. In fact, we both have made considerable investments, financial and otherwise, in the defense of Orisha and our religious legacy.

I personally believe in the need for dialogue and interchange and will continue to call for it wherever and whenever the opportunity arises. In fact, when I first met Charles Stewart and had the opportunity to share with him on both academic and religious endeavours, he and I spoke about this need and I stressed to him that he could possibly help to breach this gap that continues to divide us. Nonetheless, I stress that we have to come together as equals. As you well know, there are three major New World centers for Orisha: Brazil, Cuba and Trinidad, and since the 1960s, the U.S. seems to be the community that is experiencing the most rapid growth. Yorubaland and all the Diasporan communities have numerous elements to contribute to the advancement of our tradition. This would have been a significant moment for that gathering, but unfortunately, the situation has been totally blown out of proportion and I see no sincere support for my call for a dialogue. I simply continue to see the petty bickering that continues to be an intricate part of our Yoruba experience, regardless of our African/Diasporan ethnic identity.

I want to close by clearly clarifying that I am not opposed to any of the multiple variants of Orisha in the Americas or in West Africa. We each have a destiny that we chose in orun and a path to follow. What I do oppose is what I and other Lukumis have perceived as the conscious and deliberate disrespect of our religious legacy. If we allow the reordination of an olorisha–regardless of whatever tradition he or she was ordained in–to go unchecked, then we are opening doors to further division and contention.

Ki Olorun n’agbe o.

Willie Ramos, Ilari Oba