Books, Trails, and Music at Jones Library

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Beck

About forty people gathered in the lower level meeting room of Jones Library for a program which began at 6:30 this evening. Kristen Sykes of the Appalachian Mountain Club (which has an office in Amherst) spoke first. She described some of AMC’s work in the region, including supporting the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail, a 300 mile “blue trail” from New Hampshire to Elwell Island in Northampton. The near-term goal, she explained, is to have campsites every 5 miles or so; the eventual goal is for paddlers to be able to travel on the river from New Hampshire all the way to Long Island Sound.

Norm Sims, the evening’s featured speaker, recently published a book with Mark Neuzil, Canoes: A Natural History in North America, with a forward by John McPhee, dean of American narrative non-fiction writers. According to the publicity blurb for this event:

Norman Sims is a retired honors professor from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a past president of the International Association for Literary Journalism Studies. This is his sixth book. A longtime whitewater canoeist and an active member of both the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, Sims has a small collection of antique Morris wood-and-canvas canoes.

Interestingly, to me especially, Mr Sims began his story with Hawaiian canoes. Polynesians paddled these double-hulled canoes from the Marquesas north a thousand miles to settle the Hawaiian Island chain. These canoes were basically floating farms, as on the central platform the mariners carried both plants and animals, everything they would need to start a new life, in that the Hawaiian Islands were basically barren, in terms of the resources available to support human settlement.

In North America proper, canoes have been part of the continent’s culture for thousands of years; there is evidence of canoe use from at least 5,000 years ago and maybe even as far back as 10,000 years. In fact, there are only two technologies that were developed in North America which have not been eroded by European culture: the canoe and snowshoe,

In the Pacific Northwest, canoes were the mainstay of the sea otter fur trade, as they were for the beaver fur trade in the continent’s Northeast. Haida dugout canoes were, and are, magnificent works of art and a pinnacle of cultural expression, though their primary use was for sea-going commerce.

Mr Sims showed slides of the first known drawings of canoes from the Northwest: a 1590 canoe made from cedar. In the Pacific Northwest, forests of thousand-year-old trees flourished. The Native Americans burned the bases of these trees to fell them; they also used stone blades. After the trees fell, they hollowed out the logs; clearly, making these dugouts was a long and difficult process.

On the opposite side of the continent, Native Americans constructed birch bark canoes; they stripped bark from the trees and turned it inside out to make their canoes. Birch bark is easier to work with, as birch wood is much softer than cedar. Four hundred years ago, if you lived in eastern Canada or in the Northeastern colonies, or westward as far as what is now Minnesota, birch trees grew in profusion. Birch bark canoes were lighter than cedar ones, but they could still carry thousands of pounds of cargo and could also be portaged.

Another slide Mr Sims showed depicted a Penobscot canoe from 1820, held by the Peabody Essex Museum, which was the property of a sea captain. These canoes are not particularly old, as birch bark doesn’t last long. The oldest extant birch bank canoe is the Innis canoe from 1760, held by the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario.

Canoes, Mr Sims emphasized, were intertwined with the dark history of the settlement of North America by Europeans. The fur trade, he reminded us, was the driving force for the settlement of North America; the other evils visited upon the world by the European colonization of North America were plantation slavery, rum, and tobacco.

The third type of canoe Mr Sims discussed is the all-wood canoe from the 1850s; a popular type was the three-board canoe. All wooden canoes were recreational, in contrast to cedar and birch bark canoes which were working canoes. A notable historical example of the wooden canoe is the Nessmuk, a very light canoe now owned by the Smithsonian Institution.

Wood canoes were difficult to keep in shape, so people began to cover them in canvas; these canoes got re-canvassed every twenty years or so. But canvas is not waterproof and has to be treated with a liquid which takes three weeks to dry. At that point, the canvas can be painted — Mr Sims pointed out that some of these painted canoes are simply beautiful.

Modern canoes began to be constructed of aluminum; these became popular around World War II (an example would be the Tripper from Old Town Canoes). Today, the material of choice is a plastic composite: fiberglass, Kevlar, graphite, or some other material like polyethylene.

Although this fact is easy to overlook, canoes are part of our cultural history. For example, from around the 1880s and 1890s until World War I, the “courting canoe” was enormously popular. Why? Canoes can’t easily fit three people, so couples took to the canoes to get away from chaperons. Both men and women dressed up to canoe, and some of these vessels were quite fancy: canoes had phonographs, were decorated with bunting and the American flag, or had lanterns both fore and aft. The couple in the canoe faced each other, but they weren’t supposed to be physically intimate (in fact, they could be fined for kissing). If not for the photographs of courting canoes on Boston’s Charles River in 1919 and from Detroit’s Belle Islands in 1900, I might have doubted the popularity of this activity, which now seems quaint and outmoded.

From advertisements in canoe catalogs, a social historian might infer the changing role of women in society. Contrast an ad from the Morris Canoe Catalog from 1917 with an ad for Old Town Canoes from 1919 and 1923; in the later catalogs, women are depicted as independent spirits.

Mr Sims ended this portion of his talk with some video clips of canoe stunts — a running canoe launch and a canoe flip — which I’m pretty sure were not doctored, in which case they’re kind of amazing.

Before he ended his talk, Mr Sims spoke earnestly about canoes and the environment, using two recent examples of people I would call “canoe heroes.”

On Dominica in the Caribbean, Napolean Sanford lives near the 3700 acre Carib Reserve, or Kalinago Territory, on the Atlantic side of the island nation; he builds traditional dugout canoes from the Gommier trees (Dacryodes hexandra). When Hurricane David struck the island in 1979, it destroyed all the boats, so Napolean started building them again. Earlier this year, Hurricane Maria, the same hurricane which did so much damage to Puerto Rico, struck Dominica hard, but Dominicans are still faring a bit better than our fellow American citizens. The reserve needs funds for recovery; if you can, please donate to help the recovery of Carib Reserve.

In our own country, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota lies across from Quetico Provincial Park in Canada, the whole comprising more than a million acres of wilderness. A couple, Dave and Amy Freeman, are consummate adventurers who decided to spend a year living in the Boundary Waters Wilderness, from September 2015 to September 2016, using only canoes, dog sleds, and cross-country skis to get around. Their concern was with a proposed sulfite-ore copper mine to be sited at the wilderness edge; in 2014, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, they had paddled a 20-foot Wenonah canoe, signed by about 2000 people who oppose construction of the mine, from Ely, Minnesota to Washington DC. Did this action make a difference? You decide, because the debate over wilderness preservation is by no means over.

To encourage people to engage with the National Scenic Trail in our area and be moved to protect the environment, AMC has sponsored artists-in-residence, including photographers, poets, and musicians, among them the next person on the program, Ben Cosgrove:

Ben Cosgrove is a young composer, essayist, and multi-instrumentalist whose work is guided by his deep interests in landscape, place, and ecology. He has performed all over the country and released several well-received albums of original music, and his writing has appeared in Orion, Northern Woodlands, Appalachia, and other publications. In the past he has collaborated with the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and other organizations, and he has held fellowships at Middlebury College, Harvard University, and the Vermont Studio Center. In 2017-18, Ben is working as an artist-in-residence with the New England National Scenic Trail, a long-distance hiking trail linking Long Island Sound to New Hampshire.

I really enjoyed the music Ben played for us this evening; the pieces were like tone poems, and I could imagine the landscapes evoked in his album Salt, which explores estuaries, tidal rivers, lakes, and other such places.

Visiting Cuba Day Ten

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Beck

Locale: Founded in 1519 (which means a quincentenary celebration is in the works!), the capital of Cuba is officially named San Cristóbal de la Habana. The city’s harbor was the gathering place for Spanish galleons which carried the treasures of the New World back to Imperial Spain.

Old Havana, with its narrow streets and overhanging balconies, is the traditional city center and is particularly rich in its architectural heritage. On our morning walk, we saw some fabulous buildings, including the Barcardi Building, built in 1930 and a beautiful example of Art Deco architecture, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and the baroque Great Theater of Havana built in 1837 and now home of the world-renowned National Ballet of Cuba. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982; unfortunately, many parts of Old Havana are crumbling and in disrepair.

But there’s good news too. According to a Wikipedia article:

Havana, on average, has the country’s highest incomes and human development indicators. After the collapse of the Soviet Union [in 1989], Cuba re-emphasized tourism as a major industry leading to its recovery. Tourism is now Havana and Cuba’s primary economic source.

The city has a population of over 2 million people and attracts over 1 million tourists annually.

Our mid-morning walk through the Old City took us to the four main squares.

Plaza de San Francisco on Avenida del Puerto at Amargura: This is one of the four leading plazas laid out in the 17th century. The spacious cobbled square, which was fully restored in the 1990s, takes its current name from the Franciscan convent built there. Today the basilica dominates the square to the south, while to the north is the Neoclassical Lonja del Comercio (“Commercial Exchange”), dating from 1907 and topped by a bronze image of a winged Mercury. More modern additions include a luxurious boutique hotel plus restaurants, some notable art pieces, including bronze figures of Polish composer Chopin and a famous Havana tramp, El Caballero de Paris, of the pre-Revolutionary decades. To the square’s southeast corner, the Carrara marble Fuente de los Leones was sculpted in 1836 by Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini.

Plaza Vieja: The plaza was originally called Plaza Nueva (“New Square”). In the eighteenth century the square was turned into a popular market, and as Plaza del Mercado (“Market Square”) it was Havana’s commercial hub. In 1814, with the birth of the Mercado Nuevo (“New Market”) in the Plaza del Cristo, the Old Square was renamed to differentiate it. Buildings surrounding this square were constructed in various architectural styles: Colonial, Baroque, Neoclassical, Art Deco.

Plaza de Armas: In colonial times, this square was the site of military parades, musical concerts, and formal evening promenades. Surrounded by buildings spanning four centuries, it maintained its political and administrative role until the mid-20th century. In the center of the square is Parque Céspedes, anchored by a white marble statue of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, initiator of the Cuban Wars of Independence and “Father of the Homeland.” Surrounded by royal palms (Cuba’s national tree) and ceiba trees, the statue was made by Cuban artist Sergio López Mesa. Also situated in this area is La Giraldilla, dated 1634 and the symbol of the city. I was interested to hear that the granite for the Palacio de los Capitanes is actually from my home state of Massachusetts; it was carried here as ship ballast (I might have gotten this detail wrong, as other sources state that the building stone came from the infamous San Lázaro Quarry).

Plaza de la Catedral: This is another of the main squares in Old Havana and the site of the Cathedral of Havana from which it takes its name. Originally a swamp, it was later drained and used as a naval dockyard. Following the construction of the Cathedral in 1727, it became the site of some of the city’s grandest mansions. The resplendent Palacio de los Condes de Casa Bayona is now the site of the Museo del Arte Colonial. Christopher Columbus was interred in the cathedral until 1898, when his remains were removed and transferred to Seville in Spain. This is the newest of the four squares we toured today.

Other notable sights on our walks included these: Capitolio Nacional, El Floridita Bar, the Coche Mambí, Museo del Chocolate, Maternity Hospital, Museo de Armería, Hotel Ambos Mundo of Ernest Hemingway fame, restaurant La Bodeguita del Medio, nineteenth century pharmacy Farmacia y Droguería Taquechel.

Weather: 80s. Sunny.

Itinerary: In and around La Habana

Overnight: Meliá Cohíba

Excursions: Sunrise in Old Havana 6-8 am, breakfast at Hotel Inglaterra, visit shop at Museo de Ron, tour of historic city, lunch at La Moneda Cubana, group photo on the Malecón, visit La Feria indoor market, visit Hotel Nacional, joyride in classic American cars, visit bodega, dinner at Tres Monedas # 209 Aguiar, music show at Meliá Cohíba Habana Café

Habitat: Urban

Bird Species: Antillean Palm Swift (Tachornis phoenicobia)

Guides and Driver: Angel, David, Liu and Carlos

Observations: On our early morning walk, we saw public school students in their color-coded uniforms, milling about in front of the school building, acting like kids everywhere. No matter your opinion on Cuba’s socialist revolution and its stifling of civil liberties, its achievements in education, literacy, universal health care, and public safety are undeniable.

I stopped taking notes quite soon after our Cuban National Guide began rattling off facts and figures for us, because there was just too much information! So don’t rely on this blog post for an accurate account of Havana history.

The paladar where we had lunch also trains Cubans for employment in the hospitality industry; there were brochures on our tables describing the program (“the business owner and a government representative modeled a training program for unemployed young people in order to train them as future waiters and waitresses”).

Designed by American architecture firm McKim Mead and White, the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, located on the Malecón and Taganana Hill, has a storied history. I didn’t see the bullet holes in the walls though. We weren’t supposed to, but we wandered into the room with the Wall of Fame to gape at the photos of celebrities.

Our dinner at Tres Monedas was probably the most upscale meal we had; I particularly liked the welcome drink which tasted like sangría.

I don’t think I was at all familiar with the Buena Vista Social Club, so I looked it up afterwards. Here’s what an opinion piece in the NY Times says: “That collection of antique Cuban dance music of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, made by a makeshift group of musicians from across the island, was so popular it led to a world tour, some Grammys, a Carnegie Hall concert, a film, then spinoff records and spinoff tours.” The Guardian echoes this ambivalence: “The Buena Vista phenomenon has created a huge number of copycat bands. You’ll hear the same songs everywhere – Chan Chan, Dos Gardenias. It’s as if it has become a parody to cater to tourists. The Buena Vista collective was very much an artificial creation, a record-company creation, and its rise coincided with the rise of tourism, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and all sorts of legal changes that had started to connect Cuba to the capitalist world.”

Although I don’t generally care for any music except opera, I really enjoyed the music and dance performance. Gosh, I wish I had the body of those young female dancers . . .

Reflections: A performance of Cuban music would not be complete without “Guantanamera” — the lyrics are by famed Cuban patriot José Martí.

Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma,
Y antes de morir yo quiero
Echar mis versos del alma.

Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido:
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo.

Cultivo una rosa blanca
En julio como enero,
Para el amigo sincero
Que me da su mano franca.

Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar:
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace más que el mar.

I was a sixties radical (or rather, radical wanna-be) and loved this song, probably as performed by the Sandpipers, though it was covered by everyone from Pete Seeger to Joan Baez. Whenever I heard it here in Cuba this past week, it felt less languorous and sorrowful than I remembered it.

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