In my prior post, I discussed the latest efforts from The Fifth Sacred Thing Film Project – the group which is working to bring this novel to the screen. Written by Pagan leader, teacher, and author Starhawk, the book centers around an ecotopian society in the San Francisco Bay Area. Set in the year 2048, the story describes a post-apocalyptic world in which the United States has fractured into several nations, one of which plans to wage war against the Bay Area protagonists.
As a Deaf Pagan, the novel appeals not only to the Pagan aspects of myself – with its discussion of a sustainable economy based on an intimate relationship with nature, its honoring of the four elements, its recognition of a Divine Feminine…
But perhaps even more importantly, it appeals to my Deaf self as well. For in this ecotopian society, every child grows up speaking at least three languages – English, a neighborhood or ancestral tongue, and…
American Sign Language.
The residents of the city know and utilize this language as part of their recognition and acceptance of diversity. Linguistic differences are honored, not ostracized. Lessons and Council Meetings are always signed as well as spoken, so the Deaf are easily integrated into public life.
Madrone spoke, as they all did when addressing the Council, in English augmented with Sign.
~ The Fifth Sacred Thing, Chapter 3, page 48
Sign language interpreters are incorporated into all public events so that Deaf members can be a vital, participating part of the overall community process:
Finally the last speaker finished and beckoned to Maya. She stepped forward. A young girl, very solemn with the weight of her responsibility, handed her the Talking Stick, an oak staff beautifully carved, beaded, and feathered, carrying in its tip a small microphone. Powerful speakers were hidden in the branches of the four sacred trees that stood at the four quarters around the outskirts of the bowl. On the Signers’ platform, a man stood waiting to interpret as she spoke. All was ready.
~ The Fifth Sacred Thing, Chapter 1, page 16
Considering that the Bay Area has a large and active Deaf Community, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that American Sign Language would be one of the languages utilized by this Ecotopia. Nevertheless, I found it interesting that ASL is in fact mentioned in the book – particularly from a hearing author who is not closely involved with the Deaf Community herself. This sparked my curiosity to discover exactly why Starhawk did in fact choose to recognize the language and incorporate it in the novel in such a manner. So I sent her an email asking this very question:
How and/or why did you make the decision to incorporate American Sign Language and its use, along with the Deaf Community itself, into The Fifth Sacred Thing? In what way(s) do you feel this decision helps to define the story and/or the characters, community, etc.?
I knew that Starhawk is a busy woman who when she isn’t working on the film project, travels around the world giving workshops and presentations – in fact, she is in England as I type up this post. So it came as a pleasant surprise when I received a response within a matter of hours, in which she shared her thoughts:
Oh, that’s easy!
In The Fifth Sacred Thing, I wanted to explore what the world would look like if it were based on the values I hold and had been advocating for many years, values like justice, ecological balance, and respect for diversity. What would a truly inclusive society be like, one that saw differences not as reasons to hate or discriminate, but as multiple perspectives that enrich us and give us varied ways to look at the world. So, I thought, what if everyone were taught American Sign Language as a matter of course, along with whatever other languages they speak. Not only would that make inclusion for the deaf much easier, but I also believe that a language based on movement and gesture like American Sign Language activates different parts of the brain and would give its speakers a different way of understanding the world. Wouldn’t that society be enriched in so many ways?
I have to admit that having that vision in the novel didn’t necessarily immediately translate into awareness of its practical implications today. Our first video for Kickstarter wasn’t captioned until we received some gentle nudging from you! But after you raised our awareness, we now have a policy that all our videos will be captioned. So in that small way, we can start making our vision real!
Wouldn’t that society be enriched, indeed.
And by working together, we can begin to make such a vision real.
Admittedly, there’s a difference between captioning videos and learning sign language. Starhawk would be the first to acknowledge that she herself does not use ASL. Some might say that the lack of such knowledge of the language disqualifies her from writing about it.
I beg to differ. While certainly I would love to see the day when Starhawk and I could hold our own non-verbal conversation, the fact that she recognizes the value of American Sign Language and the rich contribution it can make to our society is worthwhile in its own right. Even more importantly, the fact that she recognizes the value of diversity in all its shapes and forms, and the importance of access and inclusion in sustaining a healthy thriving society is worthwhile in its own right.
The fact that she had the courage to create such a vision and write a book about it is worthwhile in its own right.
So the question becomes this…
How many of us in the Pagan Community share that same vision?
How many of us are willing to caption our videos? How many of us are willing to learn and utilize sign language and teach it to our children? How many of us are willing to include sign language interpreters during our lessons, our meetings, our workshops, our gatherings, our events? How many of us are willing to reach out to members of the Deaf Community – to incorporate them in the planning of such events, to invite them to participate, to encourage them to share their own knowledge and experiences?
How many of us are willing to begin translating a vision for tomorrow into practical implications for today?
How many of us are willing to believe in The Fifth Sacred Thing?
In this blog post, Ocean talks about Starhawk’s novel The Fifth Sacred Thing, how it incorporates American Sign Language as part of the concept of access and inclusion for all, and the current efforts underway to bring the novel to the screen.
This post also contains a video which is captioned for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This video discusses the novel’s concept and provides some insight into the movie story line, and can be found at the end of this post – it is recommended that you read the post first to get the background info before viewing the video.
Anyone who knows me well knows I am a big fan of Starhawk – her books, her teachings, her outlook on life. I’ve had the pleasure of attending her workshops, participating in rituals with her, and even teaching her how to cuss in sign language:
I’ve also had the pleasure of helping her to gain a better understanding into the importance of Equal Communication Access. By working together, I’ve helped Starhawk in making the Spiral Dance ritual accessible for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and also in assuring that videos are either captioned or transcribed so they can be enjoyed by all.
In the book The Fifth Sacred Thing, the main characters – although hearing – do know and utilize American Sign Language, as part of the overall philosophy of inclusion practiced by the ecotopian society of the Bay Area (a skill which is sometimes viewed with nervousness by outsiders from other areas):
“My name is Madrone,” she began. By habit, she was starting to sign her words as she spoke them, as she would in a Council meeting. But the ripple of discomfort that passed over the women’s faces reminded her that they were not accustomed to the signs, so she placed her hands in her lap.
~ The Fifth Sacred Thing, page 271
The San Francisco of The Fifth Sacred Thing, in the year 2048, is a richly diverse community where many races and ethnicities coexist in harmony. Differences of color, gender, age, sexual orientation or physical ability are not allowed to restrict a person’s opportunities. The ancestors of many cultures are honored in ceremony, art, and education. Every child in the city grows up speaking at least three languages: English, a neighborhood or ancestral tongue , and American Sign Language. Lessons and Council Meetings are always signed as well as spoken, so the Deaf are easily integrated into public life.
That American Sign Language would be incorporated as one of the three languages taught and used in such a community should hardly come as a surprise, since the Bay Area is home to a large and active Deaf Community. That Starhawk incorporates this fact into her novel demonstrates recognition of a goal which the Deaf Community has long advocated for – access and inclusion. While maintaining a fierce pride in their own unique culture and identity, Deaf people do desire integration into all aspects of public life.
Plans are currently underway to bring The Fifth Sacred Thing to the silver screen. Last year’s Kickstarter fundraising campaign netted over $76,000 in initial funds, and demonstrated community support for such a project. In the nine months since, the movie project team has been hard at work getting their legal and financial structures set up; creating art, character sketches and illustrations; writing and recording musical themes; developing a preliminary line-item budget; and getting an investor packet written, illustrated, designed and distributed to likely prospects. In addition, Starhawk herself has been busy revising the screenplay, writing the first script, and drafting a sequel.
The team recently released a new video – “One Act of Courage.” Produced as a teaser for The Fifth Sacred Thing film project, the video is designed as a quick and effective way to present the story ideas and themes of the film to those who have not yet read the novel. Narrated by Academy Award winning actress Olympia Dukakis, who has signed on to play Maya Greenwood in the film (one of the main characters), in keeping with the spirit of access and inclusion this video is captioned for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Special thanks to Starhawk, Mouse, and everyone associated with The Fifth Sacred Thing Film Project!
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two
I’ll be a student of life
A singer of songs
A farmer of food
And a righter of wrong
It could have been me
But instead it was you
Well it might be me, dear sisters and brothers
Before we’re through
But if you can live for freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
If you can live for freedom I can too
Students in Ohio
Two hundred yards away
Shot down by a aimless fire
One early day in May
Some people cried out angry
“You should have shot more of them down!”
But you can’t bury youth my friend
Youth grows the whole world ‘round
It could have been me
But instead it was you
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two
I’ll be a student of life
A singer of songs
A farmer of food
And a righter of wrong
It could have been me
But instead it was you
Well it might be me, dear sisters and brothers
Before we’re through
But if you can die for freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
If you can die for freedom I can too
The junta took the fingers
From Victor Jara’s hands
They said to the gentle poet
“Play your guitar now if you can!”
Well Victor starting singing
Until they shot his body down
You can kill a man, but not a song
When it’s sung the whole world ‘round
It could have been me
But instead it was you
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two
I’ll be a student of life
A singer of songs
A farmer of food
And a righter of wrong
It could have been me
But instead it was you
Well it might be me, dear sisters and brothers
Before we’re through
But if you can sing for freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
If you can sing for freedom I can too
A young girl in the jungle
Ten thousand miles away
Studies late into the night
And defends a village by day
Although her skin is golden
Like mine will never be
Her song is heard, I know the words
And I’ll sing it ‘til she’s free
It could have been me
But instead it was you
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two
I’ll be a student of life
A singer of songs
A farmer of food
And a righter of wrong
It could have been me
But instead it was you
Well it might be me, dear sisters and brothers
Before we’re through
But if you can fight for freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
If you can fight for freedom I can too
It could have been me
But instead it was you
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two
I’ll be a student of life
A singer of songs
A farmer of food
And a righter of wrong
It could have been me
But instead it was you
Well it might be me, dear sisters and brothers
Before we’re through
But if you believe in freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
If you believe in freedom I can too
I can too…I can too
I’ve always loved this song. I first learned of it when I saw Holly perform at a concert in Madison, Wisconsin back in the early 1980’s. Madison was the first place I moved to after I left Gallaudet College, and it was a very instrumental city in shaping me into the person I have become today. It was a rather liberal town in those days, and continues to be to this day…although perhaps not on quite the same level. Back then Madison was teasingly (but not so erroneously) referred to as “an escape from reality.” It’s where I got involved in two things that continue to be a strong part of my identity today – Feminism and Paganism.
Madison had a strong women’s community, and it wasn’t long before I got involved in it. I had moved to Madison as the result of a friendship I had begun with a woman I met at Gallaudet – a woman who was herself a feminist and lesbian, as well as being involved in a Deaf services program at a local mental hospital. She was also a lover of women’s music, and it was through her that I was introduced to the music of individuals like Holly Near, Meg Christian, and others. These women were considered “pioneers” of the Women’s Music Movement, and thirty years later their names and their songs are still fondly remembered.
Holly was always my favorite. She frequently performed with a sign language interpreter, which of course was quite beneficial for me. I always enjoyed watching her in concert (I think I have attended three or four of them over the years.) After attending the first concert, I purchased one of her albums, the one that includes this song. It’s been one of my favorites ever since, although there are several songs of Holly’s that I really like.
Obviously it is a political activist song. I can’t say that I have ever really viewed myself as a strong political activist, although there are certainly causes that I will and do take a stand for. But the stories told through this song are ones that I can identify with, and support.
“Students in Ohio” refers to the students of Kent State who on May 4, 1970 participated in a protest against the Vietnam War, in which four students were killed by members of the National Guard. I’ve always been pretty much anti-war, and I’ve participated in a protest or two myself. It’s not that I don’t support our military, and the brave men and women who put their lives at risk to protect our country – I do. But I don’t support our government’s use of the military. I don’t support the billions of dollars being used to fight wars in other countries when we have plenty of problems right here at home that need such financial support.
Victor Jara was Chilean poet, theater director, songwriter, and a social activist who led a movement in his country for democracy, and an ending of tyranny and dictatorship. When the country was overthrown by a coupe, Victor was seized, tormented and shot to death. I didn’t know anything about him until this song… but I have to admire and applaud his willingness to sacrifice his life for something he believed so strongly in. Could I do the same? I’m not sure. There are things that I do indeed feel very strongly about, but to the point of dying for them? That’s a hard call. Of course, I doubt that Victor himself really wanted to die or even intended to do so – it was his fate to suffer such a consequence for his actions and beliefs. But he knew he was putting his life at risk, and that is admirable. I suppose that while I have no desire to die myself, there are things I would fight to the death to maintain – my proud identity as a Deaf person and everything that represents to me…my freedom to practice my spirituality as I desire…the equal opportunity to achieve my dreams and goals. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The final verse talks about a young woman attempting to maintain her status as a student while engaging in battle at the same time. I’m a big believer in education, but I don’t feel we should have to fight a war for it…so it saddens me to have to think that even today there are women out there who are in fact having to do so. Education shouldn’t have to come at such a high price. I’m not sure if I can say that I do know the words to her song, but I will certainly dance to the music…and I will continue to play the song as long as I know that there are women out there who are not free to study, to learn, to explore all the possibilities.
So let’s examine the chorus here. That’s the part of the song that I truly enjoy…
It could have been me, but instead it was you.
This begs the question…who is “you?” Who does s/he represent to me?
The first thing that comes to mind is my mother, and our mutual battle with cancer (Mom’s being breast cancer, mine being uterine). She lost her battle…I survived mine. I do think about that, although I have become somewhat silent on the whole cancer topic of late. However, I do support cancer causes – I participated as a Deaf representative in the Cancer Parade that took place at Churchill Downs before the running of the Kentucky Oaks in 2011, to honor my mother and all Deaf women who have battled/are battling/died from breast cancer.
When I think of this line in connection to the Deaf Community, I am reminded of a scene from the TV show “Switched At Birth” – in which Marlee Matlin is scolding a student for goofing off in a Deaf Culture class where they are discussing famous Deaf leaders from the past. Marlee tells the student “These Deaf leaders broke open the doors to give us the opportunities we have now. You will not disrespect their achievements by slacking off in my class!”
I loved that scene. I loved the power that it invoked. Whenever I start to feel powerless or start to feel like I can’t do anything, or start to feel oppressed as a result of being Deaf, I remember that scene. I start to think of these people as the “you”…the ones who in spite of all the obstacles, pushed forward and made things happen so that I might be able to succeed in their shadows. I owe them a great debt of gratitude, and I promise not to slack off in their class.
As a Pagan, the “you” makes me think of the thousands of men and women who died in the name of witchcraft during the “Burning Times” – the Inquisition, a time when the witchcraft craze swept through Europe and many lost their lives due to fear, paranoia, greed, revenge, and a lust for power. Interestingly, the majority of those who died during this time were not witches, even if they were accused as such. “Witch” simply became a convenient catch-call term to label someone you didn’t like…
Someone you wanted to get rid of.
Of course, as a modern-day Pagan I bear little resemblance to these individuals who were put to death in these olden times, but I still experience some of what they did – the fear, the ignorance, the misunderstandings, the labels. Even in this modern age, witches are still thought of in outdated ways. I’m still not totally free to come out of the broom closet and declare myself as a Pagan to any and all…although for the most part I am pretty open about my spirituality.
So I’ll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two…
It’s important to me to remember that every right I have as an individual – as a Woman, as a Deaf person, as a Pagan – was won for me by people fighting hard. There are children being born right now who won’t even have the same rights I do unless I act to maintain and extend the range of equality. The nourishing stew of civilized life doesn’t keep bubbling on its own. It’s up to me to put something back in the cauldron for the people in line behind me.
I’ll be a student of life…
I’m always curious to learn more about what life has to offer…what makes the world go round, what makes people tick. I would love to travel more and experience more. I want to be able to live life with gusto, and enjoy every moment of it. I’ve experienced a lot in my own life and it hasn’t always been pleasant, but I like to think that all those experiences have taught me something…and will continue to teach me until the day I pass on.
A singer of songs…
Okay, maybe not a singer. I fear that if I was to try and sing, I would drive everyone out of the room. But I do like music. I grew up the only deaf child in an all-hearing family, and attending hearing schools until I went to Gallaudet. So music was a part of my life, and it continues to be – although I am not as up-to-date on the latest musical hits. I tend to prefer the “oldies but goodies.” While at Gallaudet, I was part of a performing group that translated songs into sign language. I still enjoy doing that from time to time, but don’t get the opportunity to do so very often any longer. I do find that sometimes I use songs I know to express what I am thinking or what I am feeling.
A farmer of food…
I love gardening. Both sets of grandparents had farms, and I grew up in the country. As a child, we had a garden at our house, and grew our own veggies. There’s nothing better than home-grown tomatoes, green beans and sweet corn. We would pick blackberries from my grandparents farm and make cobbler. Sometimes one of my grandparents would kill a chicken and we would have that for dinner – fried, roasted, or stewed with dumplings. There were fresh eggs, and fresh milk from the cows. My grandmother taught me how to make my own butter. My family also fished a lot and there were lakes at the farm. I grew up on a lot of fried bluegills! My father was a hunter, so sometimes he would bring home squirrel, quail, and other game. So I really did grow up with the concept of either growing or hunting your own food. I do prefer eating fresh food – I rarely eat anything out of a can. When it can’t be fresh, I do frozen. I like to eat local when possible, so I do enjoy farmers markets, where I can buy locally grown produce and other food items. I’m hoping that perhaps this year I can put the garden in the back yard that I want, and grow some of my own stuff – herbs, vegetables and the like.
And a righter of wrong…
I have been an advocate for most of my adult life. Much of my advocacy efforts have been in the area of deafness, but I have also advocated for women’s rights, gay rights, religious freedom, anti-violence, ending war, animal rights, environmentalism, and other issues that I believe in. I feel it is important that if you object to something, you need to speak up and do something about it. We can’t just sit back and let things happen without trying to make some kind of changes. If nothing else, we can educate and try to replace ignorance with knowledge.
As Witches and Pagans, we can use all of our magickal skills to dig into the world and push it into better shape. We can try to clean the air and the water. We can try to make the justice system work. We can bring the day a little closer when the rich and privileged have to live by the same standards as the poor and outcast. We can try to stop the next war now, BEFORE it starts, to keep old men from sending children away to die.
I won’t promise that we can right every wrong in this world, but we might at least be able to make enough changes to allow ourselves to bask in the feeling that all in all, things do seem to be moving in the right direction.
But if you can live/die/sing/fight for freedom, I can too…
That’s what it boils down to, isn’t it? Freedom is a nice thing, but it comes with certain responsibilities…the biggest one being an obligation to help maintain it. That doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our lives for it – although there are people who risk and do such on a daily basis. It does mean that we need to remember to never just take it for granted, and to do what what we can to extend those freedoms to others who desire it.
I first read this poem many years ago, when I was a recent college graduate just beginning my venture into the “real world.” I loved it then, and I copied it into the journal I was keeping at the time. Shortly afterwards, I met the man who was to become my first true love. I remember reading this poem to him one night, after we’d been having an especially heavy talk about our relationship and where it was going. I then got up to take a shower and prepare for bed. When I came into the bedroom, he had opened all the drawers to my dresser – his silent way of trying to say “I’m sorry.” I was so touched by such a gesture.
Sadly, our relationship did not last – we went our own ways, while remaining friends. Over the years we lost contact with one another, and not too long ago I learned that he had passed on from a heart attack. I’m sorry that we never got a chance to see each other again, but I cherish the memories of our time together.
Relationships will come and go. People will enter my life – some fleetingly, others enduringly. Each of them will leave their own special impact…sometimes good, sometimes not-so-good.
Ocean is the creator & manager of this blog. Born deaf into an all-hearing family, she was raised oral and attended hearing schools. Ocean began learning sign language at the ripe old age of 16, and after meeting a Deaf man began her own journey through Deafhood. She graduated from Gallaudet College (now University), and has held positions both within & outside of the field of Deaf Services.
Ocean has been a practicing Pagan for 30 years, and considers herself "an eclectic witch," with a primary focus on Celtic Spirituality, but an interest in many different areas. A skilled tarot reader, she once donated her services to help raise funds for a Domestic Violence agency. She has also done workshops on aromatherapy, herbalism, & Paganism for the Deaf Community.
As a passionate advocate, Ocean often speaks out on the need for greater access for Deaf people (Pagan or otherwise) - interpreters, captioned videos, CART, etc...and works to build bridges between the Deaf & Hearing communities.
She lives not far from her hometown on the banks of the Ohio River with her two cats, Karma & Gandalf.
To contact Ocean,
you may email her at oshginva@gmail.com
MAKING CONNECTIONS
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
BLOG & CONTACT INFO
Deaf Pagan Crossroads is a blog, operated by one individual - Ocean. It is not an on-line coven or community. While I do have limited knowledge of and contact with other Deaf/ASL Pagans around the country, I am not aware of any Deaf covens. I'm happy to share what information I may have, but I may not have the answers you are seeking. I encourage readers to do their own research and find their own answers whenever possible.
Those who wish to contact me privately may do so by sending an email to oshginva@gmail.com
Please be aware that it may take me a few days to respond, depending on my time and priorities.
Thank you!
WANT TO USE EXCERPTS FROM POSTS ON THIS BLOG?
Sometimes readers will see something here and wish to use it in a paper or on their own blog/website. While I am flattered by such interest, please be aware that most of the writings on this blog site are the property of Deaf Pagan Crossroads and are copyrighted by Virginia L. Beach. As such, they may not be reproduced elsewhere without the expressed permission of the owner. I'm usually pretty open to allowing usage of such if you just take the time to ask. Permission may be granted by contacting Ocean at oshginva@gmail.com Thank you.
copyright 2006 - 2012 Virginia L. Beach
NOTICE TO COMMENTERS
Deaf Pagan Crossroads loves comments, and encourages its readers to "comment long, and comment often!" However, please be aware that if you put up a comment here that links to a website which is clearly commercial (advertising items or services for sale), YOUR COMMENT WILL BE REMOVED. Deaf Pagan Crossroads does not endorse any businesses, nor does it serve as a free advertising site. Post your comments, but leave your links off! Thank you.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
