ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . .

Malidoma was born in Bukino Faso in West Africa, in 1956. Kidnapped at age four by one of the Jesuit missionaries that was trying to create a native missionary "force" to assist in converting more African people, Malidoma attended a boarding school f or fifteen years. Here he learned about what he calls "the white man's reality," which consisted of history, geography, literature, anatomy, mathematics, and Christianity.

When Malidoma was twenty years old, he escaped from the boarding school to return to his people. However, he soon discovered he no longer speak the same language as his people, since he had not been allowed to use that language in fifteen years. Some c ould not speak to his family until he relearned what he had forgotten and they could not fully understand each other until he unlearned what he had been taught. In order to relearn the reality of his people and be accepted by them, he had to undergo a mo nth-long Dagara initiation process.

At 22, Malidoma was asked, by his elders, to relay the Dagara culture to the West in order to bring a greater understanding and acceptance of it. This was a difficult task for him for a number of reasons. He did not know how to describe his culture to a culture that does not accept much of what is central to their beliefs. He was unsure how his story would be accepted, to say the least. Malidoma holds three master's degrees and two doctorates from the Sorbonne and Brandeis University, and has taug ht at the University of Michigan.

Malidoma Patrice Some now sees his position as a two-way passage of information. he seeks to bring greater understanding through his work. 

ABOUT THE BOOK . . .

"It seems obvious to me that as soon as one culture begins to talk about 'preservation' it means that it has already turned the other culture into an endangered species."

"For most people, top performance meant hard work. As an initiated man, I did not have to work hard to get my degrees. . . The answer to the exam questions were mostly visible in the aura of the teachers who constantly patrolled the aisles of the test ing rooms. I just had to write the answers down quickly before any of them noticed how strangely I was looking at them. . .To me, it was like being asked to read out of an open book."

"When one teacher asked, 'are you reading my mind?' I, of course, denied the suggestion. We are in the modern world, where such things are impossible."

"During my time in the West, I have found myself facing and interesting paradox. People approach me not because I am an educated man but because the tribal outfit I wear seems to have an effect on them. It initiates contact. . .Ironically, I am more free to be African in the West than I am in Africa."

"I learned to understand my own culture better by comparing in with others."

"There is a certain perception that village people have of themselves that associate life with a mission, with a certain kind of responsibility to be fulfilled in the interest of a better community."

"You can acquire what is usually seen as magical. When in fact the more you dwell in this kind of world, the less you see it as magical because it is the familiar, it is the kind of thing that every human being is entitled to and it is the kind of thi ng that is at the core of human nature, the search, the intense search for the magical." 

The missionaries' behavior that Malidoma reports was one of the most surprising aspects of his story. Through revision in the presentation of Western history, some stories have surfaced in mainstream textbooks about the mistreatment of Africans who w ere "taken in" by missionaries. I was disturbed, however, by Malidoma's account of sexual abuse that took place among the French missionaries and their students. Seemingly, how can one be surprised that they are capable of this type of behavior after th ey raped their students of their former ways of knowing, community, history, and culture. Malidoma tells of one father who made him undress and then sexually molested him, telling him it was not a sin so as not to get caught. Malidoma reports that this practice occurred between some of the older students and the younger students, as well. I was surprised because these are stories I would expect from a jail, not a mission. However, from Malidoma's view and the view of others that were kidnapped, the mi ssion was a jail.

In the introduction of the autobiography, Malidoma comments on how many westerners study religions and belief systems of the East. He suggests that Westerners "embrace some of the more positive values of the indigenous world." Examples that illustra te a common theme between Malidoma's traditional beliefs and that of modern day society are provided throughout the book.

Malidoma claims that it takes a whole tribe to raise a child and that children are the most important thing to his Dagara village. This theme is reminiscent of some people's belief that children are the only hop because they represent the possibiliti es of the future. In education, the idea that a child's life at school is only one part of his or her educational experience has grown in popularity. Now many teachers try to incorporate family members or members of the community in teaching.

In Malidoma's clan, children can roam freely among parents. A child can stay with another family for a few days enjoying their love, before returning to his own home. This practice supports the belief that a child is the community's responsibility to raise. This belief of a community responsibility for the welfare of children can be seen in may efforts by our American government to regulate the environment of children. However, these practices are probably not as effective as those of Malidoma's clan because they are enforced by the government, rather than by the people.

Another example of the West accepting or adopting Eastern thought is the idea of expressing ones feelings, particularly grief, as a way of freeing oneself from that grief. When Grandfather dies, Malidoma recounts the intricate burial ceremony. Part of this process is the release of grief by everyone, male and female. Malidoma claims, "An adult who cannot weep is a dangerous person who has forgotten the place emotion hold's in a person's life." relatively recently, many psychologist have stressed the importance of expression of emotion. It is understood now that when one holds on to feelings of grief or anger, for example, they can effect a person's attitude. Some psychologists and doctors believe that this attitude can negatively effect a perso n's health.

There were many elements in Of Water and the Spirit that I thought were interesting. I was surprised by the sexual misconduct of the missionaries. I also found a cyclical connection, between some of the ancient ideas of Malidoma's clan and new theor ies or practices, ironic.