Page 10 - aruba-today-20221005

Wednesday 5 OctOber 2022 locAl
A10

Red earth as top inspiration Episode CLXXIV - 174

Etnia Nativa through Island Insight shares native cultur-
al awareness educates and safeguards Aruba’s heri-
tage and encourage readers to experiment an island
keeper state of mind. Discover the true native reasons
of concern in one and every episode.

Experience more reasons to love Aruba as destination
and live out your island adventure in an authentic re-
vealing way. Our island is a tiny tourist destination with
a fragile ecosystem which covers thousands of years
of history. Here is when Etnia Nativa’s main objective
comes to mind, sharing information through educa-
tion.

In this episode we elaborate a bit upon the different
colors that the Aruban landscape may offers depend-
ing on the weather. Looking at the deep blue and tur-
quoise tones of the sea which presents a contrast to
the shocking blue of the sky, without realizing the state
of a total nirvana this experience evokes. Surprised by
the green tones of the vegetation contrasting with the
radiant yellow of cacti, agave and *quibra hacha blos-
soms boosted by our radiant sun, taking our attention
to the impeccable white sand of our beaches and the
various tones of red of the clay soil. This envelops us in a
mystical state of mind that only this place can induce.
Our association with the color ocher is inherited from
an ancestor origin. Ocher is a clay-rich pigment that
indicates the presence of significant amounts of iron
oxide and, at the same time, the absence of carbon- a trek through the arid soil of Aruba- the clay is preserved intact, thus learn-
ates, which have already been washed away by time. (see episode CIV-104). ing to identify the best raw material and
Ocher is a natural clayey earth pigment, a mixture of In 2014, the Spanish paleontologist Car- to distinguish high-quality material from
ferric oxide, clay and sand and the first known pigment los Duarte suggested that the use of the rest of the earth. Once this raw ma-
used by ancient cultures and a very common find in ocher as a pigment where applied in terial has been extracted, it will be nec-
archaeological sites. The first possible use of ocher dis- tattoos - we know that it was ingested in essary to carry out purification work with
covered, is from a Homo erectus site of about 285,000 archaic times - which may have had an water that will clean and detoxify the
years ago. Here we begin to solve the mystery behind important role in human evolution, since material to end up in dehydration and
it would have been a direct source of finally obtain the raw clay.
iron to the human brain. The goal of keeping ancient native clay
In Aruba, Red ocher pigment was ap- methods alive and incorporating cul-
plied in many forms by ancient native tural philosophies intact has a cultural
cultures. On buddy decoration, ceram- responsibility on its own.
ic designs, in religious ceremonies and The traditional craftsmanship that we
in lime stone caves and granite surfaces practice is the most tangible manifesta-
as rock art - (Weburi, Piedra Plat- see tion of Aruba’s intangible cultural heri-
episode XIV- 14). tage through which the mysterious red
As one of the objectives of Etnia Nativa color of our soil is resolved in an existen-
is to keep ancestral techniques alive, tial tree dimensional form!
we teach how to work the raw clay from
digging it up- as our ancestors did- until If you love Aruba its origins and its cul-
enjoying molding a unique and exqui- tural heritage, be part of the exclusive
site piece of local collected clay. visitors of Etnia Nativa: a cozy museum/
home.
Through silent art - “Ars Muta” - of work-
ing with native clay where the silence Etnia Nativa a private residential houses
of the work is only apparent because collections of native art, archaeological
nothing is more eloquent for those who artifacts and historic furniture, while the
knows how to search and have the au- facilities themselves are the result of the
thentic inherited wisdom to work “from transformation of recycled materials.
my soul to your soul”, without “interme- Meet Anthony Croes a native artist and
diaries”. our columnist at his home! Book your
The process begins by guiding each visit Whatsapp + 297 592 2702- or mail:
participant to the specific place where etnianativa03@gmail.com