Karen Harmer and Nutie on the Coco River
Recently we held a teachers' workshop in Waspam for some 50 teachers from the villages of the lower Coco River. We were very fortunate to have our good friend Karen Harmer here from Waipuna Chapel in Kula, Maui. Karen's a gifted early childhood education specialist with a super bright personality. I actually did practice teaching in a kindergarden a long time ago in LA; I'm really glad Karen's got a bright personality in her line of work. You can imagine me ... Johnny Cash in kindergarden.
Before she came, I had briefed her on the things I wanted to do. The theme of our workshop was IDENTITY. I told her of the problems children have in a classroom, growing up in a collective culture like the Miskito kids do. As they begin to interface with the outside world through the portal of schooling, they need to establish another dimension of identity in order to be successful. Things like standardized spelling of their own first and last names have never been an issue until now. The idea that you must know what day you were born in order to access public services is a brand new concept, and celebrating a birthday is still way in the future. Legal names, birthdays ... people just make these things up on the spot if they need some proof that they exist. Hey, in the village, your face is your ID. Everyone goes by nicknames, and mothers strain to remember great storms or notable events surrounding the time of their children's birth. Who cares about these details? In the words of Bob Marley, "Got no surfer ticket on me now..."
One of the characteristics that creates problems in the Miskito classroom is the fact that non family members are thrown together in a small room for five or six hours. Before entering school, small children go around with brothers, sisters, and cousins in small groups, coming to a consensus about what activities they are to do together, the older kids giving direction. All of a sudden, children find themselves in the midst of non relatives, sometimes members of families who, according to what they hear their parents say in evening conversations, like to poison and put hexes on their own. Here are the little ones, seated closely together in rows without regard to who their neighbors might be. Their teachers never took an education class that dealt with those kinds of issues.
Karen came prepared with children's songs that are designed to build camaraderie and friendship. She sings them in her own kindergarden class on Maui. Since they were in English, they needed to be translated into Miskito, and in certain places adapted to the more collective identity of the children. The following is a sampling:
THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD
(To the tune of Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush)
The heavens declare the glory of God
The glory of God, the glory of God
The heavens declare the glory of God
Psalm 19:1
KASBRIKA BA GAD PRANIKA SA
Kasbrika be Gad pranika sa
Gad pranika ba, wan marikisa
Kasbrika be Gad pranika sa
Lawana naintin ra ulban.
literal translation:
The heavens are the glory of God
The glory of God, they show us,
The heavens are the glory of God
It's written in the nineteenth Psalm.
GOD'S SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE TODAY
God's so glad you're here today
God's so glad you're here (2X)
God's so glad (4X)
God's so glad you're here today
God's so glad you're here
GAD LILYA SA MAN NARA SMA
Gad lilya sa man nara sma
Gad lilya pali sa (2X)
Man dukyam ra (4X)
Gad lilya sa man nara sma
Gad lilya pali sa
Literal translation:
God's so glad you are here
God's very happy
On account of you (4X point to four children)
God's so glad you are here
God's very happy
OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom power and love
Our God is an awesome God!
DAWAN LIKA AIHKA PRANA BA
Dawan lika aihka prana ba
Pura pali iwisa
Karhnakira sa
Witin prana sa!
Literal Translation:
God is incredibly beautiful
He sits way on high
He's very powerful
He is beautiful
HE KNOWS MY NAME
I have a maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in His hand
(chorus)
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees every tear that falls
He hears me when I call
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I roam
NINI WITIN KAIKISA
Papaskra brisna
Yang kupi witin paskan
Blasi pyua kainara
Yang ra pat lukan
(chorus)
Nini witin kaikisa
Lukanki sut ba sin
Naikra laya kang kaiksa
Jisas baku ban aisan
Yang Aisa brisna
"Luhpi" ai maksa
Anira kra kamna
ai swibia apia sa.
Literal translation:
Maker I have
My heart He made
Before the beginning of time
He already had thought of me
(chorus)
My name He knows
All my thoughts also
He clearly sees my tears
Jesus said it's so
I have a Father
"Son," He calls me
Wherever I am
He will not leave me
FRIENDS, FRIENDS, ONE, TWO, THREE
Friends, friends, one, two, three
All my friends are here
with me (Repeat)
You're my friend
You're my friend
You're my friend
You're my friend
Friends, friends, one, two, three
All my friends are here
with me
PANA PANA 1,2,3
Pana pana 1 2 3
Yawan nani aikuki (Repeat)
Painika
Painika
Painika
Painika
Pana pana 1 2 3
Yawan nani aikuki
Literal translation:
Friend, friend (Miskitos say the numbers in English)
All of us together (Repeat)
My friend (Each time the children say this they point to another child)
My friend
My friend
My friend
Friend, friend one two three
All of us together
