Landmark

On Freedom Day in April 2021, we listened to the plea from the Khoi first nation for a recognition that was effectively stripped from them since the beginning of the arrival of the Dutch in South Africa. The underlying question is:  what does it mean to find meaning in culture? Does THAT offer a way to find a sense of who you are - a sense of belonging? And how far back do you go? Is ancient tradition always valid? So I went back to someone I met on freedom Day, at the Khoi resistance march: Deirdre Prins Solani, who has specialised in the area of Intangible Heritage as a UNESCO representative.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)

Three land artists from Tankwa Artscape  2020 residency reveal illuminating concepts about identity and landscape.The Tankwa Artscape is an artists' residency in the Northern Cape region of the Tankwa Karoo desert: https://tankwaartscape.co.za"Imagine a desert floor, undisturbed by human traffic. It’s not the absence of life that is so dramatically visual. It is a few million years old retrospective of ancient seabed and cataclysmic geological events in Earth history, and the footprint of storms and water flow in the riverbeds. Vast pans nudge aside scrub and vlei and gentle hills and land, which drop outside of the quick glance, towards a perimeter of deep-set mountain horizon..."Kim Goodwin Transported his foundry this year to the desert, to use an ancient technique for sculpting bronze in the earth. His first land art were 3 giants woven in wattle, called The Fear Gods. “People talk of this place as a ‘heart opening place’… “ He also talks about AfrikaBurn’s ideas for ‘The Ephemeral’ - treading lightly on the earth: “We get attached to THINGS, he says. When we were nomadic, we embraced change, we were less attached to permanency.” He explains how the story of the first human beings that live here captured his attention - in Pippa Skotnes’ book ‘Claim To The Country’, and subsequently built a monument in 2016 at AfrikaBurn, to the |Xam! non-existent now, in the Tankwa. See: https://www.afrikaburn.com/binnekringblog/humans-of-afrikaburn-kim-goodwinNomusa Mtshali Artscape 2021 included a Zulu artist, Nomusa Mtshali who also IDENTIFIES as gender neutral. Her concept of identity is rooted in the idea of a self that is not tied to the genitals! Her WORK is all about the provocation that invites questions about identity. THEY created an ‘alter-ego’ called TITANIUM, who wears a beard and often a skirt - sometimes a pink priest’s collar. She once called her exhibition “UZulu” (Heaven), with its focus on spirit/soul as the essence of identity (as opposed to gender). She explains how Zulu traditional culture is more accepting of the ‘inkonkoni’ (gay/gender ambiguous - the word  mean ‘blue wildebeest’, which is not to live in homosexual relationships.). She also speaks with personal knowledge about healers and spirits that were part of her own family. See: https://www.kznsagallery.co.za/Artists/Profile/641/nomusa-mtshaliKali (named after the goddess of creation and destruction!) Who wants to LOSE HERSELF, not find herself… to get to the point where there are NO LANDMARKS. Her work is photographic and she ‘light paints’ at night, becoming ghostly in the photo, and melting INTO the environment.Kali's website: https://www.kali.co.zaFor a visual feast, visit the Tankwa Artscape's Instagram page:https://www.instagram.com/tankwaartscape/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)

 What we learn from history is that no one seems to learn from history: What if we were to embrace epic literature again, with its eternal lessons from the past and rebounding tropes of greed and empire that we still see in politics today? Can it still teach us about what constitutes heroism? Or more specifically, can we learn to find our own sense of heroism, which comes down to the most basic level of consciousness: to be present and attentive. That’s what we’re searching for here on ‘Landmark’: a sense of owning who we are.This month, we speak to Abdallah Dutton who explodes the stereotypes of Cape Muslim ‘culture’ - a Scottish muslim living in Cape Town’s BoKaap, who has leant to live beyond identity politics. His own podcast also asks: “How does one become a hero in a world that teaches us to accept things the way they are?  Join Abdallah Dutton as he explores the concept of heroism in search of uncovering what we, as Muslims in the 21st Century, can do to live up to our heroic past.”In Search Of A Muslim Hero (Podcast)Dhikr (Rememberance) recited by  Hajjie Armien Kannemeyer’s Thikr Jamaa, which includes:- Armien Kannemeyer- Sedick Kannemeyer - Wafeeq Simons- Tashrieq Adams Instagram: @ricky._adams- Sulaiman Kannemeyer Instagram: @sulaimankannermeyer08- Labib Kannemeyer Instagram: @labibkannermeyer09Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)

SUMMARYLandmark: episode 3“Guardians of the Cape”SummaryThe tombs of Indonesian spiritual leaders surround the Cape (Western Cape, South Africa). The Holy men or Tuans, whose bodies are in these tombs, were heroes in the Cape Muslim community. They provided hope and kept the practice of Islam alive in a society where it was outlawed.In this episode, Fatima Holliday interviews Sheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi on Cape Muslim History. He tells us of the first muslims brought to Cape Town in the 1600s, from Indonesia, by the Dutch-East-India Company (or VOC). Among them there were soldiers from the defeated armies; saints; scholars; and royal people. The practice of Islam was banned for the first 150 years of Muslims present on the peninsula at the time.We hear of Tuan Yusuf of Macassar who came to the Cape in 1694. He was one of the saints who kept Islam alive in the Cape. In his native Macassar, Indonesia he was a great saint, scholar, leader and mufti. His tomb/kramat is in the Western Cape in an area named Macassar, along the N2 highway.In 1790, Tuan Guru arrived in the Cape and he took the muslims here to another level. That being, the official practice of Islam. He came from Cirebon, Indonesia, where he was the head mufti. In Cape Town he left a legacy too.  He led the first Jumuah, opened the first mosque, first madrasa and established the first muslim graveyard. His final resting place is in that very graveyard, named the Tanu Baru, situated in Bo Kaap, Cape Town.Sheikh Owaisi ends off with telling us some interesting stories about the Tuans.Bullet and Key Topics- Cape Mulsim History- Tuan Yusuf of Macassar- Tuan Guru- Cape Muslim Tombs/ KramatsWord Glossary(Greeting) Assalaamhu alaykum wa ragmatullahi wa barakatu: “Peace onto you from me as well as the mercy of God and blessings to you”Adhkar/Gadat/Thikr: a muslim gathering where hymns are melodiously recited (a short example of this is in our podcast is the introduction piece - the “Allahu, Allahu…”. The other recitals in this episode are not the same, they are purely Quran recitals)Auliyah: friends of God Aulamah: scholarsImam: a person who leads Islamic prayers in a mosqueJumuah: congregational prayer on a FridayKramat: tombMufti: an expert on Islamic law and is qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion on a pointMadrasa: muslim school/slamse skoolSheikh: Leader/Elder/Noble/Sir in a muslim communityTuan: Holy (title of a Saint)PeopleSheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi is the Head of Department of Islamic Studies at IPSA, Cape Town, as well as a senior lecturer there and at Madina Institute. He is a prominent local scholar who is well-known for his passion for Islamic History, holding in MA degree in Religious Studies from the University of Cape Town.Fatima Holliday is a young, Capetonian lady with a passion for the natural and spiritual sciences. She holds an Honours degree in Environmental and Geographical Science and is a qualified beginner yoga teacher.Ammaar Jabodien – Qari (Quran reciter)Ebrahim Davids – our resident musician – guitarist and vocalist for the podcast introduction.Produced and Edited by Ashley Dowdsstory2voice.comSocial Media HandlesFatima HollidayInstagram handle: @nature_with_fatimaPODCAST LINK https://www.buzzsprout.com/1780116/9279584Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)

LANDMARK: episode two“Nation-Building”DATE: 01.09.2021SUMMARY:A National Identity seems as illusory as the concept of ‘Self’. When there are eleven official languages, and many others which didn’t make the cut, it seems impossible to find what forms that halo of belonging. Especially if your historical identity was obliterated by historical genocide. As early as 1510, the first nation Khoi faced off with a Portuguese viceroy on the Western Cape coastline. The legacy of that event still resonates amongst the leaders and communities who trace an ancestry back to the people whose words are emblazoned on the South African coat of arms: “Strength in diversity” - or “diverse people unite” (!KE E:/XARRA //KE)This is the story of Land, Culture and Belonging - the synthesis of all of these are wrapped up in the story that was re-told on Freedom Day this year (2021) at the sight of a contested piece of land along the Black River. One that is held sacred to the story of that first nation group of South Africans. Land that is ring-fenced for development by a major multi-national corporation.As James Baldwin, the great American novelist, playwright, and activist remarked:"history, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read.  And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past.  On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.  It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.”BULLET POINTS AND KEY TOPICSFirst Nation status: Khoi confederacyWhen a corporate giant wants your landHow to outline the story of a nationCan we all belong?SUGGESTED READINGThe Lie of 1652: A decolonised history of land, Patric Tariq Mellet,Tafelberg; 1st edition (1 Sept. 2020). Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lie-1652-decolonised-history-land-ebook/dp/B08HR4QJ2XBOOK EXTRACThttps://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-09-15-the-lie-of-1652-a-decolonised-history-of-land/PEOPLEDeidre Prins Solanihttps://en.unesco.org/who-who-women-speakers/prins-solaniBradley Von Sittershttps://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2020-09-23-uct-launches-milestone-khoi-and-san-centreTauriq Jenkins https://www.africanstudies.uct.ac.za/axarra-restorative-justice-forumMalika Ndlovuhttps://malikandlovu.wordpress.com/about/SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES/CONTACTFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LandmarkPodcastPODCAST LINKSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)

A 'South African nation' is a term that resonates with complexity. It is within that complexity that stories are found. Stories of individuals- artists, explorers of various kinds, traditional healers as well as historical voices -reflect a universal notion of what we mean by 'South African'. It is the emotional connection to a nation that highlights our universal humanity. In hearing, for example of springbok fly-half Makazole Mapimpi's rugby jersey having no pictures of people who had stood by him on his rise to the top of the league  because he was the only one left of his family, the nation rose to support him.  Each of us understood the context on a universal and emotional level.SO we’re looking for LANDMARKS that help to navigate the concept of identity and belonging. It’s a territory that includes Land and Cultural associations, but that’s not to say those are exclusive to a sense of belonging. Ultimately, the question is: what offers a sense of self and connectedness?And when you’re in Cape Town, the most obvious beacon - that guiding geographical landmark - is Table Mountain. Cape Tonians often get a teasing from other South Africans for being so sentimental. But when you really look into the reasons for that attachment, you’ll find them. The artery of Cape Town is the stream that has slaked the thirst of herdsmen, adventurers and traders over the centuries. It is a very significant reason that a town developed here. It still whispers stories from that past, and asks questions of the present.Credits:https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Meydan/Havor/10-_Story_1090http://www.reclaimcamissa.org/documentary-film.html"Rivulets to Reservoirs", by Joe Lison.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/landmarkpodcast)