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A Traveler s Tale
Ma k e d a Ye z a l a l e u l
A
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Traveler s
Makeda Yezalaleul - author
Tale
Photo or graphic element
Truneh Wolde Selassie “Kindye�
Dedication
For my family, first generation kids and future kin
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Acknowledgements
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would like to thank my mother for helping me revise my documentary paper. I would also like to acknowledge my grandparents for being in America throughout the duration of the documentary project and making the time for me to interview and photograph them. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my Freestyle Academy teachers for providing me with answers when I had questions, and always pushing me to produce the best piece of work that I can.
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9 11 13
Preface
Introduction
Chapter One
21 27 35 Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Table of Contents
39 41 42
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Photo Gallery
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Works Cited
About the Author
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P reface
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hile sitting in English reading a profile on the life of a ten-year-old “man”, I became intrigued as to the variety of ways in which you can paint a single person. Immediately my grandfather came to mind. It wasn’t only the seemingly endless amount of fables he would indulge my siblings and me with that which labeled him a fascination, yet also his own personal story. My knowledge regarding his life was limited prior to this unit. Thus, what fueled my interest was the desire to uncover the version of him I had never heard before -to listen to the one story he had never told. I made the decision to include my own thoughts and opinions within the book because I found it difficult to write about someone so close to me without making it personal. Some challenges I faced throughout this project include the fact that my grandparents only visited America from Ethiopia for an allotted amount of time. Therefore, they were not always accessible to me on account of them having to do other things during their trip. An example of one of those “other things”, is that whenever they visit, they make the effort to stay at each of their children’s houses for sometime before they must leave back to Ethiopia. However, since I unfortunately do not live that close to my uncles and aunts, I needed to make sure I completed everything required of them before they moved onto the next house in the tour. Another difficult aspect of this project was the writing process. Coming up with the idea of what I wanted to write about didn’t demand much, on the other hand, actually getting the words on the paper was much more challenging than I expected. I wrote this book with the intention to tell a foreigner’s story because far too often, immigrant stories go untold. We have so much to learn from their world which can be beneficial and enriching. I think it’s essential to listen to the accounts told by those foreign to us. I also understand that there are many against immigration to the United States. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that whether it be about fearing immigrants themselves or fearing a loss in nationalism, America’s legend is indeed composed of immigrant memoirs. To whomever is reading this, I can only hope that by the end of this book, you recognize that knowing where you come from and what those before you stood/are standing for can have an immense impact on who you are and who you choose to be. So ask yourself as you read on: Does who I am today reflect parts of who my parents, grandparents, greatgrandparents and so on were or are? Lastly, my hope is that by sharing my Grandfather’s story along with what he’s taught me, others will learn something new & helpful as I too have. Thank you for reading. 9
“
Well the name Kindye started with a cousin of mine who was the first one to call me Kindye. And in Amharic, Kindye means my arm...so this is the literal meaning. But the real meaning is my protector, my defender, and my helper...Kindye means all these. So it started with him, and then when my siblings came along, my brothers and sisters also called me Kindye. And then I met Temetye and she called my Kindye as well because she heard my family members calling me that. And then came my children, and my grandchildren, and they kept on calling me Kindye.
�
- Truneh Wolde Selassie
Introduction
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look down at the sourdough flatbread squished between my fingers in anticipation. I scrunch my fingertips together a bit tighter and watch as the amber colored stew emerges from within the depths of the folded over flatbread. Injera be wot. What am I doing? I ask myself. You know you’re allergic. I believe I had the last straw of a family member accusing me of faking my aversion. I plunk whatever’s in my hand on my tongue and allow the process to commence. You’re Ethiopian, you’re meant for this food -is what I have to keep reminding myself assuringly. Soon enough, I sense that familiar tickle resting in the back of my throat. The tickle sooner or later morphs itself into an itch enveloping my pharynx. I know what comes next. I excuse myself from the dinner table to use the restroom. As my trip to a place of refuge is nearly completed, I’m led off course by my aunt who asks for a picture with her cousin. I immediately comply knowing that time is of the essence. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK. She never likes just one. Without uttering a single word, I practically toss her camera back to her and attempt to run. I don’t make it and disgorge the
contents of my dinner along with the one bite of injera all over the middle of the living room floor. I have never felt so ashamed in my life. I try to evade all the wide eyes and brown hands reaching out. I break for the restroom and as soon as my braids whip through the door frame, I turn around and lock the door. Looking up at the face staring back at me in the mirror, I see tears upon cheeks I find unrecognizable. As a first-generation EthiopianAmerican, I have been immersed in Ethiopian culture throughout my life which has helped me identify as such. However, saying I’m American comes with ease while claiming I’m Ethiopian is coupled with hesitance. Growing up in the U.S. and chiefly abiding by its societal standards and not Ethiopia’s, has routed my mindset to be more American-specific. Not only that, but my inability to fluently speak Amharic (the common Ethiopian dialect) and my literal distaste for Ethiopian food make the overarching sense of disconnect from my ethnicity only that much more potent. Be that as it may, I’ve come to align myself with the idea of ancestral roots embodying a person. It’s never been hard to discuss where my parents are from or where their parents and those prior lived.
If anything, it’s extremely prideful because of the success they’ve achieved and their partaking in the American dream. This is why I chose the topic of my grandfather’s life for my documentary piece. His story from humble beginnings to an author, pastor, and influential presence within his community is aweinspiring. Through leading a fulfilling life by manifesting sincere Ethiopian morals and Christian values, Kindye has served as an example to many within his community. I believe that my perspective on my grandfather’s life is important because it tells me something about who I am. After having discussed several things in which we had never spoken about before, I have realized that knowing the journey that those before you have traveled can shape the journey that lies ahead of you. Having a distinct sense of where you’re from can help you get to know who you truly are. Knowing yourself also solidifies your assessment of personal concepts which may have been previously foreign. This intrapersonal understanding leads you towards directions in which you can further yourself and your future. Now let’s begin telling the tale of the traveler’s journey.
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Kindye visiting his home village in Feres Meda, Gondar 12
Chapter One
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his life in Ethiopia and beyond
runeh Wolde Selassie “Kindye” was born into a peasant family in a remote village within Feres Meda, Gondar. His parents had nine children: three boys and six girls, all of which are still alive today. His small town was full of traders and farmers, and he himself was the son of a farmer. Kindye helped plow, tend the cattle around the farm, and keep wild animals from getting in. As he sits in the umber leather couch in the corner of the living room, Kindye smiles and becomes reminiscent of the fond days of harvesting season within his village. “It was so delightful, that we as children could go out when the harvest was being gathered. We helped a little bit, but mostly, what fun! Lots of fun! That was the best part of the year; when everybody was free, running around enjoying themselves. Plenty of crop being gathered in for the whole year. I still look back on it and remember that with some affection.” There was indeed a school within the village where he grew up, however, it only taught reading which Kindye had previously practiced in short. Thus, he
did not attend the educational facility and continued to help his father on the farm. Then in October 1935, Ethiopia was invaded by the Italians during WWII and all schooling was halted for the following five years. Once the five years had passed, those within Kindye’s hometown relocated to a new area. Unfortunately, there was conflict at the
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That was the best part of the year When everybody was free running around enjoying themselves
,
;
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” new location on account of its previous inhabitants disliking having to share their land with Kindye’s village. The conflict escalated, and those angered by the new settlers invaded Kindye’s old village. During the attack, they killed two civilians, burned all the houses down to nothing, and took all
of the village’s cattle. The invaders left the village which had meager subsistence to begin with, completely desolate. After the intrusion, a fifteenyear-old Kindye joined by his family members and fellow villagers had to relocate once again to a place called Debre Tabor. The new town was fifteen kilometers away from Kindye’s original village. It was there that Seventhday Adventist missionaries provided Kindye and his village with food, shelter, and clothing for three months. Initially, Kindye’s plan after the three months was to return to his village and help his father on the farm once again. Yet even though Kindye insisted on returning, his father refused and told him to stay in Debre Tabor to continue his schooling. Kindye’s father truly believed that he possessed the potential not many within their village obtained and emphasized to him that education was the only way in which he could set himself free from his poverty-ridden life. Subsequently, Kindye’s schooling was enforced in hopes that Kindye could make something more of his future and relieve himself of one with little to offer. 13
While in Debre Tabor as a boarding student, Kindye went on to complete his elementary education in the following two years. It was there at the boarding school where one of the most exciting things to ever happen to him took place: He saw an electric light bulb for the first time. “I thought to myself, this is fire...and I looked at it and I looked at it and it didn’t go out, it just kept on burning. So not to be considered ignorant, I went to one of the students and I asked, ‘How do you turn off this thing?’ He said, ‘Blow on it’. He was kidding...he was there earlier and knew a little bit about it. And I kept blowing and it wouldn’t go out, but finally, he showed me the switch. And I thought it was very exciting”. At the age of 18, Kindye then continued to complete his high school education at a different institution. The new education facility only provided two years of teaching for grades nine through ten, so once completed with freshman and sophomore year, Kindye began studying by Correspondence, a home study institute in America. Through the program, he later completed both his junior and senior years of high school. Once finished with high school, Kindye left Ethiopia for the first time in his life to study abroad in Australia at the Adventist Avondale College of Higher Education. Since he did not possess all the money to pay for college fees and tuition, Kindye arrived at the college once it was closing at the end of the school year so that he could begin his work the summer prior to his freshman year and earn more money. He also received partial scholarships during his last three years of college by selling many books for a company which he worked for through his school. While in Australia, Kindye began writing to Likimyelesh Kassa “Temetye” after a mutual friend suggested he do so. At the time Temetye was abroad in London, England studying nursing. Eventually, once Kindye returned home from schooling in Australia he realized he felt lonely and was in need of a life-partner. Hence, he soon proposed at the age of twenty-seven and Temetye came back home from England so that they could get married in Ethiopia. When asked why 14
she chose to marry Kindye, Temetye effortlessly responded by saying, “He was the kind of man you would want to have as a life companion”. Kindye and Temetye commenced their parenthood journey shortly thereafter and had their first child before Kindye would soon leave to America to receive his graduate degree. In Michigan during 1965, Kindye earned his graduate degree in school administration and educational psychology. Having been his first time in America, he was taken aback by the country’s differences to Ethiopia. Kindye explained to me that he had supposedly heard all about the country from the American missionaries who visited Ethiopia. Withal, it was much more than he anticipated. “The cars, the roads, the planes...The buildings, and the bridges I saw impressed me very much”, said Kindye. Yet while he was enjoying America’s advancements, he was also affected by its racist undertones and racial prejudice at the time. Particularly, it disheartened him to hear of the segregated dormitories on campus which proceeded to make him feel isolated and ostracized. Luckily, only after a year, he graduated and returned back to Ethiopia. Kindye did not wish to prolong his stay in America due to him being a married man and dearly missing his wife and two daughters, one of whom was born while he was in the states. Upon his arrival back to Ethiopia, Kindye worked within the mission school system. He had known since the early years of his elementary schooling that he wished to pursue education and teaching. His instructing days began prior to his college attendance within Australia. And it was, in fact, his teaching career which led him to meet Temetye for the first time when she was a 10th grade student in both his mathematics and Amharic classes. When he worked within the Ethiopian mission school system after returning from America, he became the principal of Akaki Mission School. Once he assumed the position, it was there Kindye would stay for fourteen years until he was transferred to the capital, Addis Ababa, to serve as an administrator of the school system. As mentioned before, Kindye and Temetye were the
Likimyelesh Kassa “Temetye”
Temetye & Kindye on the day of their wedding
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parents of two children upon his return to Ethiopia: Hirut & Wayneab Truneh. It was then a few years later, that the parents welcomed two additional children into their lives, Edna & Ambachew Truneh. The siblings all grew up within the Akaki mission school complex by virtue of their father being the principal there. With Kindye as the head of the school for fourteen years, all of his children were able to attend Akaki at one point or another while he was the principal. All four kids eventually received their education in Ethiopia up until their final years of high school. After that, they proceeded to follow in their parent’s footsteps and studied abroad within the United States. It was painful for Kindye, having to watch his children leave home one after the other, and abandon what they’ve known all their lives. He recounts the heart-ache as he says, “[After they all left, it was] back to square one, Temetye and I...just the two of us. So this was a very harsh experience...To lose all your children, and be left by yourself, is not an easy adjustment.” Eventually, his kids went on to pursue their careers and later lives in America and did not return to Ethiopia to continue on with their journeys. Neither Kindye nor Temetye would object to them staying in the United States for several reasons. When their children were first leaving Ethiopia for education in America, Ethiopia was under communist rule and Kindye did not wish for them to return to a hostile communist government. Similarly, at the time of his kids’ departures, most other Ethiopians were running away from Ethiopia instead of returning just as Kindye had done after completing his M.A. Howbeit, even after the Ethiopian Civil War (1970s-1990s), Ethiopian citizens continued to emigrate regardless of the governmental situation. Kindye expands his thoughts on why it was better for his children to remain in the U.S. after leaving Ethiopia when he says, “the opportunities for work here are much better, and the pay is better, and living here is much easier, much more enjoyable.” Despite people fleeing the country and the increasingly unstable government, Kindye along with his wife continued
to live in Ethiopia within its capital -the center of it all. On that account, I became curious; Why didn’t they immigrate to America with their kids? To Kindye, the choice was simple. He had and still has multiple churches which he had been supervising and preaching to that he could not just leave unattended. He enjoyed delivering his sermons just as much as his listeners enjoyed hearing them. Ergo, if Kindye were to move to America, he believed he would feel devoid of purpose. The churches in America already had their own pastors, trained in their professions and teachings. Therefore, they had no problem finding new pastors due to their abundance within the nation. On the other hand, in Ethiopia, the churches are many and the preachers are few, hence Kindye’s desire to service the masses. Also, Kindye explains how he felt at ease preaching in Amharic (his native dialect) as opposed to preaching in English because “In Amharic, [he] can speak from the bottom of [his] heart”. Furthermore, having immigrated to America, Kindye would have had a hard time adjusting to the American lifestyle. He explains that when you have been living in a country all your life, it is not easy to leave that country completely and live far away. He continued by saying that “You develop a certain attachment with the land, with the people. Therefore, if you have a choice, you choose to stay there”. Temetye echoed his sentiments when she reflected on why she too chose to stay in Ethiopia as opposed to move to America, “When you are adapted to something, you don’t want to part from that. You have friends...the weather you become used to, church groups, your neighbors, your relatives...There is a lot of pulling back. The love of country...I love America too but my choice is Ethiopia”. As previously mentioned, Kindye did not want his kids to come back to Ethiopia following their education in the states considering the ruling contentious government. That specific government was just one of three Kindye has lived through while in Ethiopia. Recollecting the different periods of control, Kindye recounts the things which he liked and disliked from the separate regimes. 17
The first government he recalls was headed by the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Selassie was in power for 44 years, and during his reign, the country was peaceful and had little war. While this was positive, the country made no significant advancements over the span of the emperors ruling. This negatively led to people beginning to complain about the government and wanting to overthrow it due to its lack of progressiveness. The second government Kindye remembers was a communist regime, responsible for the outbreak of the Ethiopian Civil War. The communist regime lasted for approximately 18 years. Kindye crudely rehashes the past when claiming that “[the 2nd government] was terrible”. This was the rule that left Ethiopian natives too afraid to knock on the door back into their homes. The leading fascist party, the Derg, was established in 1974 and responsible for the deaths of many people. “According to recorded documents, in 1981 alone, three thousand Ethiopians immigrated to the United States mainly to escape the brutal repression of the then military regime, which massacred the youth and the educated in large numbers” (Kebede). Kindye concludes his thoughts regarding the belligerent government by saying, “They thought that their problems were to be solved by killing people. However, killing people does not solve problems, it creates more problems”. By means of it’s newly offered religious freedom, Kindye is satisfied with the 3rd and final government which Ethiopia is currently involved with today. Religious freedom prior to this regime had never been an option for citizens. Thus, Kindye is excited about the religious future of the country and favors this government over the rest. Nevertheless, Kindye’s joy cannot completely mask his fear of the growing unrest between Ethiopian regions orchestrated by the current government. He worries that whatever is happening (riots, protests, etc.) will ultimately lead to something disastrous. Through all this, Ethiopia is still Kindye’s home and he wouldn’t change it for the world. He claims, “...give me Ethiopia with all these defects, and I will enjoy it”. 18
In particular, Kindye is fond of the country’s seemingly ubiquitous natural food along with the amicable, humble and helpful nature of the Ethiopian people. Kindye pauses to jokingly consider how in America we tend to pay extra for the same organic value of traditional Ethiopian food. Additionally, having been surrounded by its beauty in the prime days of his youth, Kindye could never grow old of Ethiopia’s angelic countryside scenery. Shifting the focus from Kindye’s specified Ethiopian relations to his cultural affinities, there are specific Habesha (another term for Ethiopian) societal standards in which he holds dear. Number one, respect: “Children are supposed to respect their parents and elders. If they are outside and kids are in the house sitting, when your dad comes in, you have to stand up and give your seat if there is no other seat. But if there’s another seat, you still stand...And that’s just to show respect”. Number two, care: “When somebody comes in when we are eating, we invite them to join us...Eat with us; that’s our culture. It’s wrong for us to eat here while our visitor is sitting there without eating...We invite them and if they have eaten already, we still ask them to join us. Normally they’re your relatives, but you still never send someone who isn’t related away.” Finally, helpfulness: “If somebody needs help with his work and they’re behind and have a lot of work to do, if we have spare time, we usually go and help that person with that manual work. So, support each other...And any problems that people may have around you, although they may not ask you for the solution, If you do find out that there is a problem & there is some trouble there, you go volunteer...Help.” Concluding on the note of Kindye’s love for his home country and culture, I wish to allude to the contents of the upcoming chapter, in which I will explore my personal standing within my cultural identity.
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Amharic fluency by asking, “Amarinya menageri tichilalachihu?” (can you speak Amharic). Once questioned, I’ve almost always responded by saying, “Tinishi bicha” (just a little bit). The short reply is commonly met with what seems to be a sympathetic smile and some sign of approval for dismissal from the talk. Not only does my failure to communicate in Amharic strengthen my sense of detachment
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Can you speak
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my culture and identity
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Amharic
ChapterTwo
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indeed recall a time when an Ethiopian meal seemed fully digestible. Yet the first day it became unfamiliar to my tongue, eludes me. The unknown reason concerning my distaste today imitates a missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of my life. Thus, I have since asked myself questions to discover the answer; Was I triggered to stop because I didn’t see anyone outside my family eat Ethiopian food, or was it something someone said about the smell emitted from the boxed injera lunch I brought to school in Montessori? Regardless, the thought of a negative external stimulus inducing my young mind to subconsciously make the decision to expel such an experience, that which I had an affinity for, is overwhelmingly upsetting. I revisit this feeling of discouragement within moments shared with relatives living in Ethiopia. Since the age of two, my family has joined my extended family in traveling to Ethiopia every other year. While there, we stay with my grandparents in Addis, Ababa and tend to receive as well as send out, many invites to social gatherings. While this trip has served much purpose and meaning in my life, there are also times at which I feel set apart from those I have traveled to join. Family members coupled with names that don’t quite easily roll off the tongue, attempt to engage in conversation with me in Amharic. However, they soon realize that the words exchanged between us fall quite short of what they expected. Their “Selam”s (hello) and “Dena nesh?”s ( how are you feeling?) are almost always met with a “Dena nenyi” (I’m fine). Shortly thereafter, they usually -in their right minds- question my
from my Ethiopian identity, yet also Kindye’s response to when I asked whether or not he was saddened by the fact that his grandchildren could not speak his native dialect: “I feel a little disappointed...because I would be very happy if you all spoke Amharic. When you come to Ethiopia, if you don’t speak Amharic, you are going to be a stranger...and you don’t mix well because you don’t understand the language. But if you do, you’ll be at home…”. To further understand my perception of disconnect from my Ethiopian culture, I must explore my being as a first-generation EthiopianAmerican in addition to my coexistence with such
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dual identities -American & Ethiopian. Personally, it’s easier to identify myself as first-generation Ethiopian-American, as opposed to simply AfricanAmerican, which is what many classify me as upon a first glance. Here in America, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, race plays a big part in determining your entirety as seen by other individuals. While I don’t disagree that I am Black, some disregard who all exactly constitute as Black individuals within America. The umbrella term not only encompasses other first-generation African-Americans, and African-Americans, yet also covers those with dark complexion and roots from other places around the world such as the Caribbean and South America. Since my parents, who grew up constantly surrounded by those of the same color, moved to America in their later lives, their knowledge of being Black in America upon their arrival was limited. Also, the way in which American society and media portray the Black individual correlates to the inferiority complexes composed within the minds subject to such content. Nevertheless, by virtue of what all my parents saw as they grew up -Black people in places of power- they never fell victim to subjugation. Be that as it may, I grew up here. And while my parents taught me what they knew, they couldn’t have prepared me for what I was going to experience as an African-American girl growing up in Los Altos. To such a degree, the social construct in which I have been categorized serves as yet another identity to my persona. Not only did I grow up within such an environment which fostered the easy absorption of Ethiopian cultural traditions, I was also raised by Ethiopian immigrants, and in kind, I was raised upon Ethiopian societal standards and values. A quote from Graham Hancock, Richard Pankhurst and Duncan Willetts’ Under Ethiopian Skies, articulates my thoughts and feelings regarding my split existences’ roles throughout my life and states the following: “Perhaps one 22
of the most attractive aspects of Ethiopia today is the way in which this drive towards modernization harmonizes with the traditional values of a rich and ancient culture. Here, one has the sense of a settled, mature community that will never lose sight of its own unique identity. A mood of continuity links past to present, and present to future, suggesting that this country will take what it needs from technology, but will not allow itself to be overwhelmed by the technological ethos. Not so much a new society, therefore, but a very old one engaged in the adventure of rediscovering and reinterpreting itself, Ethiopia has about it a tranquility and a certitude that are rare in the modern world”(31). This passage reflects mine and possibly the other 800,000 first generation Ethiopian Americans’ experiences in the U.S. today. Being first-generation, my assimilation into the American social sphere was delicate. I was raised by my parents as their parents raised them in Ethiopia. So their teachings and advice didn’t always coincide with those of my friends’ parents (not of foreign descent) or with American society. I abided by my parents teachings of respect for elders and watched silently as friends would talk back to their parents; I was aware of the importance of family and invited my siblings to events which I would attend with my friends; And I restrained myself from sleeping over at friends houses on Friday nights because we would attend church the following morning. I grew up in two worlds, and balancing between both only got trickier with time. However, as I’ve aged, I’ve increasingly developed a strong sense of pride & respect for Ethiopia and its traditions and cultures. Relating back to my Grandfather’s life: maybe not directly, but I was raised by my Grandparents. Meaning not only what they taught me on the occasions I’d visit them in Ethiopia, but also by what they passed on to my parents, which were then passed on to me, and which I will eventually in the future pass down to my kin. This demonstrates the
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mentioned mood of continuity in the passage which links past to present, and present to future. Another passage from Under Ethiopian Skies which speaks to the importance of remembering where you’re from and where your journey began reads as such, “Gazing out over this lovely causeway, locally known as ‘the Bridge of Heaven’, the traveller surveys a landscape in every respect different from that of the terrain through which he has passed on the journey from the Omo river, and is reminded once again of the recurrent theme of contrast and sudden transition lying at the heart of the symphony of sight, sound and cultural experience that is Ethiopia”(141). As Kindye has made his way through life and as I will continue to do so, we keep in mind that as we go to new places and experience new things -such as what my parents
encountered upon their move to the U.S.- we mustn’t forget where we began and who we are (i.e. our moral judgments and principles we hold to be true). Being Ethiopian is a critical part of who we are as individuals and my visits to the country every other summer have served me well as unifying journeys throughout my life. The trip assists the realignment of my consciousness which balances being American, Black in America, and Ethiopian. It isn’t simply about the ethnicity label, but also the Ethiopian traditions, Habesha family members, religion, and the culture. With all these in mind, it’s important to remember our foundations and who we are as we go through life.
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an Ethiopian cross
Kindye preaching in an Ethiopian church
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ChapterThree
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eligion has served Kindye with the utmost prominence throughout his life. After he was born, Kindye’s father gave his son to the church. According to Ethiopian tradition, when you “give” an infant to the church, you give the church a child which will serve God throughout their lives. Christianity was introduced into Ethiopia during the Aksumite Kingdom in the fourth century, thus making the country one of the oldest Christian countries to date (Hancock, Pankhurst, Willests). The book Under Ethiopian Skies proceeds to state that “Most of the inhabitants of northern and central Ethiopia were greatly influenced by the teachings of Christ, though perhaps even more profoundly the ideas and values of the Old Testament”(21). While the majority of Christians in Ethiopia belong to the Ethiopian
his belief system
Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Kindye follows the Seventh-day Adventist Christian denomination. I ask Kindye to remember a role in which God has played in his life, and he recounts a near-death experience as follows: “When I was
“ God saved my leg. ” passing by with my sister and niece, and they asked me to go into this farm and get some sugar cane. I stepped in, I walked into the field, collected some canes. And when I was coming out, there was a trap, an iron trap, and it caught me here, my leg”. Kindye pulls up the hem of his pants to reveal a scar circling
around his calf. “I was afraid that my leg was about to be cut off. But somehow, God saved my leg. I had to lay there until the people who had the key to unlock the iron trap came. It was quite a long time I had to wait, but, my leg was still there. It wasn’t cut off. And I thought it was broken completely, but no. It is just a miracle that has happened. My leg was saved, and it’s still useful today”. Prior to preaching, Kindye was studying education and teaching. Alongside his college degree, Kindye also obtained his M.A. in school administration and educational psychology. Considering his studious background, I couldn’t help but wonder why Kindye chose to become part of the church when he could’ve possibly taught at the university level or considered other occupations. Kindye continued to explain to me that along with the previously mentioned Ethiopian 27
tradition which declared his commitment to the Church, he simply could not imagine himself in a more fulfilling position. He proceeded to tell me how he once asked himself, “If I were not working for the Seventh-day Adventist church, what would I be doing? Well, I could be teaching somewhere at a government school, or I could be doing some other work. But to what end? What will be my end doing that? So I said to myself, I am going to live an aimless life, and I cannot do that. When I do work at a Seventh-day Adventist institution, I had the full privilege, of molding the thinking of so many students...religiously, and educationally. I have always been a strong believer in motivation. Motivating my students to aim higher, work harder, and achieve greater. And to that end, I had to stimulate them to do work. Not only that but also, to live a Christian life, a clean life, a good life. That was my mission. That was the assignment that God gave me: to help the young people of Ethiopia; educationally & religiously. I have tried to do that all my life. And that’s why I chose to remain with the church”. Kindye has had several ordeals with cancer throughout his life. When I inquired what exact affect cancer had on him, Kindye described how the malignant encounters made his love for God even more resolute. According to the doctors, after his first operation, Kindye’s chance of living five more years was a meager 5%. Yet here his, standing tall, 20 years later. He feels as though God’s abiding love has cured him time and time again. It is through his power, that God had declared him a survivor of cancer, which in turn deepened Kindye’s love for him. Kindye also described how cancer led him to think more of religion and its capacity: “Cancer has also brought me to think more of 28
the faith I have...Because this faith has worked miracles for me...So I believe in God very, very strongly. And my belief has been developed & strengthened as a result of cancer”. Kindye has written four books involving God and his faith. The first being Adventism in Ethiopia, which contains the history of the Seventh-day Adventist church beginning in 1907 and its existence of more than 80 years. Kindye wrote this book for several reasons. First, he sympathized with the youth of Ethiopia who had no means of tracing their history and discovering their families and religious backgrounds. Second, prior to its publication, no other writings such as itself existed -there were no books in Amharic documenting Seventhday Adventists. He believed that such a document is essential because there are so many fascinating stories connected with the work of the church which no one seemed to be interested in writing prior to Kindye. Adventism in Ethiopia and its historical entirety is dedicated to the coming generation to supply knowledge regarding the Seventh-day Adventist work and to serve as a lens through which you can see God himself living. This book is Kindye’s personal favorite accomplishment as he feels it’s the heritage he will leave behind that will be used throughout the ages. Kindye’s second book is about a man named Zechariah who is believed to be the father of many Christians. Conversely, he followed Islam before he converted to Christianity. Kindye wrote the book about Zechariah because his ancestors are from the time in which he executed his religious conversion from Islam to Christianity, as well as theirs. Zechariah did not only convert himself and Kindye’s ancestors, yet it is believed that at one time, he was able to convert over 15,000 Muslims to Christianity. Kindye found it
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Wayneab Truneh
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important to tell the remarkable story of how people got to know the true God as taught by a Muslim who initially didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. The third book Kindye has written is a biography of a man who goes by the name, Ato Goshe. Goshe’s story captivated Kindye because while he had never before attended school in his life and didn’t know how to read a single letter of the alphabet, Goshe still remembered texts from the Bible like no other. Kindye imitates Goshe’s ability to recite a text by snapping his fingers and claiming,“He was able to do it just like that”. Never before had Kindye been so astounded on account of Goshe’s capability to convey bible verses given to him by God one after the other which would find truth in the lives of those receiving the holy messages. Kindye continues and says, “Such a gift from God to a man! Any text from the bible, any text, he can quote. And if he feels like God has sent a message to you, he communicates a [Bible] text to you. Although he has never seen you...never met you, he still gives you a text. And when you read that passage, it has something to say about your life”. The fourth and final book Kindye has published is his transcription of Doug Batchelor’s biography from English to Amharic text which was completed in 2000. The two heavily religiously affiliated men met and discussed Batchelor’s work. Kindye was surprised by his life story and one evening asked Doug why he hadn’t published it. Doug then responded by handing Kindye a copy of his previously published biography and asked Kindye to translate it to Amharic in order for other Ethiopians to read it as well. Batchelor’s story consisted of him living in a cave at one point in his life and proceeding to find a bible within the cave which led him to become interested in religion and eventually
become a Seventh-day Adventist who would preach in California. The translation was intended for young people on the path of misdoings. Batchelor’s story serves as a reminder to youth led astray that God is there for you and willing to help lead you in the right direction. When asked about Kindye’s religious affiliations, his daughter Wayneab Truneh proceeded to elaborate upon her envy of the relationship Kindye shares with God. Mrs. Truneh, my mother, continues by saying, “In this world, if anybody says it’s not possible to live a life with integrity at all times...you’re going to falter someplace somehow...I’ll give Kindye as an example that that’s in fact not true”.
“
,
In this world if anybody
'
says it s not possible to
live a life with integrity at all times...you
are
going to falter someplace
'
somehow...I ll give
Kindye as an example
'
that that s in fact not
.
true
” 31
“
32
T
here was a man in a school who had worked there for 20 years. And af ter working for 20 years, he was hoping that he would be promoted to be the principle of the school. But the board decided: instead of promoting him, they appointed a younger man who had fewer years of experience in the school, to be the school's president. The older man who had been there for 20 years was unhappy. He was sad...he was angry. So he went to the board chairman and asked, 'Why did you do it? He is my junior. I am his senior. And I should have been the president, not him. I have 20 years of experience'. Then the chairman of the board said to him, 'You don't have 20 years of experience, but you have one years experience repeated 20 times'. - Truneh Wolde Selassie
�
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C h a p t e r Fo u r
I
was raised in a religiously oriented household with my mother belonging to the Christian denomination of Adventism, and my father following the teachings of the Ethiopian-Orthodox church. Hence, my childhood and current teen years have revolved around prayer and worship. Since I was young, I’ve made it a habit of praying before meals, sleep, road-trips, flights, and sometimes tests. And while there are times I’ve received a negative outcome to something previously prayed about, I’ve never questioned nor doubted God’s power whilst praying to him. I’ve always understood my belief in his presence, however, I’ve never taken the time to appreciate God’s work and word. Currently living by the fact that I cannot fully digest such a religious doctrine at this time of my life, I have made it an objective
my faith
to better comprehend the extent of God’s strength and wisdom in the near future. My grandfather, grandmother, parents, and other religiously affiliated relatives, have demonstrated to me in more ways than one the advantageous lifestyle one can live if subscribed to a faith. I’ve learned that regardless of denomination, following a religion enhances one’s overall clarity of life. I admire how one’s spirituality serves as an impression of stability through their lifetime. Despite the particular belief, having something or someone in which you can uniformly instill your trust and love, in addition to the overtime consolidation of a cogent relationship with such a power, is invigorating. Some, such as the specified audience for Batchelor’s book, require the strengthened abiding properties of religion more
than others. There lies a certain beauty within the healing and restorative attributes of prayer and worship. It is during those times in which one can lose themselves wholly within the essence of trying to find who they are along with whatever answers they seek to the questions they inquire. According to Paul Kobel, author of the Countries and Cultures page for Ethiopian Americans, one of the most common casualties resulting from the Americanization of Ethiopian immigrants is the loss of religion in second and third generation immigrants. If anything, I hope that I can impart the faith that which my parents and grandparents have instilled in me throughout my life to my kids. Since religion has been such a vital component in the way my family leads our lives, I cannot imagine a future in which it doesn’t exist.
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Personally, abandoning religion -or Christianity in my case- correlates to the loss of a holistic lifestyle. As I’ve learned, following Christ’s word ensures sound morality and a healthy mentality. Thus, I fear that if I don’t bestow and share my religion with my kin and generations to come we will be unable to attain the way of life previously stated. Throughout our interviews, Kindye made it important to note that faith is the thing he finds most crucial to entrust to his family for generations to come. The bible verse Kindye advised upon his grandchildren and which I aspire to share with my offspring reads, “remember your creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Today, I am still accessing my relationship with God and trying to understand his role not only in my life, yet in others’ as well. Furthermore, the verse Kindye left me with withholds a meaning I will remember forever: Structure your beliefs from a young age and establish a foundation which you can rely on throughout your life. 36
“
Remember your creator in the days of your youth
”
37
38
“
,
,
.
,
.
”
his future
In your family relationships keep always love at the center of focus Loving each other helping each other in the family...with your brothers sisters and parents even Be willing to help
Chapter Five
K
indye is currently enjoying his life in retirement. He has the freedom to do much more than he was able to while working. While he his not focused on any specific program, Kindye is still staying productive and keeping busy. On account of his commitment to the church being a 100%, Kindye is booked with speaking appointments from preaching to marrying people. While his journey has been long, it is far from an end. His future entails a variety of things, some of which he is already doing: preaching, teaching Sabbath school, and writing. Kindye declares that if God gives him the strength, his next project will be to write his biography. The words Kindye concludes our final interview with are as follows, “Igiziabiher Yawik’al”, God knows best.
.
-Truneh Wolde Selassie
39
in Ethiopia voyages “in Thetime traveller as well as in space, for
here the drama and beauty of the present are illuminated in countless ways by the grandeur and majesty of the past and, in a nation that is building itself anew, by glimpses and intuitions of a noble future.
�
-Under Ethiopian Skies
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Chapter Six
I
have learned so much from Kindye throughout the span of this project and through my lifetime. My reflections on this process are best conveyed through several passages from the book, Under Ethiopian Skies. The following passage regards the waterfalls at the River Blue Nile in Ethiopia, “- a greater consciousness of the wonder of creation, a more profound awareness of the loveliness and fragility of our little planet, a better and less arrogant understanding of man’s place in the scheme of things”(97). I felt as though this passage relates to the relationship I have with my grandfather and what I have gained from doing this project on him. As he has taught me more about Adventism, I’ve recently given more thought to the creation of life as told by Christians (Adam & Eve). Also, being the modest person he is, Kindye has taught me to never only think about how my actions will affect me, but also those around me which correlates to a better and less arrogant understanding of man’s place in the scheme of things. Finally, since Kindye has lived through not only
my journey
several regimes in Ethiopia, but also much of the world’s discord during the 20th century, he has learned that war and fighting do not solve anything, and we have to make the most of our time on this planet before we’re the ones to have to blame for its demise. The second passage reads, “This was the land of Dinqinesh, our remote, distant, more than three-million-yearold ancestor, the land in which the human species was born. The visitor here today cannot help but reflect on the debt that we owe to her and to her kind in their struggle to survive, to evolve and to grow against the implacable will of the elements”(191). I related to this quote because knowing where & what my grandparents came from (rural, impoverished countryside villages) and what they did for themselves and for their children -which eventually contributed to where they are today- astounds me. I will be forever appreciative. Hence, in times when I feel as if I have lost myself, I consider my parents, grandparents, and ancestors...I owe it to them to put in my best effort to accomplish any endeavor I endure during my life.
The final passage encompasses who my grandfather is and what he means to my future, “The traveller in Ethiopia voyages in time as well as in space, for here the drama and beauty of the present are illuminated in countless ways by the grandeur and majesty of the past and, in a nation that is building itself anew, by glimpses and intuitions of a noble future”(8). To me, my grandfather is the traveler in Ethiopia who has been on countless ventures and journeys in his past, and his kids and their kids -me- are the present, who have been molded by his actions and who he is. The future generations of the Truneh family will represent the transformed past, which I can only hope still embody and remember my Grandfather and what he’s done for me & for them. I have learned that a language barrier does not completely hinder my capability to connect with who I am. Being Ethiopian isn’t eating Ethiopian food and speaking Amharic. Habeshas manifest a way of life. Ethiopian is a mindset...being Habesha is an art. 41
Kindye and family members in front of his house in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
a gojo bet (hut) within Ethiopia’s mountains
Kindye with three of his six sisters
Kindye with his wife and children wearing habesha libs (traditional Ethiopian clothing)
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Kindye teaching students at Akaki Seventh Day Adventist High School
Temetye & Kindye with their first two children as toddlers
Kindye a top a mule while taking the mountainous journey required to visit his home village with his children
Kindye accompanied by his 101 year old mother 43
children of Feres Meda
Kindye’s cousin in the village where he grew up letter from principal Truneh to the Akaki school graduates of 1985
Kindye accompanied by his children as adults
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Kindye’s uncle in front of his house
Kindye talking to his wife’s uncle Temetye
Kindye and his older sister
Kindye with his in laws and children
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Works Cited “Ethiopian Americans.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 March 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_ Americans. Hancock, Graham, et al. Under Ethiopian Skies. Ed. HL, 1983. Kassa, Likimyelesh. Personal interview. 17 March 2018. Kebede, Habtamu. “Synopsis of Ethiopians Migration to the United States and Civic Engagement.” ZeHabesha, 1 July 2016, www.zehabesha.com/synopsis-of-ethiopians-migration-to-the-united-states-and-civicengagement/. Kobel, Paul S. “Ethiopian Americans.” Countries and Their Cultures, 2007, www.everyculture.com/multi/DuHa/Ethiopian-Americans.html. Neumann, Carry E. “Ethiopian Immigrants.” Immigration to the United States, 2015, immigrationtounitedstates.org/483-ethiopia.html. Teferi, Eden. “The Adventures of a First-Gen Ethiopian.” The Africa Channel, 28 Mar. 2015, theafricachannel. com/the-adventures-of-a-first-gen-ethiopian/. “The Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States.” Migration Policy Institute, July 2015, file:///Users/--/ Downloads/RAD-Ethiopia%20(3).pdf Truneh, Wayneab. Personal Interview. 22 March 2018. Wolde Selassie, Truneh. Personal Interview. 7 March 2018. ---. Personal interview. 3 April 2018.
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About the Author
M
akeda Yezalaleul is a junior at Freestyle Academy studying Digital Media. She fell in love with poetry in the eighth grade when she was asked to write a poem about where she’s from. Other than poetry, she enjoys music (of all genres) and visual art. In her free time, Makeda upcycles clothes. This means taking clothes you no longer wear or that are outdated, and changing them to make a more attractive piece of clothing. In the future, she hopes to work in the field of public health and somehow help make the world a better place, policy by policy!
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A Traveler s Tale
Ma k e d a Ye z a l a l e u l