EDWARD'S LECTURE NOTES:
More notes at http://tanguay.info/learntracker
C O U R S E 
America Through Foreign Eyes
Julie Fette, Rice University
COURSEURLhttps://www.coursera.org/course/foreigneyes
C O U R S E   L E C T U R E 
Gule Wamkulu Masks of the Chewa People
Notes taken on October 15, 2015 by Edward Tanguay
Africa
extremely heterogeneous place
second largest and second most populous continent after Asia
54 different countries
1 billion people
1500 difference languages
sprawling massive cities
Lagos, Nigeria
more than 5 million people
millions of people in small villages and towns
history of Africa and America
bound up in the transatlantic slave trade
slavery not only provided a key part of the economic foundation of America, but it also means that many Americans are the descendents of these enslaved individuals
Chewa people of Malawi
mask of Elvis Presley made by a group of rural farmers
use it it in a sacred ritual called the Gule Wamkulu ("Big Dance")
we might think it represents a strange misunderstanding of Western culture
or that they are mimicking a global image in a simplistic and problematic way
dances of the Chewa are not just for entertainment
ways to learn what was and was not appropriate behavior in society
one way they did this was incorporate images and characters from outside Malawi
allows the Chewa to gain a sense of control over their relationships with outsiders
through emboding, dancing, mimicking, and ridiculing
Elvis dancing among the Chewa was a way to demonstrate the correct way of living by satirizing a Western icon that lived excessively and who was controlled by vices which were best avoided
Chewa people
one of the largest groups in Malawi
land-locked country
between Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania
in the United States the Chewa are best know for their masks
used in dance rituals by a secret society called the Nyau
for Chewa men
involved in passing on their myths
Gule Wamkulu
danced at funerals
communication time-honored values
addressing current issues
30 dances
meant to teach young people
the masked dancers are understood to be ancestors themselves
are able to be creative which keeps this dance relevant
earliest know examples of incorporating masks of outsiders
masks of Portuguese and Arab traders
both deeply involved in slave trading
would trade for slaves
marched caravans of slaves through the heart of Chewa land
portrayed them with frightening, fierce, red faces
dance communicates that the Chewa should fear these groups
1915 killing of Chewa man by British colonial officials
he had staged an uprising against British colonial officials
his uprising failed, officials pursued him and killed him
this chase is reenacted in the dance
the mask chases women and children in the audience
1964 independence
continue to representing
Charlie Chaplin
Queen Elizabeth
1977 made the Elvis mask, the year he died