Haiti's Drums and Trees: Facing Loss of the Sacred

Abstract

The tanbou (drums) are routinely imagined at the center of Haitian experience and provide necessary access to the spiritual forces of the universe. Yet deforestation and climate change have seriously threatened the trees from which these instruments are made. The life story of octogenarian drummaker Charles Charlesine presents an opportunity to explore how shifts in the environment are triggering shifts that irrevocably alter a form of cultural heritage that many regard as crucial to Haitian society. This study presents an opportunity to ask, How are Haitians confronting apparent loss of the sacred, with particular regard to the tanbou and trees?