I Want To Visit My (Bitasyon) One Last Time.

Bitayson has a layered meaning, in English it could?loosely translate to as a repository. But I prefer the word homestead. Technically everyone comes from a bitasyon. A bitasyon is your root. It's the plot of land where your family comes from. A lot of people often go to their bitasyon to pay tribute to their ancestors, or do religious ceremonies. Most people associate bitasyon with voodoo ceremony, where you go to pay respect to those that have come before you. Additionally, a lot of people presume that the stronger a bitasyon you come from the better luck and protection you have.?

?Your ancestors are watching over you is a key component of what a bitasyon stands for. Many other cultures have similar belief systems or practices. Frankly, I did participate in many voodoo ceremonies in my bitasyon. In fact, my grandfather from my dad's side was a great voodoo master. Obviously, my religious view has changed considerably over the years. I don't demean those that hold those views nor do I hope they demean my view or view me as a traitor. In the bitasyon, you support those that are in their adventure or decision making regardless of what you might think. What I remember in my bitasyon was that my grandmother, from my mom's side, was living with us. She died shortly before I could have any meaningful memory of her.?

?My family bitasyon goes back to the early1900’s, when my great grandmother Moline left the city to work in the countryside (contrary to what usually happens) She never went back to her own town (Baudin, which is just outside of Port- De- Paix). She brought her kids with her, one of them was my grandfather. She bought a plot of land that would later serve as the Anofils bitasyon, I would say approximately 3-6 acres of land. Which is quite considerable for people in the countryside.?

? In the bitayson, they could have multiple families living in there, not necessarily in the same house, rather different little huts a couple meters from each other. Additionally, as cultural norms, each child's umbilical cord is buried at the front entrance or somewhere on the property, a symbolic move to show and to always remember where you are from and your heritage. The bitasyon serves as a counsel to help settle family matters and external problems that might exist. Such as, if marriage is taking place or a funeral needs to be done a member from the bitasyon could kill one of their pig for dinner at the wedding or sell a cow to cover the cost of the funeral. In the bitasyon, any adult (elders) can discipline the youth.

?Contrary to popular belief, Haiti doesn't have a village system. In other words, people don’t refer to where they are from as such and such a village. In fact, I didn't hear that word until I moved to Port- Au- Prince, it was there I overheard that someone was from Vilaj Milite (Military Village) which is just on the outskirts of the city. Obviously, that's not what most people would assume a village is, not something in the middle of a metropolitan area with over 1.5 million people. Ironically, I didn’t live in a village until I came to America. It was in 2008 when my family got approved for a government house at Immokalee Farm Workers Village (which is about 30 from the Florida Everglades) Needless to say, the country is divided geographically as follows.?

?Haiti???????? ?↓?????? Country

Department??? ?↓????????State

?Arrondissments? ↓???????Provinces

??Communes?????? ?↓?? ?? County??

Communal Sections ↓?????City or Town

Section????????? ??↓? A geographic area in a city?

Bitasyon????????? ?? ?Anofils?

?Again, as you can see not once does the word village come up. Inside the metropolitan area such as Port -Au -Prince, they could have a place in an area called a village, but far into the countryside the word they use is section. In the section they will always have a chef section, perhaps the confusion can happen when someone hears the word chef section (Section Chief), and they assume it is the same as a village chief. But that is a mistake, there is a distinction between the two, such as you don't bring your problem to the chef section, the chef section only deals with matters that pertain to legal issues, as anything personal and other would be settled in the bitasyon.?

Where is your Bitasyon??

?I firmly believe a bitasyon is what you make it out to be. Whether that is a 1200 sq condo with HOA dues in Los Angeles, or single family in the suburb of Denver. Your bitasyon is your identity and what your family name stands for. A bitasyon is a place where your family can feel they are always welcome. In a bitasyon, you don’t turn family away, because by being a family, they are fundamentally a part owner and fabric of the bitasyon. Kicking someone out of the bitasyon is impossible, since the ownership can never dissolve.?

?Creating a successful bitasyon takes time and commitment. A long-term thinking of what you want and seeking are paramount. Creating a successful bitasyon is not a matter of luck. Luck for the most part is overrated. Luck too often is associated with things you don't have control over. Playing the lottery is what I consider luck to be, because you don't have any control of what the outcome might be. But creating a successful bitasyon is different. To some extent you have control of what the outcome might be. Your values and what you care about should be demonstrated inside the bitasyon.??

??My umbilical cord was buried in my bitasyon. Now, I recently had a daughter, her umbilical cord has fallen of, at time I wonder what I should do with it, I wonder whether I should wait until I go back to my country to bury her umbilical cord, or do I take her?umbilical cord to her mother bitasyon , or forgo that tradition? Whatever, I decided to do with it, I think the principle she learned from me and her mother will be sufficient regardless of where her umbilical might be buried.?

When I reflect back on my bitayson, I can think of no other group of people that works so hard?keep a section together. They would say they were just ordinary people doing what was expected of them. But now as I reflected, I see them as heroes, for the amount of sacrifices they made to make a successful bitasyon.?

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#Ordinary people