Norte y Sur, Un Solo Pueblo

by Cathy Ragland

As mechanics, surgeons, students, lawyers, clerks, or members of almost any profession it can be easy to lose sight of the individuals we are. The annual Northwest Folklife Festival is a rare opportunity for many of us to step out of our daily professional and categorical roles to celebrate as one community the historical, cultural, traditional and very informal components which make us all different and unique. The Pacific Northwest is especially rich in its varied ethnic communities that remain devoted to the preservation of ideas about music, art, dance, food, rituals, games, religion, dress, and more simply, celebrating life. At the Folklife Festival the motivation for gathering is a universal one, and one that each group and its members can all share together.

Folklife, as the festival is generally referred to, represents the efforts of over 5,000 participants combined with the shared enthusiasm and curiosity of 225,000 expected visitors who crowd together each year on Memorial Day weekend in the Seattle Center. Atop

' more than 18 stages, there will be continuous performances day and night with over 750 groups featured in dance, music, and storytelling from across the world and Seattle's own back yard.

Such full-scale recognition of the contributions these ethnic groups have made to the history and development of the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle community is, and always has been, at the mien of the annual festival. As much of the organization's work has moved into the realm of education, research and documentation, Northwest Folklife is proud to introduce Volume I of the Folklife Journal. Our plan is to make this publication available each year at the festival, for individuals who are interested in knowing more about the communities in our bi-annual folklore project, those that participate at the festival and the organization's work.

This year's focus on the Chicano and Mexicano presence in Washington state, titled Norte y Sur, Un Solo Pueblo (North and South, One People), allows us to give readers more in depth facts and real life stories from this community's culture, history, artists and civic leaders. Chicano Education professor Dr. Carlos Maldonado writes about how the chicano/ Mexicano presence in the state has evolved and flourished, and saddlemaker Santos Garcia

about other communities that have participated in and grown with the Folklife Festival through the years.

Many of these stories are written by individuals from these communities who are willing to take us inside the action by interviewing their friends and help Folklife document their tradition, "lore," and contributions to the Festival and the region. You'll read about the history of the famous Roadhouse and how the love of contra dancing has flourished in the Northwest since the early 1970s and you'll be able to step inside the African drum and dance community that is rapidly gaining fans of all ages and ethnic groups.

Finally, you will learn more about the work Folklife does all year round. Education Director, Cliff Sloane, describes our Families Together program with Seattle Housing Authority and his latest brainchild, One Broad Voice, which brings Korean music, art and culture into the Shoreline school district. You'll also get a heads up on our next folklore project and festival focus on Korean Americans in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia in the year 2000.

To make this publication work for you and your community, we welcome your com-ments, ideas and feedback. Like the festival, the Folklife Journal belongs to the community and is dedicated to documenting and preserving the tradition of folklife throughout the state and the Pacific Northwest. Happy reading and enjoy Folklife!