Post #197871 by tikibars on Sun, Nov 13, 2005 7:06 PM

Bk -

I agree wth most of what you're saying. The part that most resonated for me was in your first post when you said something about 'a big ball of nothingness'.
I think this is an aissue that goes beyond the clan of carvers and into the entire ohana.

A web magazine asked me last year to write a series of articles to be called 'What is Tiki?'. I did the first artcle and then gave up - because sometimes I don't know what Tiki is anymore.

I know what is WAS.
In 1962.
But what is the Tiki community truly all about NOW?

That's not such an easy question to answer anymore.

It seems that out ohana has grown so large and has embraced so many outside influences that it is in real danger of losing any semblance of coherency. This is why I support your posting, and why I support (although I haven't contributed yet) to the Savage Renewal.

Certainly, we can't put up rules and become - as another poster pointed out - fundamentalists. But that said, as more people who know nothing of Tiki - but who are intrigued by it - come into the ohana, and bring the influences of their many and varied walks of life with them, then the thing we call Tiki becomes gradually diluted until it is no longer what we first fell in love with.

The only solution I know is to encourage the growth and expansion of the Tiki ohana world wide, but to also educate without making judgements. To enlighten without telling people that what they've brought to the table is wrong. To diligently remind people of how we got here, and then let them use that history as an inspiration.

And to drink as many Suffering Bastards, as often as possible, with pretty girls, as I am able to.