Busy hands work away at a sculpture of a banyan tree in the backyard of a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) health facility at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Around the sculpture, a group of Rohingya refugees pass bamboo weaving strips between them. They turn the strips on their side, layer and bend them into smooth curves, then bind them together.
The form of the tree swells. It is puffy, cloud-like, brimming with the possibility of shade for anyone who might sit underneath it. It is a banyan—a type of tree well known to Nurus Safar and Nuru Salam, two tree weavers who are refugees from Myanmar. They are working with Tasman Munro—a designer from Australia—a storyteller, and young people who live in the camps of Cox’s Bazar.
“Our culture is disappearing,” Yakub, one of the storytellers, said. “That is why it is important to teach our culture to the young generation. The kyssa is something that makes people understand. Some kyssa offer lessons, some make people think, and others promote health. When I start to tell kyssa, I see the children happy and smiling. I can’t help the bigger picture, but I can at least do a small thing to maintain our culture.
Ruhul emphasized the preservation of their heritage, “We have dances, we have our own language and religious practices. Our cultural attire is the longyi and shirt. One thing I’m very proud of, myself being a Rohingya, is our generosity. No matter how poor I am, people always show generosity.”
Analysis
Art is an incredibly powerful tool to connect people to their past. The Rohingya people have been persecuted for many years. The longer they are away from their home, it seems that their history is disappearing from their memories. How can people transport their history with them after a mass casualty? If peoples’ homes are destroyed including historical artifacts, it is up to them to preserve their culture. Art is something that you can bring everywhere with you. One’s brain is the most important tool for us to continue our own history. The use of storytelling also helps them to redefine their culture to the younger generations. They can transport their youth to a happier past.
