The Patriotic Thread

[Joseph]

http://www.gop.tv/rien-long.html

The Long Journey from the NFL to Armenia

Rien Long is a 24-year-old, 6’6”, 300-pound Defensive Lineman in his third season with the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Nashville-based NFL team following a career at Washington State, where he garnered the Outland Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top college-football interior lineman in the country.

In March 2006, three generations from Rien's family — all born in America — will make their first-ever trip to their ancestral homeland of Armenia. Rien will be accompanied by his grandmother Jo, an artist & Rhode Island native and by his mother Bailey, a Los Angeles native and the executive director of the Mandala Project, a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of peace through art & education.



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Rien Long’s great-grandfather, Toros Vartanian and his great-grandmother, Elizabeth Krekorian, fled to the United States in the early 1900s, a few years before 1.5 million Armenians where killed by the Turkish Government from 1915 to 1923. Toros was from Kharpert and Elizabeth from Palu, Armenian cities occupied and ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Toros and Elizabeth made it to America. Many members of their family did not, perishing in the Armenian Genocide.



Rien Long identifies so strongly with his ancestral roots, he has a tattoo of the seventh letter of the 1,600-year-old Armenian alphabet atop the Armenian flag on his right arm. The letter translates into “beingness” or “God exists.” On his left arm and inner bicep, Long has a tattoo inspired by the 11th century Armenian Cathedral of Ani and the 17th century Church of St. Grigor at Mughni. His Armenian name, “Vartan,” is woven into the churches' ancient architectural patterns. This son and grandson of artists has expressed his creativity in a very 21st-century fashion.

Co-produced by Peter Musurlian and Dr. Arbi Ohanian, The Long Journey from the NFL to Armenia will document the Vartanian-Krekorian-Long Family’s return to Armenia, some 100 years since Toros and Elizabeth arrived in America. Prior to its television distribution, the film will debut at a one-time theatrical screening at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, California on Sunday, June 18, 2006.

[Gavur]

An Armenian Odyssey

By Donna Novak, Globe Correspondent | January 26, 2006

Boston Globe
Jan 26 2006

A tribute to art, music of culture

"More often than not, ethnic nations don't adhere to their traditions
and don't preserve their culture," said Martin Haroutunian, director of
Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble. "That is one thing that we, as Armenians
in the United States, think it is important to do."

Arev, a traditional Armenian folk ensemble with a modern touch, will
be one of two groups performing Feb. 11 at Springstep in Medford. The
other is Zulal, an Armenian a cappella folk trio.

The celebration of Armenian dance and music traditions includes an
exhibition, running through March 15, featuring art and artifacts
from the Armenian Library and Museum of America as well as paintings
borrowed from private collectors.

"There is a gorgeous old Armenian rug which we hung. We dressed a
mannequin in a typical costume of regular life in Armenia in the
earlier days. There is a hat rack with seven examples of Armenian
hats worn for dance or regular day wear. We have two drawings, two
paintings, and a very large-scale textile rug that is a good example
of Armenian weaving," said Meredyth Hyatt Moses, the curator for the
exhibition and a member of the board of directors at Springstep.

One of the paintings and both of the drawings on display were created
by noted Armenian artist, Minas. "Minas is like having Picasso in the
house," said Hyatt Moses. "His work is just revered by the Armenian
people, and for good reason."

Hyatt Moses believes Minas's work to be excellent examples of early
20th-century Armenian art.

"It's fresh, although it's from a very early time," she said. "It's
very contemporary and right on with the context of world painting."

Guests can see the exhibition weekdays at Springstep, or they can
view it when they see the Sounds of Armenia performances the evening
of Feb. 11.

Arev, one of the two Armenian musical groups performing, has a
repertoire that consists of traditional Armenian folk music with
contemporary elements. All of the songs are sung in Armenian and
include a variety of dialects.

"Armenians look upon their country in two parts, Eastern and Western
[present-day Turkey]," said Haroutunian. "We feel we're keeping alive
some of those dialects from Western Armenia."

Keeping with tradition, Haroutunian plays traditional Armenian wind
instruments. One of the instruments he plays is the duduk (pronounced
DA-duke), an instrument similar to an early oboe that sounds very
similar to the human voice, has a somber tone, and is made of apricot
wood. Haroutunian also plays the zurna (pronounced ZOOR-na), a loud
instrument similar to an oboe that is found in similar forms from
China to the Balkans. Other instruments played by members of Arev
include the dhol (pronounced DA-hole), a double-headed drum; the ud
(pronounced OOD), a string instrument that is the father of the lute
and the grandfather of the guitar; and an acoustic guitar.

"Some of the songs go back hundreds of years, if not thousands of
years," said Haroutunian.

Although he realizes that Arev cannot re-create the songs exactly as
they were performed hundreds of years ago, Haroutunian believes it is
important to interpret those songs in ways that make them interesting
to the contemporary listener.

Zulal, the other group that will be performing, consists of three
women who have been together for a little over three years, singing
Armenian women's work songs, field songs, and love songs.

"We take the melodic line from traditional folk songs and add our own
lyrics," said Teni Apelian, the leader of Zulal. "It's a revival of
sorts, in a very different light."

The group takes pride in being able to take traditional Armenian
songs and making them accessible to Americans today.

"From a musical standpoint, our arrangements take music that's very
harsh to listen to in its original form and make it very accessible
to the Western ear," said Apelian. "We do introductions to every song
and let audiences take a glimpse into the structure of the song so
there will be moments when they can follow along."

The Armenian performance is one of six performances done every year
at Springstep, an arts center dedicated to celebrating cultures and
connecting people through dance and music.

"We're really proud of the fact that we're a place where audiences can
get exposed to new cultures and traditions that might not be in their
backgrounds," said Springstep's executive director, Claudia Thompson.

"We have so much to learn and to enjoy in the music and dance of these
other cultures," she said. "It's an enriching cultural experience
and a heck of a lot of fun."

[imported_RUDO]

http://www.fedayi.com/music/keri.m3u

We all proud of our nations.I think it is normal.but it is hard for me to know my exact nation.Because I am ANATOLIAN so ı can be a mix of three nations .TURKS,KURDS,ARMENIANS.OHHHH I know my nation :I am PEOPLE

[Sion]

If your talking about an Anatolian Nation you cant forget the Greek contribution.

[Reincarnated Am]

xxx

[imported_RUDO]

Good for you my friend..! if that's how you feel, at least be proud with whatever you feel you are I can tell you one thing though, if you were an Armenian you would've felt it by now

Maybe.I like churces more than mosques.maybe it is because of armenian roots in my blood.

[Kharpert]

Be proud of who you are, RUDO.

[imported_RUDO]

Kharpet I am proud that I am ANATOLIAN.But you know Anatolia has been very strugling lands for a lot of nations since prehistoric times.And there are many GENOCIDES in these lands.

[Hovik]

Knaravan

I'd like to dedicate this post to those who say that the Diaspora doesn't care about Haystancis, who say diaspora live cushy lives while Hayastancis suffer, who let the country sink deep into despair, instead of doing something contstructive for their nation. And for those who think all the diaspora does is fight for Genocide recognition... this one is for you:

http://knaravan.org/

(I encourage you to read through this website thoroughly, about the benefactor, about the projects, etc.)

Some later additions:

http://www.yerkir.org/

http://www.vahakni.com/

http://www.yerkirusa.org/

http://fund.yerkir.org/

http://www.tufenkianheritage.com/index.php?mode=ht_home

http://www.tufenkianfoundation.com/

[imported_Arev]

I'd like to dedicate this post to those who say that the Diaspora doesn't care about Haystancis, who say diaspora live cushy lives while Hayastancis suffer, who let the country sink deep into despair, instead of doing something contstructive for their nation. And for those who think all the diaspora does is fight for Genocide recognition... this one is for you:

http://knaravan.org/

(I encourage you to read through this website thoroughly, about the benefactor, about the projects, etc.)

Barev Hovik:

I am not interested in any discussion regarding the Armenian Genocide, I consider it to be counterproductive and a waste of time. Reality cannot be discussed or debated. As far as I'm concerned, the Armenian Genocide happened, they all know it happened, and the rest is - geopolitics. Rest assured, sooner or later, it will be their turn to mourn.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to see your post about Knaravan, that's the reason why I wanted to make a comment here. Are you connected to the project? I ask this because, I am directly connected to the people involved with the Knaravan project and, as a matter of fact, I was there with them this past summer. I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Knaravan is located in the region of Karvajar (former Kelbajar). In other words, its located in a land that our community representatives within the diaspora, like the Armenian Assembly, would like us to give back to the Azeri animals. I say no way will they force us to give back even a square centimeter of our lands, enough is enough! And I thank God that a nationalist government is in power within Yerevan today. I'll also have you know that it is an ARF effiliated group that founded the Knaravan village as well as the Yerkir organization.

I want to address some of the comments you made as a prerequisite to the posted links. Most of my social dealing are with Hayastantsis, I travel to Yerevan allot, and many of my close friends here in NYC are from there as well. I don't know who you were referring to with your comments, but I do not know of any patriotic Hayastansti that makes such claims. In general, Armenian nationalists within Yerevan are very happy to have a large diaspora behind them. For obvious reasons, allot of them even want us to have more say in their politics. But, of course, they also have complaints as well, its natural.

Nonetheless, as a diasporan Armenian, I have severe complaints towards the diaspora, some of which you were trying to refute, incidentally. Putting aside the few Armenian organizations and individuals who have a positive impact upon our homeland like UAF, AGBU and ANC, we in America do more to waste and harm our homeland than any other Armenian community in the world. For an example take a close look at the so-called Armenian representatives of TARC. Around Armenian patriotic circles within our homeland and without, TARC is a four letter word. TARC, and everything it represents, is synonymous to treason. TARC would have utterly destroyed our fledgling homeland had it allowed to be forced upon us.

In reality, the financial capability of the American Armenian diaspora is a potential danger to our homeland. I say its a potential danger because, the implimentation of our "resources" here, if not conducted properly, will place the Armenian nation at great risk. An example: there are the many NGO within Yerevan, Armenian and non-Armenian, with doubious agendas. The government is aware of the dangers these NGOs represent, yet they realize that NGOs also bring much needed money and emplyment into the country. These NGOs are staffed by Armenian Americans and non-Armenians.

As typical Americans, many American Armenians who go to Yerevan "to make a difference," think they know everything, when more often than not they are are clueless. More often than not, they try to impose their foreign ideologies - "secularism, multiculturalism, liberalism" - upon a native people who flatly reject it. What's more, they are very self-righteous, self-centered and concern more with the plight of others than with the plight of their own people. As a matter of fact, I looked around here and noticed that you as well are more concerned about "politically correct" behavior than protecting your own compatriots.

The irony, if I can call it that, in your above comments regarding this matter, would be fully revealed when you speak to the people involved with the "Knaravan" and "Yerkir" projects. They are mixed bunch of Armenian natives, Artsakhtsis and Lebanese Armenians and they are all ARFers, if that interests you. You would also be interested to know that they express total disgust towards the liberal mentalities we import from the Armerican diaspora, and they are extremely opposed to any relations with Turks and/or Azeris, another Amerikahai blunder. Incidentally, they also organize some "projects" in Javakhk and our occupied lands in western Armenia, albeit covert.

Hovik, when you realize that there is over a million of us here in America now, and that only a handful are actually impacting Armenia is a positive way, then our diasporan situation, in reality, does not look too bright after all. In my opnion, patriotic Armenians need to think about repatriation, there is no other salvation for our existence. In my opinion, there is no point in preserving a diaspora when we all know that the diaspora is headed to an eventual dead end. If an Armenian thinks he/she can maintain a diaspora indefinitely, they are sadly mistaken. Have no doubt, within a few generations, our children will be effectively assimilated into the multicultural melting pot of this land.

Anyway, I said my piece. Overall, you folks here are doing a good job.

Bari or.