In a 14th century Angevin fortress, the knowledge and traditions of the first peoples transmitted orally, exposed there by a foundation of Saumur, Anako
Civilizations....
When you arrive at Verrière Castle, you can only be struck by the gigantic bridge that has been built, beyond space and time, between an era of our civilisation, represented by these walls, during which the mainly peasant people transmitted their knowledge and traditions orally, and the contemporary era during which "first peoples" still live, dispersed in the most remote corners of the earth, who act in the same way.
An unusual clash of civilization, of course, but so rich in lessons!
The Anako Foundation
The Anako Foundation operates in Saumur, where it has its headquarters.
It is this foundation that created the ethno-museum that can be discovered at the Château de Verrière in Vienne.
The purpose of this foundation is twofold. Let's read what she says herself:
"The Anako Foundation actively works to build and preserve the audiovisual memories of the last indigenous peoples and cultures of oral tradition (the last itinerant hunter-gatherers, nomadic herders, the last agricultural societies of oral tradition, minority ethnic groups and first nations).
The root peoples, whose most isolated have managed to preserve a very strong link with nature, are now facing a rapid extinction of their lifestyles, animist spiritualities and rich cultures of oral tradition.
The Anako Foundation supports field programs around the world that enable indigenous communities to reclaim their image and learn to use audiovisual tools to write their own history book, which they had previously been deprived of, by recording the words of elders themselves or by filming their most important rituals for future generations. In addition to its field programs, the Foundation identifies, collects, digitizes and preserves recordings, writings and images made by pioneers of ethnographic exploration in the mid-to-late 20th century. These extremely precious images and sounds bear witness to cultures and lifestyles that have now disappeared and can thus complement the memory work initiated by indigenous communities and the latest tribal societies ».
Vast program and very beautiful subject, because, when the memory fades, it is a little of our humanity that fades with it....
In short, in order to build a memory of the root peoples, the Anako Foundation sets up field programmes with indigenous communities and ensures the collection, digitization and conservation of the audiovisual memories of the most threatened peoples of the human family.
An annual festival
Every year, it is during the last weekend of June that the Anako ethnographic film festival takes place: screenings, debates, meetings with indigenous representatives and great witnesses from all over the world, exhibitions...
It takes place both in the Château de Verrière and in several rooms in the nearby city of Loudun.
The festival also includes the Anako Memory Scholarships, which are intended to support initiatives by indigenous communities, researchers or filmmakers.
Each year, this festival is based on a theme. For example, for 2020, the theme is "childhood and growing up". If you have made one or more films on this theme yourself, within the framework of the First Peoples, you can submit them to the association.
The ethno-museum
On 600 m² of exhibition and multimedia space, you will discover the arts and traditions of the first peoples highlighted, among other things, by vast windows offered to the foundation by the historical society of Chinon, Vienne Val de Loire.
Some of the exhibitions: Papuans from New Guinea, the lost paradise of the Trobrian Islands, the last hunter-gatherers, the aborigines of Australia, the last Great Nomads, etc... very enriching, and superb!
Updated!
In December 2020, the elected members of the Saumur City Council were a little upset about the sale of the castle of the Queen of Sicily, located in the district of the bridges. The idea was to sell this very historic municipal heritage to the ANAKO foundation. After a few outbursts of voices, final statements, various gestures and historical poses, the decision was finally made, and after heavy work, the foundation plans to resume its exhibitions in these places in 2022.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
(and, while you are there, take the opportunity to visit the Château de la Mothe Chandeniers... it's very close!)
Ethno-Musée du château de Verrière
1, château de Verrrière
86120 Bournand.
Tél. : 06 61 49 20 09
Fondation ANAKO
107, rue Jean-Jaurès
49400 SAUMUR
anakofondation@gmail.com
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
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