Bamajo is a midwife from the village of Dyadjangia. Her home is found in the Dogon country, deep in the southern reaches of Mali. She is one of the most revered elders of the village, healing the sick, counseling the young, and tending to women in labor.

One day the midwife asked me, "What tribe do you come from?" To which I replied, "The California tribe. " "Where do they live? " she responded, and I told her they lived far away, across the land and over the sea. "What is the sea? ' she asked.

I explained to Bamajo that my father 's ancestors had come from Africa long ago. They were taken on slave ships to another land. I am light skinned because my mother is white. She replied, "Welcome home, we are happy to have you. All blood is red. "

I thanked Bamajo for all her kindness and warm hospitality. She looked at me and said, "We are good because you are good. We are the reflection of you. And besides, if you were not good, you would never have been able to find our village because it lies behind the magic veil. Only those who are good can come through; otherwise you would only have found the road, never our village. "

Through my interpreter, I asked the midwife to create a series of gestures that would give my tribe a sense of who she was. Amazingly, the crowd that had gathered around us began yelling, dancing and gesturing wildly to encourage this wonderful, powerful woman they loved. This sequence is a result of that interaction.