Adolfo Vera - Everyone knows it already

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already] 1994,

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

Todos ya lo saben [Everyone knows it already], 1994

Archival pigment print.

EVERYONE KNOWS IT ALREADY

In the middle of the mountains sanctuary was discovered

by a group of Cabecar Indians.

They did not leave voluntarily,

But they were forced to move away

out of the ”settlers’” way.

The ones who stayed could not respond

to the intolerance

that gives with one hand and takes with the other.

They vanished into thin air.

The others fled in order to stay alive

making their way through the mountains and

untouched forests.

But only some reached the destination,

a river valley at the end of a journey through the wilderness.

Once there, bitterness and despair grew stronger.

Their own land and history left behind,

- not because of the hostility of nature

but for the greed of man.

No more collecting leaves and seeds.

Their own gods have been annulled and another introduced.

And healers, with all their knowledge,

crying into emptiness a cross in their hands.

But there is no point calling for god to help,

they need money in order to get some.

A little corn and beans are harvested from

small patches of land,

from steep and rough hills.

Humiliated is how they feel

cultivating barren land and bearing their meagre

produce to the village to sell.

Dominated, they do not know

how to stand up for themselves.

They wanted to send the Cabecar to school.

Some were grateful for this, some were not.

The children had to be bought uniforms and

forced into organisation.

The journey to school was several kilometres long,

walking in boots over rivers and hills

to avoid snakebites on the lonely paths.

Once there they heard

of Catholic kings, Columbus and Kennedy,

of whom the teacher from far, far away spoke of.

Beaten, having lost their own culture and

feeling threatened

they fear strangers and avoid direct eye contact.

Words are also scarce.

Only the necessary is spoken.

But the face reveals it all…