Cuba Research- Riley's Travel Fund
Donation protected
"I don't practice Santeria I ain't got no crystal ball. I had a million dollars but I'd, I'd spend it all....."
Remember that song? Yeah, that's right. It's a Sublime throwback. Remember them? When I first hear that song way back when, I had no idea what Santeria even was...like never ever heard of it. Who knew that come the year 2014 it would become the topic of my master's thesis. Yep. I think about Cuba and Santeria pretty much constantly these days...but in an excited kind of way!!!
Hi! My name is Riley Ellis and I recently, after waiting for several months, obtained permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury to legally travel to Cuba to do research for my thesis/ attend a pedagogy conference. Yes, I did say legally...did you know that even after 60 years travel to Cuba is still highly restricted for U.S. citizens? Another topic for another day...
Needless to say, when I received word that I'd been granted permission (after waiting several months, did I mention that already?) to travel to Cuba I literally jumped up and down. Literally.
By this point you may be wondering who the heck I am and what I am doing traveling to Cuba. Please, do continue reading. :)
Santeria, the topic of my master’s thesis, is a syncretic religion in Cuba that stems from “Regla Ocha” (a religious practice brought from Yoruba kingdoms (present-day Nigeria) during the slave trade) and the Roman Catholic religion. In my investigation I will attempt to understand the ways in which Santeria functions in conjunction with other cultural aspects, such as literature, art, music, the formation of identity and community, food customs, as well as health care practices in Cuba in order to evaluate its role as a source of healing.
I would like to conduct my own participant observation (visit market places, Santero consultations, Santeria ceremonies, the Asociación Cultural Yoruba, etc.) as well as informal interviews in order to gain a better understanding of Santeria and its contributions to Cuban culture. The goal of the interviews will be to gather individual narrations in relation to personal Santeria practice.
The reason that I have made this gofundme account is because during January of 2015 I will have the opportunity to travel to La Havana, Cuba to participate in Pedagogía 2015: “Encuentro por la unidad de los educadores”, an education focused conference the last week in January, 2015 in Cuba. (Learn more about the conference here: http://www.pedagogiacuba.com ) I plan to arrive a week early to Cuba in order to also spend time in La Havana and Matanzas, Cuba to conduct research for my master's thesis on Santeria. The total estimated cost of this 14-day trip is $2,605 (you can see a breakdown below), but I'd like to make sure I have a little extra emergency cash. Because travel is so difficult it is also quite costly, and unfortunately I wasn't able to receive funding from my department due to funding deadlines not lining up with other deadlines (waiting on travel permission for example). Without financial support I don't foresee being able to get this trip off the ground....so I am turning to you to help me out!!
Estimated Travel Costs:
Airfare to Cuba- Denver to Miami ($280) to Cuba ($500)= $780
Lodging= $70 per night= $980
Food & misc.= $10 per meal= $420
Entry & Exit fee= $75
Bus fairs= $100
Conference Registration Fee= $200
Medical insurance= $50
Total= $2,605
My itinerary/ research goals:
Days 1-4: La Havana- I plan to visit the Biblioteca Nacional Jose Marti, the University of Havana, cafes, market places, etc. During this time I plan on taking field notes, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews.
Days 5-8: Matanzas- I plan to visit the Yoruba Cultural Center, La Plaza Libertad, etc. During this time I plan on taking field notes, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews.
Days 9-13: La Havana- I plan to attend (and present at) the Pedagogía 2015: “Encuentro por la unidad de los educadores” conference
Day 14: Return home
This is an exciting opportunity for myself both personally and professionally as I will grow in my Spanish language abilities, as well as expand my personal acquaintance with Caribbean culture within Cuba specifically. I will be able to bring my experiences back to not only use in support of my master’s thesis but to also share with the Colorado State University community, especially my students.
Alas, the life of a student means making financial sacrifices...letting go of a trip I've worked so hard to plan is one sacrifice I'm not quite willing to make just yet...it would mean the world to me to receive your support!! (Not to mention the trip will add a lot more juice to my thesis and help to make it that much more impactful!) Thank you so much for your consideration.
For your listening pleasure: Santeria- Sublime
Un abrazo fuerte,
Riley
Remember that song? Yeah, that's right. It's a Sublime throwback. Remember them? When I first hear that song way back when, I had no idea what Santeria even was...like never ever heard of it. Who knew that come the year 2014 it would become the topic of my master's thesis. Yep. I think about Cuba and Santeria pretty much constantly these days...but in an excited kind of way!!!
Hi! My name is Riley Ellis and I recently, after waiting for several months, obtained permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury to legally travel to Cuba to do research for my thesis/ attend a pedagogy conference. Yes, I did say legally...did you know that even after 60 years travel to Cuba is still highly restricted for U.S. citizens? Another topic for another day...
Needless to say, when I received word that I'd been granted permission (after waiting several months, did I mention that already?) to travel to Cuba I literally jumped up and down. Literally.
By this point you may be wondering who the heck I am and what I am doing traveling to Cuba. Please, do continue reading. :)
Santeria, the topic of my master’s thesis, is a syncretic religion in Cuba that stems from “Regla Ocha” (a religious practice brought from Yoruba kingdoms (present-day Nigeria) during the slave trade) and the Roman Catholic religion. In my investigation I will attempt to understand the ways in which Santeria functions in conjunction with other cultural aspects, such as literature, art, music, the formation of identity and community, food customs, as well as health care practices in Cuba in order to evaluate its role as a source of healing.
I would like to conduct my own participant observation (visit market places, Santero consultations, Santeria ceremonies, the Asociación Cultural Yoruba, etc.) as well as informal interviews in order to gain a better understanding of Santeria and its contributions to Cuban culture. The goal of the interviews will be to gather individual narrations in relation to personal Santeria practice.
The reason that I have made this gofundme account is because during January of 2015 I will have the opportunity to travel to La Havana, Cuba to participate in Pedagogía 2015: “Encuentro por la unidad de los educadores”, an education focused conference the last week in January, 2015 in Cuba. (Learn more about the conference here: http://www.pedagogiacuba.com ) I plan to arrive a week early to Cuba in order to also spend time in La Havana and Matanzas, Cuba to conduct research for my master's thesis on Santeria. The total estimated cost of this 14-day trip is $2,605 (you can see a breakdown below), but I'd like to make sure I have a little extra emergency cash. Because travel is so difficult it is also quite costly, and unfortunately I wasn't able to receive funding from my department due to funding deadlines not lining up with other deadlines (waiting on travel permission for example). Without financial support I don't foresee being able to get this trip off the ground....so I am turning to you to help me out!!
Estimated Travel Costs:
Airfare to Cuba- Denver to Miami ($280) to Cuba ($500)= $780
Lodging= $70 per night= $980
Food & misc.= $10 per meal= $420
Entry & Exit fee= $75
Bus fairs= $100
Conference Registration Fee= $200
Medical insurance= $50
Total= $2,605
My itinerary/ research goals:
Days 1-4: La Havana- I plan to visit the Biblioteca Nacional Jose Marti, the University of Havana, cafes, market places, etc. During this time I plan on taking field notes, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews.
Days 5-8: Matanzas- I plan to visit the Yoruba Cultural Center, La Plaza Libertad, etc. During this time I plan on taking field notes, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews.
Days 9-13: La Havana- I plan to attend (and present at) the Pedagogía 2015: “Encuentro por la unidad de los educadores” conference
Day 14: Return home
This is an exciting opportunity for myself both personally and professionally as I will grow in my Spanish language abilities, as well as expand my personal acquaintance with Caribbean culture within Cuba specifically. I will be able to bring my experiences back to not only use in support of my master’s thesis but to also share with the Colorado State University community, especially my students.
Alas, the life of a student means making financial sacrifices...letting go of a trip I've worked so hard to plan is one sacrifice I'm not quite willing to make just yet...it would mean the world to me to receive your support!! (Not to mention the trip will add a lot more juice to my thesis and help to make it that much more impactful!) Thank you so much for your consideration.
For your listening pleasure: Santeria- Sublime
Un abrazo fuerte,
Riley
Organizer
Riley Ellis
Organizer
Fort Collins, CO
