Yesterday afternoon, having recovered from the salsa and merengue dancing lessons, I went back to the school to meet the group that was visiting the Centro Leon. The group turned out to be one other American Spanish language student, and a Dominican American guide named Jason. The American was Antonio (no, I don't have this backwards...) but despite his hispanic first name spoke absolutely not one word of Spanish. He was a rank beginner, come to Santiago for 8 days to learn the language. Hint: immersion language program generally take more than a week to show real results.
Anyway, we piled into a taxi (note to self: Taxis that are called by telephone seem to have better vehicles than those roaming the streets) and took off for the Centro Leon, which is in another part of town. I had actually visited the Centro on first trip here to Santiago, but I found this time that the visit was much more interesting. Part of this had to do with the fact that I speak better Spanish now than I did then, so it's easier to decipher the exhibits. But most of it had to do with the fact that we had a guide to show us around.
The Centro Leon presents the natural, cultural, economic, and social history of the Dominican Republic from prehistoric times to the present. The quality of the material and the manner of display make it one of the best organized museums I have ever been to. The first room is a sort of introcution to the themes of Dominican Culture, using panoramic views shown on a 360 degree surround screen. The next room is explores the natural world that the earliest inhabitants of the island, the Tainos knew. Cultural artifacts from utensils to weaponry to religious objects were thoughtfully displayed, and the guide's explanations put everything in context. understood her anyway,
I insisted that the guide explain to me in Spanish (I'm here to learn, after all), so she had to give her commentary in two languages, first Spanish, then English, for Antonio. What struck me about her English was that it was imperfect -- but I understood her anyway. This was important for me, because I'm enough of a perfectionist myself that I can't stand the idea that I make more than occasional grammatical errors and (I'm told) I have an American accent. Nobody is listening for mistakes, they are listening for the meaning. (except for Angela, but that's what she's paid to do)
The next rooms were devoted to the Spanish conquest and the importation of Africans who were enslaved on the sugar plantations. One of the really horrible aspects of the history of the DR is that as soon as 40 years after the arrival of Europeans on the island, the indigenous population was wiped out by diseases against which the natives had no resistance, and overwork on the plantations. The Spaniards saw no alternative to slave labor to support the economy they were developing. The grimness and horror of the slaves' lives was understated in the exhibition, but the point was made nonetheless.
Other rooms documented Dominican culture in the 19th and 20th century, including the continuing influence of Spain, the rise and fall of the dictator Trujillo, and the current and growing influence of American culture on the Domican identity.
The upstairs of the Centro is devoted to Dominican fine arts, mostly paintings, though some sculpture, photography, and other media are included. Fascinating to see all of the cultural elements revealed in exhibits downstairs at work in the fine arts upstairs. From a very derivative style in the 18th and 19th century a unique vision today. Antonio was no aficionado of modern art, but I found myself actually grasping some of what the artists seemed to be communicating.
A great day, and a fascinating place.
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