WEBVTT 00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:03.503 "Gesner Saint-Cyr's Heritage" 00:00:05.605 --> 00:00:09.109 Haiti the land of voodoo and mysteries 00:00:09.376 --> 00:00:12.846 also home of the "loas" and our ancestor's spirits. 00:00:13.079 --> 00:00:15.815 Voodoo the main pillar of Haitian culture 00:00:16.116 --> 00:00:18.818 has been neglected, discriminated 00:00:19.285 --> 00:00:22.022 and is not openly accepted by many Haitians 00:00:22.288 --> 00:00:24.824 influenced by other countries 00:00:24.924 --> 00:00:27.260 since before the independence and until today. 00:00:27.460 --> 00:00:29.629 To them voodoo is evil. 00:00:38.738 --> 00:00:43.877 Gesner Saint-Cyr came to Martissant in 1965. 00:00:45.779 --> 00:00:53.987 He is known as "houngan", a voodoo priest. 00:00:55.422 --> 00:00:59.225 He is widely known as such. 00:00:59.492 --> 00:01:02.162 He was raised in Bel-Air. 00:01:02.295 --> 00:01:06.966 When he decided to become a priest 00:01:08.501 --> 00:01:11.538 Baron who is a spirit he works with 00:01:11.971 --> 00:01:14.841 had just taken over Martissant 00:01:15.175 --> 00:01:18.311 and wanted to have a temple there. 00:01:18.678 --> 00:01:24.050 - He was not born a priest. 00:01:24.784 --> 00:01:26.419 But his father was. 00:01:26.886 --> 00:01:32.058 At 16 as the spirits were seriously disturbing him 00:01:33.026 --> 00:01:39.566 as they wanted him 00:01:39.966 --> 00:01:45.205 he did not feel it that way not seeing himself being possesed 00:01:46.406 --> 00:01:50.243 being just a young quiet boy at the time. 00:01:50.510 --> 00:01:55.782 It was not well accepted when a boy of that age 00:01:56.216 --> 00:01:58.284 would present himself as a voodoo priest. 00:01:58.818 --> 00:02:01.921 But the spirits were disturbing him, making him sick 00:02:02.856 --> 00:02:09.429 to the point where he was even loosing his mind. 00:02:10.597 --> 00:02:16.736 After some time his father and some of his father's friends 00:02:17.070 --> 00:02:19.739 advised him about what to do. 00:02:20.406 --> 00:02:24.811 Baron was the Master of his head. 00:02:25.178 --> 00:02:27.380 Baron was the one disturbing him. 00:02:27.614 --> 00:02:30.450 They had a meeting together 00:02:30.783 --> 00:02:37.323 where he agreed to manage the spirits. 00:02:37.690 --> 00:02:42.128 He had no other choice but to agree. 00:02:52.906 --> 00:02:57.911 Gesner was living with an open heart to everyone. 00:02:58.478 --> 00:03:02.081 Whatever your worry you come to Gesner and he helps you. 00:03:02.448 --> 00:03:07.854 If someone is arrested and he thinks he can help he goes 00:03:08.154 --> 00:03:11.858 at times putting his own money. 00:03:12.625 --> 00:03:18.932 He did not came here to rule over anyone. 00:03:19.232 --> 00:03:21.768 To him every person worthed the same. 00:03:22.101 --> 00:03:28.474 After his death the street was renamed after him. 00:03:29.409 --> 00:03:32.378 And if you ask someone about Gesner 00:03:32.579 --> 00:03:35.148 he will always come up with positive thoughts. 00:03:35.348 --> 00:03:40.286 - He was so gifted I would call him the perfect "houngan". 00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:43.890 He had knowledge. 00:03:44.524 --> 00:03:48.027 He did use that in the community. 00:03:48.328 --> 00:03:51.531 He did treat the ill here in Martissant 00:03:52.198 --> 00:03:58.204 thanks to that knowledge. 00:04:02.675 --> 00:04:04.310 - He was compassionate. 00:04:05.278 --> 00:04:09.182 Although when I was a kid I was afraid of him. 00:04:09.616 --> 00:04:13.720 I would learn later that he just had his father's temper. 00:04:14.487 --> 00:04:16.656 At first you might not even want to talk to him. 00:04:17.457 --> 00:04:19.359 Some other voodoo priests would not like him 00:04:19.626 --> 00:04:22.262 because he would not visit them 00:04:22.495 --> 00:04:24.731 while they would regularly visit him. 00:04:25.198 --> 00:04:28.568 He just did not like that. 00:04:28.835 --> 00:04:32.171 - I remember an official from Miami 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:37.210 gave Gesner an award. 00:04:37.510 --> 00:04:41.247 Her son was very sick. 00:04:41.714 --> 00:04:48.921 She came to see Gesner. 00:04:49.689 --> 00:04:55.595 Gesner cured the child. 00:04:55.928 --> 00:04:59.065 On the award they wrote 00:04:59.499 --> 00:05:04.070 "Baron Unlimited Inc" 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.249 Before joining the Society I used to hear that my Dad was evil 00:05:16.549 --> 00:05:19.485 but that I would not see. 00:05:19.786 --> 00:05:22.955 It was just rumors. 00:05:23.256 --> 00:05:24.957 He was not evil. 00:05:25.191 --> 00:05:30.296 I even went to his hometown and I never saw something wrong. 00:05:30.596 --> 00:05:33.733 - When you're a "Ginen" you don't work with both hands. 00:05:33.900 --> 00:05:41.140 You will live confortably as a "Ginen", you will eat daily. 00:05:41.541 --> 00:05:44.143 Some want more. 00:05:44.544 --> 00:05:49.182 After they become a priest 00:05:49.782 --> 00:05:55.188 they want to be rich right away. 00:05:56.289 --> 00:06:00.426 They go after the negative, the dark side of it. 00:06:00.460 --> 00:06:05.832 They do get rich very quickly 00:06:06.065 --> 00:06:08.167 but there are side effects. 00:06:08.301 --> 00:06:15.508 -Sometimes people came to sell their son 00:06:15.742 --> 00:06:20.380 to sell their dad to Gesner. 00:06:20.513 --> 00:06:22.382 They would believe he was evil. 00:06:22.582 --> 00:06:27.019 - When Ertha Trouillot was president there was this incident. 00:06:27.320 --> 00:06:31.791 An uncle came to sell his nephew. 00:06:32.091 --> 00:06:33.893 Gesner said he would buy the child 00:06:34.293 --> 00:06:36.529 asking him to sit to discuss the price. 00:06:36.763 --> 00:06:38.998 He called the police instead. 00:06:39.132 --> 00:06:41.033 - The parents came to pick-up the child. 00:06:41.200 --> 00:06:45.071 The story made headlines in the whole country. 00:06:45.371 --> 00:06:47.974 Some even made songs telling the story. 00:06:48.274 --> 00:06:50.476 - The song said: "Gesner is no evil" 00:06:50.843 --> 00:06:53.246 "He has the power of Ginen to save children" 00:06:53.513 --> 00:06:56.716 -"Daddy brought his child to be killed like en animal" 00:06:57.016 --> 00:06:59.385 "Gesner closed the doors and asked for ropes" 00:06:59.652 --> 00:07:01.654 "Baron started yelling for ropes" 00:07:01.888 --> 00:07:06.492 "Gesner did not hurt. Houngan is not evil" 00:07:06.659 --> 00:07:10.897 - My Dad was so good to me I couldn't stop crying when he died. 00:07:11.130 --> 00:07:14.934 He was better to me than my real father. 00:07:16.035 --> 00:07:20.039 I will never forget him. 00:07:39.926 --> 00:07:43.796 - There's a rule in voodoo when a priest dies 00:07:44.397 --> 00:07:48.267 the temple won't be closed for more than 3 months. 00:07:48.868 --> 00:07:51.437 - Although I was not the first born I had to replace my dad. 00:07:51.904 --> 00:07:56.476 I have 2 older sisters living abroad who were already initiated. 00:07:57.076 --> 00:08:01.380 But the spirit did not choose them to manage the House. 00:08:01.547 --> 00:08:05.818 - Gesner asked my mom in a dream to initiate Jacky. 00:08:06.085 --> 00:08:09.889 - Dad died, I'm in charge and I'm proud. 00:08:10.189 --> 00:08:12.625 I'm still very proud of it. 00:08:12.892 --> 00:08:17.330 When he was alive I was not that interested. 00:08:17.430 --> 00:08:19.732 Often I did not come to ceremonies. 00:08:19.799 --> 00:08:23.402 But today I feel it was a mistake. 00:08:23.469 --> 00:08:25.671 Today I have kids living abroad. 00:08:25.972 --> 00:08:31.410 They weren't born here but I show them what voodoo and Haiti are. 00:08:31.744 --> 00:08:34.313 I'm proud to be a priest. 00:08:34.447 --> 00:08:38.251 Since they're not Haitians I tell them. 00:08:38.417 --> 00:08:43.623 Just in case they have negative feelings about Haiti and voodoo. 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:49.095 I'm the only one able to tell them the truth. 00:08:49.228 --> 00:08:52.632 So that they learn the culture without any negative feeling. 00:08:52.798 --> 00:08:57.036 It's true that even in Haiti Haitians have bad feelings about voodoo. 00:08:57.270 --> 00:09:01.841 Voodoo gathers everyone. 00:09:02.074 --> 00:09:05.177 Some pick the worst 00:09:05.444 --> 00:09:09.282 others pick the best out of it. 00:09:09.582 --> 00:09:12.785 I don't really mind. 00:09:12.952 --> 00:09:18.057 I don't mean to push my kids in one or other direction. 00:09:18.324 --> 00:09:22.695 But they should not be afraid of saying that their dad is a priest. 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:38.377 - When you've been a good servant you'll become a spirit for sure. 00:09:38.678 --> 00:09:41.147 My dad will become a spirit.