China took over control of Tibet in 1950. However, the area was still recognized as autonomous with the 14th Dalai Lama in control. But, everything wasn’t hunky dory and that government fled the area during the 1959 Tibetan Rebellion for fear of the Dalai Lama’s life. After that, negotiations between the Chinese and Tibetans continued to deteriorate and eventually, China saw Tibet as a rival government in exile, so they took over. The Central Tibetan Administration views China’s governing of the region as illegitimate military occupation. Since then, the Dalai Lama has asked that, with many Tibetans in exile, that Tibet be seen as a genuine autonomous region within China.
Until this conflict is resolved, many Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, have not been able to set foot on their native soil. However, New York artist Tenzing Tigdol made their wish come true this past week – sort of.
Rigdol, a Tibetan, trucked 22 tons of Tibetan dirt to Dharamsala in northern India where many of the refugees live. The dirt was spread out over a stage about as big as a basketball court Rigdol called “Our Land, Our People” and refugees were allowed to walk in it. Many chose to not only walk in the dirt, but drop to their knees, touch it, and some even tasted the soil of the land to which they may never return. Some even took to the microphone, explaining how it felt to walk on the soil. While Rigdol knew it wasn’t the same as going home, he hoped it would be a joyful experience for some.
Rigdol would not disclose how the soil was obtained, for fear of repercussions he might suffer for smuggling the soil out of the country. He did say it was a “complicated process that took 17 months.”
Why do this? Perhaps Rigdol was inspired by his own father, who wanted to returned to Tibet one more time, but died in 2007 before he could. He wanted to allow the refugees who had been displaced to return home one more time, even if only on exported soil. He also wanted Tibetans who had never been to the country to be able to set food in the region in which they might have been born under different circumstances.