Kadeem Parchment (he/him) is a filmmaker and photographer, currently working on a few short stop-motion film projects. He studied at George Brown College and started working with Lakeshore Arts in 2014. Kadeem continues to support the work LSA does because he likes the people, the environment, and learning something new.
Treasures of Ours
Nabil Shash
Ethnicity: Ethiopian
Attached is a photo of a hat and scarf that’s gifted to Harari men when we get married. Although I rarely get to wear it, it symbolizes a step into adulthood. These two items were made in Harar, Ethiopia and gifted to me by a friend of my father. It also symbolizes the love my parents have received from the community, through to me.
As a child of diaspora, the closes connection I have to the harari community is through weddings. That’s where you see traditional clothing, hear traditional songs, and celebrate in a traditional fashion. I don’t know the language, how to cook the food and didn’t get married to a Harari woman. So these garments represent community, my community, and outside of my parents and my blood, are my only connection to it.
The hat is called a quofia, which I think literally translates into hat. I never learned what the scarf’s actual name is but let me check with my dad. They were gifted to me by a friend of my parents on the day of my wedding to wear. Traditionally, I should continue to wear it at weddings as a symbol that I am married.