Presentation
by JSG Gandeto, Author of
"Ancient
Macedonians"
 On
Sunday, November 30th, 2003, the Canadian Macedonian Historical Society
-- together with St. Clement of Ohrid Macedonian Orthodox Cathedral
and the Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada -- jointly hosted
a historical presentation by Joseph Gandeto, author of Ancient Macedonians:
Differences Between the Ancient Macedonians and the Ancient Greeks.
Joseph, who now resides in Florida, was born in Lubojno, Macedonia.
He immigrated to the United States in 1967, where he spent some
time in Detroit and Chicago before finally settling in Miami.
He holds Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees from Wayne State
University and as well as a Specialist Degree from Nova South-Eastern
University achieving the standing of Education Specialist.
His published works include "Ancient Macedonians: Differences
Between the Ancient Macedonians and the Ancient Greeks" (2003), "Muabeti" (2003),
and "Videloto Na Spasa" (in print).
Joseph delivered an outstanding analysis that left no doubt about
who the ancient Macedonians were and were not. With extensive citations
from ancient and modern sources Joseph delivered indisputable evidence
that the ancient Macedonians were a unique, determined and proud
race.
He riveted the audience by delivering piece after piece of documented
and properly sourced evidence demonstrating not only that the ancient
Macedonians were not Greek, but also that they were proud of their
distinct achievements as Macedonians.
The official version of history is continually being challenged
as groups excluded from it point out biases and begin to tell their
own largely untold stories. History, once dressed proudly in the
robes of power, is becoming contested ground.
The concealed history of Macedonia is now coming to light and
exposing truths the official versions would prefer to leave in
shadow. Over the last three decades there has been a genuine explosion
of research. As a result the official stories that are supposed
to give us meaning are looking more and more myth than actual history.
Official historiography came to see the entire world through a
Eurocentric lens. In the nineteenth century history was rewritten
to detach ancient Greece from its Egyptian and Phoenician roots.
Golden Greece was celebrated as the glorious childhood of Europe.
Macedonia was thought to be Greek. Yet the split in classical times
was between a 'civilized' East (Greece) and a 'barbaric' North
(Macedonia). Similarly the history of Macedonia was buried and
distorted; we were turned into a 'people without history' upon
whom modern mythical Greek history could then be superimposed.
This was not initially the case. You need only read ancient Greek
scholars to appreciate the extent of the revisionism. Throughout
the Balkans, history is being rediscovered and revitalized both
by scholars and activists often working from minimal oral and archaeological
sources. They have begun to overturn the arrogant assumptions of
the Modern Greek myth of history and challenge the Grecocentric
point of view. This old but new again view is rooted in a new Macedonian
Enlightenment. It is the rebirth of the true version of our ancestral
history.
On behalf of the Macedonian community in Toronto we would like
to extend many thanks to Joseph Gandeto for taking the time from
his busy schedule to come to Toronto to enlighten us with his discoveries.
We wish Joseph well in his future endeavours and encourage him
to continue to be an inspiration to all of us.
|
