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.
(L-R) Joseph Gandeto with Dr. Dragi Denkovski
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.
(L-R) Joseph Gandeto Signing a Book for Tony Markovski
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.
(L-R) Virginia and Richard Dubiel Greeting Attendees
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.