Evesham mayor's tiki figures attract debate

Meticulously, the mayor of Evesham Township arranges two primitive tiki figures on the desk in front of him as he takes his seat on the dais before the public meetings begin.

The peculiar, hand-carved, dark-brown wooden figures wear nothing but skirts made of strands of jute. One stands at a lectern with a menacing expression. Another sits cross-legged with a white candle in his right hand.

For the last year, the pair has regularly shared the spotlight with the five-member Township Council in the South Jersey town of 46,000 residents.

"I love them," Randy Brown said during an interview on a radio talk show last month, saying the figures reminded him of his American Indian heritage. But his brief explanation of their meaning did little to clear up a controversy over whether they are appropriate in such a setting.

The figures stirred curiosity and concern that they are racially insensitive after The Inquirer published a photograph of Brown presiding over a raucous council meeting attended by 60 residents on March 17. The figures stand about 10 and 15 inches tall and are clearly visible in the image, reflecting the view of those in the audience.

Though the picture piqued public debate over the origin of the figures, an Internet search confirmed they were tikis.

At the March meeting, Brown, breaking three months of silence, began answering questions from residents. Previously, he had refused to engage with them, saying their criticisms and questions were "politically motivated."

Brown, a Republican who has been mayor since 2007, ran for his first term as a Democrat, then changed his affiliation to Republican for subsequent terms. In November, he again was reelected.

Some residents say the tiki figures keep the mayor partially hidden during meetings and are part of his controversial style.

On radio station WPHT-AM (1210) in Philadelphia, talk-show host Dom Giordano asked Brown to explain what the figures represent. Brown laughed and said he was amazed at the attention they had received.

Giordano commented he was surprised to see the display because some might consider them offensive.

After the Inquirer photograph appeared, some commentators on Philly.com and on several Marlton Facebook pages said the figures were racist and promoted stereotypes; others said they were just "weird" and wrong for a public-meeting venue.

"My heritage is American Indian," Brown told Giordano, explaining why he acquired the "small art pieces" after seeing them last summer at the now-closed Morrison's Farmer's Market & Garden Center in Marlton. "I thought they really depicted kind of . . . an American Indian sitting . . . a leader."

Asked later by The Inquirer to elaborate, Brown declined to go beyond the radio interview other than to e-mail: "My father's mother was a full-blooded Lumbee Indian. We are very proud of my family's heritage. She and my father are deceased."

Brown did not respond to questions about whether his family had conducted genealogical research and whether he possessed any artifacts. He also would not say whether he displays the figures in the mayor's office.

Debra Utacia Krol, spokeswoman for the Heard Museum, an art center in Phoenix where Native American artifacts and art from numerous tribes are displayed, said the figurines didn't resemble any of their pieces. "Museum of African Art springs to mind," she said, suggesting another place that might help.

At the farmer's market next to the Evesham Town Hall, Ralph Morrison, a retired farmer, pulled out a dusty cardboard box filled with a dozen of the figurines during a visit last week. He said he acquired them years ago from a landscaper and added it to an assortment of trinkets and Christmas ornaments the market once sold. "They're definitely weird," he said with a chuckle and a shrug.

The figures in the box wore the same garb as Brown's tikis. But unlike Brown's pair, which have braided hair made of jute, the others have flyaway hair that on some figures resemble dreadlocks.

Some were posed on surfboards, others on windsails. One pounded a drum and another was nearly identical to Brown's figure with the candle.

A sticker said: "Made in Indonesia." They are made from soft wood, with the arms nailed to the bodies.

A search of the Web identified the figures as part of a collection of primitive art and tribal tikis that can be found in a wide variety of poses. Sold mostly by Hawaiian emporiums, with some offerings on eBay, these tikis surf, skateboard, kayak, and canoe. Some sit on Harley-Davidsons.

They are advertised as novelties or decor suitable for a tiki bar or man cave. Prices at TikiMaster.com start at $10 and go up to $690 for a seven-foot-tall headhunter.

"Primitive Tiki Dudes, with their wild hairstyles and comic expressions are fun and great conversation pieces!" the Tiki Store of Hawaii says on its website. Other tikis are "spiritual figures who use their big, scary mouths and menacing expressions to frighten away evil spirits," the site states.

The more traditional tikis depict gods from Polynesian and Hawaiian mythology and wear carved headdresses that represent fertility, hospitality, and prosperity.

When Brown was asked about the tiki connection to his figures, he said in a later e-mail: "I continue to be focused on the many projects and issues that are important to the residents of Evesham Township that I have been privileged to serve as Mayor. The confidence that they showed me in November with an overwhelming victory is something that I take very seriously."

Kathleen Reilly-Santomero, a resident who once ran for council as a Democrat, said town employees told her last month Brown calls the tikis voodoo dolls that ward off evil spirits and bring him good luck.

Deputy Mayor Bob DiEnna said in an interview the figures were Brown's "good-luck charms" and "conversation pieces." He said he was with Brown when Morrison told them they could take the figures free of charge as he was cleaning out the garden center.

Giordano, who also is a regular columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, asked Brown about the voodoo comments. Brown laughed again. "Well, I coach kickers, so, so –" Brown said, his voice trailing. He was referring to his part-time role as an NFL Ravens kicking coach. Giordano interjected that he understood the relationship between sports and superstitions and moved to another topic.

During a late-afternoon council meeting in early March, Brown offered a glimpse into his relationship with the tikis. As the meeting started, the figures were not on display.

But about 20 minutes later, before it was the public's turn to speak, Brown excused himself. When he returned, he was carrying the tikis.

With a serious look, Brown positioned them on the desk in front of him and then rocked back and forth in his chair. He mumbled something to DiEnna that sounded like either, "I forgot my things" or, "I got my things."